Topic: UCB Update Please read

[Chilli Prawn]

I assume you are on Statins 'L' ?  If you are then you really do need to be careful (read up on super/high statin doses).  I have worked on reduced oil dishes for a long time and I & family, customers like/prefer them, but I have to be very honest and say they are not quite the same.  Yes do as you say, so if you like oily curry, first ensure that the curry has de-homogenised, i.e the oil has fully separated.  Then skim off the excess oil (you can always use it for the next curry).

CP

[Mark J]

Superb stuff CP, excellent read and very informative

[Mark J]

3. Tomato Base

This is used in most of his recipes and if you watch the curry progs on telly you will usually see them using it.  It is very simple and very effective; and more importantly it is what contribute to the BIR taste.

Ingredients. Half pint of butter ghee, one whole head of Garlic (smoked is best), 4 heaped catering (Chefs - see my measurement post) spoons of good quality tomato paste.

Peel the garlic (and remove the skin this time!), and finely slice the garlic along the length so it looks like slivers of Almonds.

Heat the oil on low flame and add the Garlic.  Cook very gently utill the Garlic has softened and add the Tomato paste.  Turn the heat up and stir for 3-5 mins until the oil and tomato separate, do not let it catch or burn; if it does then throw it away.  Add a little water to get a consitency like double cream.  That is it!

This base is used to marinate and fuse meats prior to or during cooking.

This is the most exciting find on this site in quite some time.

I had always assumed the tomato paste that the chefs add is nothing more than paste, I didnt realise they prepared it like this and that may be key to the taste.

I was in my local takeaway tonight (the one I got the 35 onion base recipe from) I had never thought to ask about the tomato paste but tonight I pointed to it and asked if they prepare it before use, his reply: "yes we fry it in oil with garlic and a little spice" doh!

[Chilli Prawn]

Well done Mark, this is how we move forward and crack the 'code'
CP

[Yellow Fingers]

Actually Mark this has cropped up a few times before. Remember that Spanish curry house that was talked about a while ago? They used cans of Tomate Frito, which is fried tomatoes with garlic. Also the fried tomato theme is in KD's base and the Natco base although no garlic is added. Ain't nothing new in this here world. 

In fact, although CP has pulled it all together in a single post, I can't really find anything in his methods that hasn't already been discussed at some time in the past.

YF

[DARTHPHALL]

ah, but sometimes going over old recipes & methods you pick something new, as you have moved on, your new knowledge can help you attain a better grasp of old information, do you not agree? 
I remember an old Chef saying, no matter how you progress you must remember" basics, basics", i tend to agree, you can go so far forward that you forget fundamental rules & all of a sudden you are floundering in your Curry cooking.I have done it & I'm sure many have.

[Mark J]

Actually Mark this has cropped up a few times before. Remember that Spanish curry house that was talked about a while ago? They used cans of Tomate Frito, which is fried tomatoes with garlic. Also the fried tomato theme is in KD's base and the Natco base although no garlic is added. Ain't nothing new in this here world. 

In fact, although CP has pulled it all together in a single post, I can't really find anything in his methods that hasn't already been discussed at some time in the past.

YF

No this is totally new, frito was discussed but we never came to the conclusion this was what the birs were doing with the tomato paste that was added in during final stage cooking. Again ditto re bases with fried tomato in.

I was in my local restaurant last night and quized the head chef on how they prepare the tomato paste they add during final stage cooking and he said they heat up oil, add garlic and then when it is brown they add the tomato paste with a little water (no spice this time), he said its important to get it bubbling otherwise it wont keep for long.

He also said that during final stag cooking they get the oil really hot and after adding dry spices you must add the tomato paste mixture very soon otherwise the spices burn

[DARTHPHALL]

We need CP back to help on this as it is an interesting point, i have asked (sorry Begged) for his return.
 

[woodpecker21]

hi all
just to put my twopennith in.... : this is very similar to the rogan josh sauce in bruce edwards curryhouse cookery but that contains peppers have thought this for sometime. but when i come to think about it the tomato paste which i saw in my vindaloo demo at Rajver the paste seemed to be glossy/oily? so maybe this is the case. i have lately been following the ingredients/method of curryhouse cookery ie adding fine chopped green pepper after adding some garlic and they have been fantastic. i know this because my wife will remove any green pepper of reasonable size because she is not very keen on eating it. she does the same with chillies 

YF ......life is circular (iynwim) we are very overprotective of the very hard work in which it has taken to reach this point. peeps have come and gone never to be heard from again....   others have joined to poach, others are just newbies and are where we were when this site first started  but we should not be  so critical like a bad teacher :-[
we all have ways of putting our thoughts across some can come across big headed others others sympathetic......but we are all here for one thing BIR curry 

kind regards
gary

[Ashes]

This sounds like it could be something!! Hope someone tries it out soon, i was wondering whether to ask if someone had made a curry with a ridiculous amount of garlic in, as there cant be too many smells that give off such a strong smell as garlic, and i suspect garlic is apart of "the taste" but i reasoned that loads and loads of garlic would be time consuming and uneconomic and also probably not taste that good (you ever over garliced a dish?).. but a technique using garlic might go a long way towards the "the taste"?

Thing that concerns me is; CP said that he hadnt discovered the "the taste" but im almost certain he knows all about tomato frito so maybe it isnt part of the taste?

Mark, the restaurant which you say makes this, does it have the taste?

Ashes