Topic: Cumin What Do We Know

[JerryM]

1st thought
has anyone compared bought packet ground and seed ground at home.

I've always used seed and ground it as and when needed thinking fresh is best.

just a thought but can't really see most BIR grinding their own given the amounts and effort needed.

question then comes - is there a difference in taste ie is packet ground needed or even "essential" to deliver BIR accurately.

2nd thought is cumin spicing taste of BIR.

when thinking of mix powder ingredients could you take all out with the exception of cumin.

or look at it another way make a mix powder without cumin and will it give BIR taste. take any other ingredient out and it probably will

does this sound potty. need a sanity check

[rshome123]

Hi Jerry,

Not sure I can add anything useful, except for that freshly ground is always best in my experience.  If the takeaways and restaurants use bought in cumin powder (realistically yes I'm sure they will) then I'm sure they will choose a good brand, and get through it quickly (nothing stale). But then are you saying that to aspire to BIR food you should copy that and not bother grinding cumin seeds ?

Surely, it can be forgiven for us amateurs (with more time on our hands than the hectic work of a BIR chef) that we grind spices to achieve the best freshness.  After all, without wanting to appear sexist or in any way racist, would the wives of the (mainly) Bangledishi chefs cook meals for their husbands with less flavour than necessary, or indeed said chefs being satisfied with less than perfect.

I say grind away.

Regarding leaving out Cumin from Mix Powder.... Personally I find it's essential for that earthy almost 'sweaty' flavour.  I know you're not a fan of cumin, and use it minimally, but this goes to show how each of us has different tastes. The best Restaurant Madras I've tasted (and have you at the Hilal) was not to your taste, but for me was Utopia on a plate.

No Sanity Check required, just a case of personal preference.  Good analytical post though, gets the intellectual juices flowing.

[Peripatetic Phil]

For me, ground fenugreek seed is the key ingredient for re-creating the true BIR flavour, but I agree that ground cumin is also essential, and I invariably use more cumin than fenugreek, by a ratio of as much as 4:1

** Phil.

[macferret]

Phil,
I agree that ground methi is the essence of curry. Hard to explain unless you have smelled it. But while we only use freshly-toasted and ground cumin, we rely on shop-bought ground methi because it is too tough and resistant to toast and grind in the electric coffee mills that we use. How do you prepare it in your kitchen?
Regards,
Tim

[JerryM]

Rsholme123,

I have taken my blinkers off for this years challenge. You will understand sort of what Im intending to do - that traditional madras on our last night out along with live madras and a strip down and reassemble is what I'm focused on. Hence the post and likely a few more apparent strange posts as I progress.

For info I've never bought powder cumin and given the comment will look out for a small Bag just to understand any difference.

Ps you should be packing

Phil,

Much appreciate this type of comment. I would not of otherwise of added to my list of unknowns - powdered fenugreek is 1 of a small no of ingredient I've binned. It just took me away from BIR. I think I used in CAs aka mix.

It's sort of fundamental to what I aim to do over the next year. In short on this say did I use too much

[Garp]

Are you on Crack or something, Jerry?

[Naga]

I don't taste the cumin from my mix power in my curries, but I definitely do in my chilli.

And re methi - I've mentioned this before - the aroma of dried methi leaf takes me right back to the curries of yesteryear.

But I've learned from forum members scattered here, there and everywhere that everyone has memories of their curries of yesteryear. Its just that there are so many regional differences that the chances of any 2 curries from different parts of the UK being the same seem vanishly small.

Anyway, vive la difference!

Apologies, Jerry, for being no help at all on the cumin question.

[rshome123]

I sneak a little extra ground fenugreek seeds when making base gravy and mixed powder. It's that aroma that's so appealing. As is methi leaves in the final dish fry.

I know you are striving for something Jerry, and I THINK I have a rough idea what direction you are headed in, but I can't help feeling you're pushing the envelope when said envelope is already almost completely full i.e. you may have reached 99.9% and trying to get further. Packing underway btw.

Garp... stop sniping.

[Garp]

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a snipe - just a reasonable question based on Jerry's posts in this thread.

Ground fenugreek, as Phil said, is the singular most important ingredient when comparing BIR to traditional Indian cuisine IMO. To totally rule it out is ridiculous, again IMO.

No offence intended 

[Peripatetic Phil]

I agree that ground methi is the essence of curry. Hard to explain unless you have smelled it. But while we only use freshly-toasted and ground cumin, we rely on shop-bought ground methi because it is too tough and resistant to toast and grind in the electric coffee mills that we use. How do you prepare it in your kitchen?

I just use the pre-ground stuff, Tim.  Although I have a reserved coffee grinder for use in grinding spices, I make no use of it when attempting to re-create BIR flavours at home.  I think that one has to be realistic and accept that "your average BIR" (or even your good BIR that is not right at the top of the heap) is /very/ unlikely to grind the basic spices; it will make use of pre-ground, pre-packaged spices which it will get through so quickly that they will have little or no chance to deteriorate in storage.

** Phil.