Topic: 10 year curry house experience-Curry cooking methods.

[andy2295]

Curry Cooking Methods.

I have written down the method that I and the chef uses at the take-away. This should help you understand the technique and the order in which ingredients are added.
I will be posting the individual curry recipes later as mentioned in the base sauce/ gravy.

Lets first describe the kitchen.

The cooker is an eight ring gas fired unit. On the left hand back ring is the large pot of hot oil. Next to it is the large pot of base sauce/gravy. To the right of the cooker is a stainless steel table with tubs of spices, fresh herbs etc.
Let me first say that the pot of hot oil as well as being used for curries etc. is also used, with the addition of a wire basket for the frying of onion bhaji?s, samosas, king prawn butterfly, chicken rolls, keema rolls and occasionally chips. The oil therefore is always getting infused with the release of spices from the above produces. Therefore the oil takes on a slight aromatic and smoky smell. It is topped up with fresh oil when it becomes too low for the wire basket to be able to fry the above.

Now on to a typical curry.

I will not list the individual spices as these will be posted later.

1)   The gas on one ring is turned full up.
2)   One ladle of oil is added to the frying pan. The pan is placed on the ring until the oil just starts to smoke. (By the way the oil is sunflower oil).
3)   2 chefs pinches of aromatic salt is added, ? of a chefs heaped spoon of very finely chopped onion is added along with a 2 chefs pinches of very finely chopped garlic and  a 2 chefs pinches of very finely chopped mixed red and green peppers. Very quickly and in a circular motion the back of the chefs spoon is pressed into the pan bottom effectively squeezing the pan ingredients. The ingredients are then tossed using the spoon. As the oil is so hot this takes only about 20 seconds as you will see the onions changing colour.
4)   Then the spices are added for the required dish, with chilli powder and a chefs pinch of fresh methi leaves added last along with a chefs pinch of asafoedita. The spices again are pressed into the pan as above and scraped across the pan with the edge of the spoon again for about 20 seconds(The scraping stops the burning of them)
5)   Then 1 ladle of base sauce/gravy is added and stirred in. When this bubbles a second ladle of base sauce/gravy is added and stirred.
6)   Depending on the smell at this point a chefs pinch of msg may or may not be added (experience of smell only tells)
7)   The meat is then added which is usually 10 cubes. Stirring continuously now to avoid sticking and to get the meat fully heated through.
   At approximately 5 minutes a teaspoon of pre-made cooked paste is added (recipe to follow) and stirred in immediately followed by a chefs pinch of chopped coriander leaves(cilantro) and stirred again.
9)   The pan is removed from the heat rested for 30 seconds and the curry is placed into the famous foil container with another pinch of chopped coriander leaves(cilantro), lid on and labeled. Hey presto all done. A quick rinse of the pan and onto the next order??.

Hope this helps with the procedure. Of course any questions please ask. The key is heat, speed, and the mastering of the use of the spoon to extract the aroma and flavour. Once you have cracked it, it will become second nature.

Regards
Andy

[Chilli Prawn]

It is interesting Andy that the techniques are identical to mine, e.g. using the back of the spoon to press and scrape.
CP

[Yellow Fingers]

Nice post andy.

Do you think you could post a short video of the use of the chef spoon when squashing and scraping the contents of the pan, even if it's only a mobile phone video. I find it very hard to visualise exactly the technique you're describing from your words alone.

YF

[andy2295]

hi yf

I will do my best to post a video as soon as

Regards
Andy

[King Prawn]

hi yf

I will do my best to post a video as soon as

Regards
Andy

That would be a great help!  ;D ;D ;D

Thanks for all the trouble you are going to in order to help people you have never met. Says a lot about you.

KP(V)

[NairB]

Andy....

and Chilli Prawn (because your recipe is similar)....

Wonderful that both you guys are in agreement here. Are we seeing the jigsaw coming together.?

That oil being used for cooking "onion bhaji?s, samosas, king prawn butterfly, chicken rolls, keema rolls and occasionally chips. Therefore the oil takes on a slight aromatic and smoky smell".....this is very interesting to me as I often connect the taste/smell to a smoky aroma, taste and this is why I love that certain taste you get even from chips you get in the BIR, a full taste from the chips because the fat has been infused over and over with different ingredients!!.....my goodness, I'm excited!!!!!!!! :

A video of this would be absolutely wonderful. 

If this works, I will personally nominate you both for Nobels    ;D

[Chilli Prawn]

OK will do.  I have just returned and have a lot to catch up with.

Not keen on the use of the oil for DFF.  Potatoes AKA chips impart a flavour to the oil which imho corrupts the flavours.  Also Oil has a finite lifespan (not very long) and should not be topped up.  We use KTC and use the same batch a few times for cooking Pakoras Samosas and Bhajis and it works out OK, but we never fry chips in the same oil; we tried and the result either way was horrible.

CP

[NairB]

OK will do.  I have just returned and have a lot to catch up with.

Not keen on the use of the oil for DFF.  Potatoes AKA chips impart a flavour to the oil which imho corrupts the flavours.  Also Oil has a finite lifespan (not very long) and should not be topped up.  We use KTC and use the same batch a few times for cooking Pakoras Samosas and Bhajis and it works out OK, but we never fry chips in the same oil; we tried and the result either way was horrible.

CP

I stand corrected then CP......... :-X :-X

[laynebritton]

Curry Cooking Methods.
3)   2 chefs pinches of aromatic salt is added, ? of a chefs heaped spoon of very finely chopped onion is added along with a 2 chefs pinches of very finely chopped garlic

Very Interesting Yes Andy everything you have described / technique etc is quite correct from what I have witnessed  myself at a friends establishment a few years ago the only thing I would like you to clarify is the term "finely chopped garlic" surely you mean garlic/ginger puree ? or am I wrong.....finely chopped garlic just doesn't sound right somehow 
NO disrespects Andy but if you said "garlic puree I would agree otherwise erm hmmm. 
Layne  :

[Cory Ander]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for this Andy.....it makes for very interesting reading 

I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate you clarifying, if you wouldnt mind, please?

• Presumably, a chef's ladle is 100ml and a chef's spoon is 60ml (as per your curry base thread)?
• no tomato puree or paste here then...is that right?
• why sunflower oil rather than vegetable oil?
• what's in the "aromatic salt"?
• most BIR curries I've ever had (e.g. madras, vindaloo, korma, CTM, etc) have a sauce which is very smoothe, with no sign of chopped onions or chopped anything else, will this also produce such a smoothe sauce?
• are chopped peppers used in most dishes then?
• are you saying that adding MSG influences the aroma?

Thanks for the posts!  And keep them coming!  I hope you have the tolerance to answer the many the many questions that will arise! 

Regards,