Topic: Ordered a Restaurant Gravy/Base

[livo]

There is a Takeaway / Dine In business in a city near me that has 4 outlets in the suburbs.  As you approach these locations the aroma of the kitchen is unmistakeable and the pungency / completeness of the smell is palpable. It is a pain in the behind since it immediately induces salivation and the hunger trigger is clicked off into overdrive.  The same can be said for any of another 6 or so in the surrounding areas.

The main store has a little Indian grocery section attached next door, but if you go in there and ask anything at all about recipes or techniques they sheepishly tell you that only the chef knows.  I don't think my cooking technique is at all "iffy" and in fact I can turn my hand to just about anything but without the full picture, recreating any dish exactly as it is meant to be is never going to happen.

Anyone can cook a curry and some people can cook a good curry.  There is more to be learnt and one would have thought it would be relatively plain in the information age.  I am more than happy with my efforts so far and owe much of my improvement to finding websites like this and this one in particular, but I'm nowhere near the target yet.

Clearly I am not alone in feeling that something is missing.

[George]

As you approach these locations the aroma of the kitchen is unmistakeable and the pungency / completeness of the smell is palpable...recreating any dish exactly as it is meant to be is never going to happen...Clearly I am not alone in feeling that something is missing.

I agree that the smells coming from BIRs can be pleasant but I'm not sure there's a direct link to the taste of the food. Once you step inside an air conditioned BIR dining room there may be some pleasant fragrance but, in my experience, it's not going to be cooking smells, even from other guests meals.

I bought yet another dhansak from a local takeaway last week. This place had come highly recommended, so my expectations were quite high. The aroma from the takeaway bag was great but, actually, the taste of the dhansak was not as good as I can now make (for what I'm aiming for) so I'm not sure the background aroma is critical.

[noble ox]

livo
When I am knocking up a base my kitchen and garden does  smell like a Bir
Neighbours tell me that  ;D
When I mention" iffy" I mean bad techniques when using spices
Its very easy to wreck a curry too much turmeric or crap paprika can cause bitterness, I never use mix powders as you seem to lose touch with whats going on
If you watch a good Bir chef you can learn a lot ;D

[Stephen Lindsay]

Anyone can cook a curry and some people can cook a good curry. 

Some people can cook a bad curry and some of those who cook bad curries are BIRs, I've tasted them. Some people can indeed cook good curries and some people can indeed cook excellent curries, some of them are on this forum.

[Naga]

Spot on, Stephen!

[livo]

Yes!, to all of your posts.  I concur with almost every word of all that you've written.  My kitchen also smells of the enticing aroma of Indian food when I cook it, and particularly so after I'd prepared the 3 Australian base gravies a few weeks back. You tend to notice it more coming in "fresh" than you do by actually being amongst it as well, so it's likely that this is a contributing factor.

It may just be that the Takeaway bain marie has 12 different dishes along with samosas and Tikka all sitting there, plus the cooking pots bubbling away out back and a Tandoor turning out naan all at once that causes the complexity of the aroma.  It's difficult to say.

I've been told it's the fenugreek that causes the smell and missing flavour. That's only part of it.  The way the onions are cooked, ditto. Spiced oil, I'm not sure. I need to give it a real test out.  Don't get me wrong here. I love my curries and they are good.  The people who have eaten them love them and so do I.  I just feel that there is that last tiny bit.  But where would the fun be if you didn't have something extra to strive towards?

George, I believe that Taste and Smell are very closely linked senses and bacon almost always smells better than it tastes as do barbequed onions.

[George]

some people can indeed cook excellent curries, some of them are on this forum.

With the greatest respect, how do you know? Have you ever tasted dishes prepared by anyone else on this forum? I know a few people have but, chances are, they may be over-polite when reporting back.

I still hope to invite a few people round to my house for what I'd see as a peer group review, to see what they think of my best efforts.

[Garp]

Will you film it, George, for those of us who obviously won't be invited?

[Mike hunt]

george
I'm sure the "5% missing" figure was mentioned about 10 years ago on this forum. Yet despite all the books - many of which seem to be quite highly regarded, you may be right that in some ways there's been zero progress.  I never did accept the 5% figure. It should be more like 10% or 20% missing - 10 years ago, and still missing today, based on various comments.

I Couldnt agree more, I know 100% unless you get the mix powder right your not going to get that elusive taste, I know because ive been told, Maybe its some food flavouring, Who knows. For all the mix powders ive tried over 25 years none have come near,

[Onions]

u make me tin bath ol currant