Topic: Is it possible to over cook your base ?

[Secret Santa]

Me too, i.e. I hate the word 'garabi' but I love the flavour of the base sauce I make, after only 20 or 30 minutes cooking time. And I include all the ingredients which you say you leave out. None of the vegetables take longer than 20 or 30 minutes to cook so why simmer it for much longer?

Two issues there then.

First, garabi. Used by pretentious white gentlemen, often of a Northern persuasion, who think it makes 'em sound like they are closer to the BIR trade and thus know more than most.

Second, the long simmer, or in fact boil, of the base is to bring out the sweetness of the onions. Can't be done in 30 mins George, unless you use a pressure cooker.

There's a fact. True BIR chefs don't add extra sugar or any other sweetner to standard savoury curries such as madras, vindaloo, bhuna etc. Why? Because the base is cooked properly in the first place.

If you need to add sugar to these curries it shows you are not cooking your base correctly.

[littlechilie]

Indian chefs cant say gravy so it comes out as Garabi 

 

I cook my onions halved for 2 hours, then leave the lid on all night, next stage is the next day! I like sweet onions and a good gravy takes time! George can you even blend onions after 20 minutes?

[George]

George can you even blend onions after 20 minutes?

No problem! They can also be blended after zero minutes, of course, and cooked as a puree.

I hear what you, SS and others say but I've tried simmering the same base sauce for an hour or more and, to be honest, it has never tasted better, and probably not as good.

When I used a pressure cooker, the vegetables came out much browner than normal, but the flavour of the resultant base sauce was no better and again, probably not as good.

[bamble1976]

I am a firm believer that the base ahs to be cooked for as long as it tastes for the natural sweetness to develop. This normally takes at least 1-2 hours for me.

Barry

[Secret Santa]

I am a firm believer that the base ahs to be cooked for as long as it tastes for the natural sweetness to develop. This normally takes at least 1-2 hours for me.

Exactly. It takes as long as it takes and will vary with type of onion. Personally I find that three hours, on average, does the job.

Depends on what other junk you've lobbed in with the onions as well though. Any acidifying component added early will kill the sweetening process...toms are a prime example which is why many bases add them later on.

[Stu-pot]

I am a firm believer that the base ahs to be cooked for as long as it tastes for the natural sweetness to develop. This normally takes at least 1-2 hours for me.

Exactly. It takes as long as it takes and will vary with type of onion. Personally I find that three hours, on average, does the job.

Depends on what other junk you've lobbed in with the onions as well though. Any acidifying component added early will kill the sweetening process...toms are a prime example which is why many bases add them later on.

Excellent information... Hadn't thought acidic veg could ruin the sweetening process !!   I'm now sure this is a big part of what's wrong with my base. 

After travelling India many times and going into their homes over there and here in UK, I can say with certainty "they throw away NOTHING" everything is used.  So is it possible the "other junk lobbed in with the onions" was started years ago to prevent waste and improve nutrition?
When the other vegetables are added, it is my opinion the gorgeous, sweet taste of the onion gravy is lost! Which leads to my next question: Do they then add curry powder etc to improve the taste?  I'm sure they do!

[livo]

It's interesting that the OP was asking about over cooking base and we ended up with a feeling that some are actually under cooking, and that there is (or could be) an adverse reaction to having extra vegetable ingredients. My feeling about the cooking is; if the cook thinks it's done, and they're happy with it, that's it.  If it makes a good curry to their liking, that's what matters.

As for the science of it, I'm sure that onions generate sugars when cooked out to perfection. I can only hope to achieve this from time to time and since I'm only doing home based small batches, it may or may not happen.

Do they add spices? You bet. Will they tell you what they use? Partially.

I have a Greek friend who at 55 years old found out his father's recipe for Lamb Souvlas, and only after his mother passed away.  Will he tell me the whole thing?  Nope, and I even gave them some of my home made Ouzo.  Are they good?  You bet.

[Stu-pot]

Is it possible to over cook your Base?   

After 3 weeks of making a Base almost every day I can answer my own question: Not really!

I've discovered that there is not a bad base, just a different base. 

My problem was that I don't really like the taste & aroma of base.  So when I was using the base in my curries, I seemed to try and disguise its flavour by upping the quantities of other ingredients durring the cook.  Big error! 

Anyhow, my latest Bach is Mick Crawfords Vol 2.  It's full of flavour and works very well with Jhal Frazi.

I can now move onwards and upwards...  I figure I need 4 or 5 different 'mixed powder" recipes...  I can feel another thread coming on...

[littlechilie]

Is it possible to over cook your Base?   

After 3 weeks of making a Base almost every day I can answer my own question: Not really!

I've discovered that there is not a bad base, just a different base

Good post Supot, there are many different base gravy's and as I discovered,so many different ways to cook them!

Myself I now use one base and one mix powder, it's versatile and meets all my needs, but I also love the taste of my base sauce ;)sometimes I find myself tasting it and lapping up spoonfuls of the gravy ;D
Cheers.
LC.

[Stu-pot]

Hi LC

I'm very interested to know what base & mixed powder you've chosen to work with?

I'm finding that my curries have a familiar taste, at first I thought it maybe because the base is the same for each dish so I went thru a process of elimination using different bases.  I discovered the base gives the finished curry a depth of flavour(s) but the 'familiar taste was still there! So it must be the 'mixed powder'

My next couple of weeks will be taken up with "mix powder".

Stu-pot