Topic: Frying dried spices

[Pugs]

So, I'm new here and learning the ins and outs of BIR style curries. I usually cook traditional curries with recipes from books.

I have a question regarding adding dried spice mixes whilst frying. Do people not add water to the mix to turn it into a thick paste which prevents the spices of possibly burning and regulating the temperature by adding water if required or is that 'old school' nowadays?

Cheers
Neil

[Onions]

Sometimes- only sometimes-! a small amount of the gravy is added to thicken. But mostly the spices cook on their own after garlic etc but before the main ingredients.

[Stu-pot]

That's what I do mate but I'm newish here too so I'll also be interested to what the experts have to say.

I believe some on here do but I don't see the indian chefs do it in their vidoes on YouTube filmed in their restaurant kitchens!   I see some starting off with crushed Methi leaf,  some starting with G.G. Which I do understand as the onion is in the base, and some starting off with Tomato pur

[Pugs]

Might have to give that ago, after alll I'll following a few recipes to the letter until i get the hang of it, i can see cooking the spice mix with a bit of base sauce is similar.

Stu - whats G.G ?

[Gav Iscon]

Garlic Ginger paste usually 50/50. Homemade is best but the frozen blocks you can get at the indian shops are good as well. The ready made jars just spit all over the cooker for me.

Chewy's madras video is spot on for technique and also very popular.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5634.0.html

[Stu-pot]

Yeah go for it, and at the end stick in a couple of knobs of KTC butter ghee when the heat is still on high, fold it in, turn off heat, let rest for 2 mins and auntie Nora's your girlfriend mate.... It's the Ducks nuts!!!

[Naga]

Just out of interest - I'm not suggesting that anyone else should do this - but ever since I started on this forum, I've been using Panpot's Ashoka Garlic/Ginger Paste and it works fine for me. It's pretty easily scaled too given the 3:2:2 ratios in grams for garlic, ginger and veg oil respectively.

The beauty of his method is that most of the water is cooked out in the preparation, so it doesn't spit when added to a pan. It also freezes very well.

[fried]

Personally, if I'm using shop bought GG puree, I add it to the oil before it's too hot and try to evaporate off the liquid before turning the gas up, or it spits everywhere.

To the OP, I either add the dry spices to the oil, making sure that there's enough oil so it doesn't dry out, fry for a few seconds, then add tomato puree, which is effectively making a paste. Or add the tomato puree first, fry in the oil for a minute or so, then adding the spices.

I reckon this is one of the most important parts of the curry making procedure, you need to repeat it a lot, no matter how many times someone explains it to you, just to 'get your eye in'.

[JerryM]

Spices burn at 120C. When I 1st joined the site there was much talk of toffee aroma as a way of detecting when the spices are cooked and point of quench/cool.

Since then I switched to cooking in watered puree and little base.

I did master the fry in oil I think year before last. I have to count 11 secs continually stirring then quench. It has the advantage of speed.

I switched back to watered puree and a little base.

Both work the same ie end result. Its worth burning once just to see how easy it is and how bad it tastes