Topic: I am new curry amateur cook - need advice form proffesionals

[Garp]

Thanks Phil, but we're talking about BIR here, the whole concept being a bastardisation of traditional Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi cuisine to suit British palates.

I would never use tikka'd chicken in a traditional-style Indian dish, but I prefer it in BIR-style curries.

Each to their own I guess, and that's what makes this forum so vibrant.

And have I mentioned our long term economic plan?

[livo]

When you double the quantity of a curry recipe you don't double everything in it. The spices and other ingredients are only increased by 50% with the exception of the main ingredients like the meat / vegetables. 

My take on quantities, is that Livo's advice is wrong, wrong, wrong! It makes no scientific sense at all.

You are correct in that I am only a well intentioned amateur. My boat is still out on this George as well. If you make 2 normal sized dishes and combine them you have double everything. However, there is plenty of 'advice' about doing large volume preparation that uses the reduction. In another thread on this point(I'll try to find it) I posted several links to proponents of this theory and I have seen it referred to in videos of traditional Indian food preparation.

I don't think this notion is saying that you can't use normally increased ratios, or that you shouldn't, as much as it is saying that it is not necessary.  In other words, you can get adequate flavour profile development by using the reduced ratio and so using full amount is wasteful and not necessary.

As I say, I haven't put it to a real study to test it out thoroughly.  It is rare that you see anybody in this industry measuring ingredients with any real degree of accuracy. This is quite different to the home cook, who is probably trying to be as accurate as possible, thinking it is critical, which it isn't.  We all vary our spicing to suite individual tastes anyway.

[Stephen Lindsay]

We are all well-intentioned amateurs and I remember the threads that Phil posted re the 1.5 v 2.0 debate. A debate which carried on without conclusion or agreement and one that is in danger of being resurrected.  As Garp says there's a personal preference element to this so why not try it for yourself and make your mind up.

[Sverige]

The only reason people wrongly believe you have to reduce the scaling of spices as you increase the amounts and bulk cook is that they don't adjust their cooking technique to cook the larger amounts of spices for long enough, hence linear scaling of spices can lead to a harsh flavour.  Chilli powder in particular will taste "super hot" when under cooked.  The solution isn't to reduce the spice quantities but rather to scale all ingredients proportionally and to cook your larger dishes properly to get all spices cooked, as they tend to be more easily when cooking a single portion.

[Sverige]

CA's  CTM recipe is a decent, easy to follow recipe.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,7662.0.html

Don't get too bogged down, CA's recipes are far too sweet for me too, which is why I add a little sugar at a time to my tastes. If the sauce is too thick it may be that your base sauce is too thick. You are in charge you should cook it down until you're happy with it. It should be fairly diluted add the start, think milk!

Keep in mind the sugar in his recipes is to compensate for the bitterness of his undercooked base. With a decent base its not required.

[Curry addict bob]

i bought food coloring red and yellow, but in gel and this particular product have glucose beacaue this food coloring is for cakes, creams ets question is if i can use it to curry ?

My advise don't bother with food colouring for now try and consantrate on turning out a decent curry etc for the time being.
Bob

[Curry addict bob]

Oh, in that case 15gm food colouring in 300gm spice mix doesn't sound disproportionate to me.  As to the beetroot + anatto, it will certainly give a red colour, but won't be as intense, saturated or vibrant as the powders that I and many BIRs use.

** Phil.

I've used beetroot powder before but I've also used a natural food colouring called Ratan jot/ alkanet root I'm not sure if everyone will have heard of this it's available from pat chapmans curry club his wife told me that she's uses it but I'm not sure our safe this is to use.

[Secret Santa]

My advise don't bother with food colouring for now try and consantrate on turning out a decent curry etc for the time being.
Bob

Absolutely spot on Bob.

The very last thing anyone should be concerned about in this game is food colouring. I noticed the plaudits that Glasgow (Alex's) curries buffet got recently. While my thoughts were (are) what a pile of radioactive looking shite. I don't mince my words there, they looked appaling and thoroughly unappetising.

What it told me though is how the 'state of the art' is progressing. It's all food colouring and mirrors.

Never mind the hidden gallons of oil you're shovelling down your neck. Ignore the toxic e-numbers you're almostly certainly affecting your long-term health with. Forget the electroluminescent colours your curry shines at you. As long as it fills a hole it's braw scran! 

[livo]

My wife recently told me of my last batch of carefully, and only so slightly coloured Pilau Rice, that she would prefer it without the colour in future. The same applying to all of the other dishes I am to make is her preference.  I am allowed to use Tumeric and Saffron or Safflower.  I will oblige her with that wish for all the reasons Secret Santa points out and the concerns regarding "food additives" and both short and long term health implications.

On the other hand, this site is dedicated to BIR.  There can be no argument that presentation is paramount to success in any kitchen.  Colour, whether we like it or not, is a critical element of presentation. 

So, for consumption by the family at home, it will be "au naturel" from now on with fresh foods as salad and vegetables for the colour. Fortunately for me, I usually make a variety of dishes that provide variation in colour anyway without artificials, but I guess the jar of Tandoori Colour powder I have is no longer required.  Un-coloured Chicken Tikka from now on.  Is this BIR (or Australian IR) practice? No. They use colour.

The Glascow curries are simply showing how it is being done in a working business, and this is completely relevant to this forum.  The recipes can easily be made omitting the oils and colours or varied in other ways, as to better suite any individuals personal preference.  This is what I intend to do and I appreciate these efforts made to share the experience in contemporary practices.

[Secret Santa]

The recipes can easily be made omitting the oils...

Can they?

Knowing how significant oil is in the BIR process?