Topic: Base Gravy,Oil v Without Oil.

[livo]

Uri Geller has been playing with the chef's spoon.

[littlechilie]

Hi littlechillie

do you find you get a lot of water seeping out of the curry on to the plate?  I Find it happens in a normal base if I do not cook the base until the oil rises to the top therefore I would expect it to be worse using a no oil base?

barry

Hi,
No Im getting little to none water seeping as most of the stock is from the onions juice, Sp, great photos an your Link but I'm still not buying in to all that oil

Some great replies coming back here, it's looking like oil in base is the majority vote.

[chewytikka]

Pretty obvious conclusion to this LC
But if this base works for you and your happier with a healthier option, Why Not.

I do need oil in my Garabi ;D
cheers Chewy

[noble ox]

When starting a curry oil is 1st put in the pan then cooking begins, so how can it matter whether there is oil in the base or not?
Does anyone have any good reason for the "must have oil in base"?
I believe its all in the mind and what pleases the eye when the important part is the end result
 ;D

[littlechilie]

Hi,
NOx I think the gentleman on this video is saying exactly the same thing, there is a lot of oil added ad fring stage so it's not required in the base, that is unless you r preference is for that way.

But this video illustrates that It's not unusual for bir establishments to not use oil in there base, I bet for this one guy following this process there is another 2000 or more out there doing the same.

Just to throw this link out here, it's a no oil Onion only base that apparently serves it's customers very well.

Not my Dad's!

Not exactly new, but I've not seen this linked before, I found it quite interesting:

basic curry sauce dad 0001

Gary

[macferret]

I think the oil gets incorporated into the sauce - emulsified I guess. We use a lot of oil in our gravy, but only a little of it sits on top, so it must be in there somewhere. How much of it splits back out when you cook in the pan I have no idea.

[chrisnw]

Many spices (especially turmeric and chili) are predominately oil soluble, therefore omitting oil will not only affect the final result (taste) but also the now well publicised health benefits. For example cooking tomatoes in oil helps to release lycopene from the tomato cells as Lycopene is fat soluble. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and believed to ward against many common types of cancer.

Chrisnw

[noble ox]

Many spices (especially turmeric and chili) are predominately oil soluble, therefore omitting oil will not only affect the final result (taste) but also the now well publicised health benefits. For example cooking tomatoes in oil helps to release lycopene from the tomato cells as Lycopene is fat soluble. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and believed to ward against many common types of cancer.

Agree with the above
But does it matter as long as you start the final curry with oil then add any spices or base with or without oil ?

[chrisnw]

Agree with the above
But does it matter as long as you start the final curry with oil then add any spices or base with or without oil ?

I would say, a lot depends on the final curry, quality of ingredients and the cooking method (plus skill level too). Many BIR curries I have been served with over the years seem to be mostly base with very little spice (and taste!).

Chrisnw

[macferret]

That's true. A restaurant owner I knew used to moan about his chef using too much spice. It was a time when a lot of costs were rocketing. I used to tease him that if he used any less spice he might as well reopen as a Chinese takeaway. During the 6 months that I worked there (Redhill) the quality and flavour level of the cooking dropped considerably. When I went back some time later, he had sacked the chef and replaced him with one of his family. The food was not very good and was available on buffet only. A year after that his email account starting bouncing and when I asked after him, I was told he had done a runner back to Pakistan. Last time I saw the place, the tables had been ripped out and it was a takeaway selling chicken in a bucket
So don't skimp on the spices and oil folks.