Topic: Grinding seeds

[Lee989]

I'm a little new to cooking with spices, and for my first attempt at a curry, i chose CA's Madras along with his base and spice mix. The spice mix calls for a lot of powder's, most of which i managed to get in either asda's own brand (apart from the shwartz fenugreek powder).

However no where local seems to have ground cardamom. Even an online search yields no pre-ground cardamom results apart from a forum topic related to a single online store (spice of india or something).

I've found three methods of making my own powder, one is to buy a spice grinder, another to get a mortar and pastle, and a method of using a rolling pin and granulated sugar.

What would you advise me to get (i cant afford some of the more expensive kit i've seen mentioned so far, such as ?100 grinder, which whilst im sure is worth it's weight in cardamom, it's a little too much given i've not made my first curry yet). Or, do i just not bother grinding them at all? (not sure if i would have the sieve them out later though, or do they break down into the gravy?


Side note: Just for the sake of not creating another post or asking another question elsewhere, could you also tell me... The CA recipe calls for fresh tomatoes as opposed to the chopped tomatoes of a lot of others i see. Should i de-seed/de-pulp the tomatoes before using them? Should i skin them before using them? I imagine there will be a decent number of seeds which will be left in the base, and likewise i imagine unskinned tomatoes will end up leaving there skins in the base as i doubt my stick blender will blend them to a point they aren't noticeable (not that ive tried, i just don't expect it too be able to blend that finely). Maybe the secret is that you sieve the base after it's made and its just so common knowledge to most on here, that CA never mentioned that part?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Just to address one part at a time (because I am eating my dinner as I write !), CA recommends either buying ready-ground cardamom or grinding just the cardamom seeds, not the whole pods [1], and these may perhaps be easier to obtain than ground cardamom;  a

[curryhell]

Firstly, welcome Lee to the curry journey  ;D . Re. spices, see if you can find a local asian general store or wholesaler.  They normally all the essentials, it's fresher and cheaper.  Had you picked Chewytikkas base and spice mix, you'd be having far less "angst"  with equally as good results IMHO ;D. 
Back to your questions.  Ground cardamom is a bit of a rare beast, probably because there is little call for it.  Just a CA quirk, although some would say it does add something.  I didn't notice any earth moving impact when i used it in his mix powder.  Next best thing, deseed the pods and grind it using  a pestle and mortar or  a cheap coffee grinder which can be used for spice grinding, if you feel the need.  The only time i use mine is to make up garam masala, and that is not very often.  Handy to have if you want to try grinding whole spices and using freshly ground.  Not likely in BIR cooking, other than for garam masala though.
As for the tomatoes, simply chop them and throw them in.  You will be suprised what a good job your stick blender will do.  Just make sure you let it rest frequently.  Personally I use a jug blender and have been using the same one for bases for the last 20 years and it hasn't failed me yet.  As for sieving the base, this used to be done in byegone days according to CT and some members on here do it.  I never have.  I suppose it produces a much smoother sauce with no chance of any small fibrous material being left in the base.  Whilst i can appreciate the reasoning, providing you blend thoroughly, the impact it will have on the overall flavour of your curry will be absolutely negligible IMO.
The main thing though, enjoy what you're doing.  Keep walking for a while before you start to run.  I'm sure you'll soon be producing quality curries.  Like most things, it takes time and plenty of practice.  Watch the videos from Currybarkingmad and Chewytikka,  learn the sequence and practice the technique which is half the battle i believe.
Feel free to ask as many questions as you want, no matter how trivial they may seem.  There's always someone on here who will be willing to help.  But you do have to make allowance for our differences of opinion occasionally.
Keep us posted on how the curry goes 

[Lee989]

Thanks both, might invest in a grinder. I do have a cheap jug type blender too if my even cheaper wilko stick blender isn't up too much (never used it in sauce as such, only ever used it trying to mince some onions in the first ever curry i tried to make from a rough recipe the local pub's indian owner gave me. Didn't really do what i had hoped, but then again, i was only trying to blend a couple of onions, probably not a decent enough amount for it to really do what it should.

I'll take a look at chewytikka's base and mix, i might be converted or try it second time round. I chose CA's stuff purely based on a picture of his madras and the ingredients in his base as i wanted to start off with something that was fairly close to what im used to eating (seems birmingham BIR's are a lot less adventurous than some other area's. I'd never gotten a carrot in a balti before i had a curry in southampton the other month, and cabbage and celery.... never!). I'm not expected to re-create the dish perfectly, so i know i can't really compare the two, but as im not really a seasoned curry eater, i figured i at least have some idea of what the stuff im used too should taste like. Then i can branch off from there and try cabbage/celery and any other weird concoction of base that i fancy trying.

If the cardamom isn't all that important to the spice mix (which it doesn't seem to be now ive looked at others and a lot dont have it), i might just try it without the first time round, as i REALLY don't want to wait to get a grinder. I want my curry tomorrow! I'm impatient... and hungry

[Stephen Lindsay]

I've never used cardamom in a spice mix so don't fret Les.

[curryhell]

It won't be exactly to spec and as he intended it, but i'm sure it be a good curry nonetheless.  And maybe when you eventually get your grinder, or happen across some ground cardamom, you can try it and see if it makes any appreciable difference.  I have some and CA's is the only recipe i've tried that requires it.  I would imagine that mine is probably not up to much now and really does need to go in the bin 

[Peripatetic Phil]

If the cardamom isn't all that important to the spice mix (which it doesn't seem to be now ive looked at others and a lot dont have it), i might just try it without the first time round, as i REALLY don't want to wait to get a grinder. I want my curry tomorrow! I'm impatient... and hungry

If you already have green cardamom and can't face grinding them in a pestle and mortar, you might consider just giving them a good thump with a kitchen mallet and then including them in your pulao rice (I assume you are going to make pulao rice, to accompany the Madras).  A few cardamom in your pulao will really lift it, and I can refer you to my microwave recipe for cooking it which is pretty d@mned foolproof once you learn to judge by eye how much water you should add (aim for 1/3" above the top of the rice).

** Phil.

[Lee989]

I'll see how it goes. I might be tempted tomorrow to just get a grinder (i have a coffee maker and buy pre-ground coffee, so i could grind my own coffee too, just so that it's used for something other than just cardamom ). Got to pop to tesco anyway as my local Asda didn't have fresh coriander, unless i happen to find a shop on the way to work tomorrow morning which looks promising of selling fresh herbs.

I think i've got all the powders and stuff that i need to attempt a "lee version" of a recipe anyway, so i might just give CA's or chewy's a whirl tomorrow (think it was the cabbage that put me of chewies, but i'll just leave it out if that recipe wins the toss). Probably try making half of the recipe just so i can try another base sooner since it's only me and my old man that eats indian curries in my family, it will be hard to use the large amounts of base some recipe's cater for

Anyway, im gonna stop going on, and print out a couple of recipies for the 3 component parts, should keep me elbows deep in washing up for a while mixing and matching them and trying to work out what i like and dont.

[curryhell]

One recommendation, keep your grinder either for grinding coffee or grinding spices.  The twain should never meet I think.  Perhaps a coffee expert can confirm  ;D
PS, i don't think leaving the cabbage out of CT's base will impact on its quality too much  ;D

[Lee989]

If the cardamom isn't all that important to the spice mix (which it doesn't seem to be now ive looked at others and a lot dont have it), i might just try it without the first time round, as i REALLY don't want to wait to get a grinder. I want my curry tomorrow! I'm impatient... and hungry

If you already have green cardamom and can't face grinding them in a pestle and mortar, you might consider just giving them a good thump with a kitchen mallet and then including them in your pulao rice (I assume you are going to make pulao rice, to accompany the Madras).  A few cardamom in your pulao will really lift it, and I can refer you to my microwave recipe for cooking it which is pretty d@mned foolproof once you learn to judge by eye how much water you should add (aim for 1/3" above the top of the rice).

** Phil.

Hi Phil, thanks for the reply.

You'll be surprised to hear that ive never tried pilau rice, yes, i really am that new to curries. Since i only get the chance to eat out every hop and catch, i tend to stick with what i know unless someone else offers me to try some of theirs, as im always concerned i wont like it (stems from ordering a korma once to try something new, and i hated it, turns out creamy curries aren't my thing. Tried a masala too once, which was OK, but far too sweet and got sickly after half a dish, so my second adventurous attempt went badly too, so i never tried again).

Anyway, that's what im here for. Too look at pretty pictures and cook new things to try myself. So i'll be sure to try out your pilau rice instead of sticking with my usual egg friend rice!

I don't have the cardamom yet, but im half tempted to just get some since i need to go out shopping again anyway. i'm sure i'll find a way of using them such as your rice suggestion (i dont even know what cardamom tastes like, it would probably go with some of the non-indian dishes i cook too, to be fair, so probably wont go too waste).