Topic: UCB Update Please read

[Jeera]

CP, I think you've missed the point. There once was a member called Fat Les who posted loads of pictures of his creations - I think he used the same shop as Cory for his tablecloths

[currygit]

I like the idea of a book.

I am never sure about onions and garlic as the traditional curries vary in their use so much.  So any tips Chilli would be welcome here.

Tar lar (scouse for tanks)

currygit

[Chilli Prawn]

Hi CG, I am a bit bizzy DIYing & cooking at the moment but I will try to get the Onions & Garlic post out soon, I may add tomatoes tips in there as well.

CP

[Chilli Prawn]

I have spoken with Mark this morning and I raised various points. 

The chef's spoons he uses equate to 25ml which very roughly equates to 25gms give or take + or - 5gm, if I use Garam Masala as an average volume per weight gauge.  I say use 40gm of spice which roughly equates to a heaped chef's spoon.  He went and got his spoons and ladles and measured them for me.

Now when you make up a dish you add one portion of base which is just slightly less than a standard mug or roughly equivalent to 250ml.

With regard to the chilli; it is the very mild chilli that is used by Birs for making up bases and masalas.  If it is not marked as mild you will have to ask your grocer or supplier for it.
The Cayenne is optional.

The tomato base is made from tomato concentrate puree.  When it has been fried with the Garlic for a little while it should be cut down with a little water to make a thick gloopy sauce like the consistency of passata.  If you get it too watery or too thick it will not fuse and you wont get the Bir taste.

When you put either of the bases in the pan to make up a dish you should rub them against the bottom of the very hot pan with your chef's spoon to fuse the flavours, but you must not let them burn.  This is down to technique and experience.

I have various commitments that will not allow me to do much with this until New Year.  Mark is coming over to spend a day with us and train us, and we shall video the whole proceedings.  So hang tight guys.  However he still insists the recipe you have here is sound and will work.

Happy Cooking
CP

[Chilli Prawn]

I think, but not sure, that the mild chillis used are Kashmiri, which are dark red and very difficult to get over here.

[Mark J]

When it has been fried with the Garlic for a little while it should be cut down with a little water to make a thick gloopy sauce like the consistency of passata. 

Do you add water and continue cooking CP or is the water added after you have finished cooking the tomato base?

[Chilli Prawn]

During cooking, but after the tomato paste has fused with the oil.

CP

[After8]

Hi CP,

Your discoveries are very exiting, however, due to my small brain size, I'm getting very  confused. When you finalise the recipes, would it be possible to work out the quantities of things such as onions, garlic, ginger, in weight, rather saying how many, or how high they should come up the side of pan. This would help enormously, especially when scaling down quantities.

A8

[Chilli Prawn]

Hi MA8  Yes I will be doing that, as it is somewhat confusuing if you want to make smaller batches.  Scaling it down in equal ratios doesn't work so well so I will have to experiment, which is why I need some time to do it in the New Year when I will be less busy.
CP

[After8]

CP,

Can you tell me, when making the individual dishes, what happends to the spices - are they fried before the base goes in, then the heat turned up for the fusing, (I'm assuming that high heat is involved) or do they just cook during the fusing.

Sorry to bother you again , but I'm itching to have a go...

A8

PS is flash-frying different to fusing?