Topic: BRITISH-IAN FOOD IN THE MAKING

[Donald Brasco]

It is different in that in the first stage it is boiled in plain water till cooked. IFFU uses Tumaric and doesn't fully cook it.  Look at others, Misty Ricardo for example.  What are you suggesting Donald Brasco?  I don't consider my comment that it is a "bit different" to be noise.

Yes I suppose you can say the amount of preboiling is different to the IFFU recipe, but only very marginally so. IFFU makes clear that you should only blanch the chicken, Syed says boil for five to six mins. I don

[Donald Brasco]

I had a quick look at Syed's pre-cooked chicken yesterday. It's a bit different as well.

Different Livo? To what?  Not to the standard BIR method ifindforu outlined on this forum many years ago.

https://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.0

I often think the good info on this forum gets drowned out in the noise, and often the posters who know what they

[Peripatetic Phil]

Just in case anyone might find them useful, I am transcribing each of Syed's recipes that I have tried or intend to try.  These are Syed's intellectual property, so for obvious reasons I will not post them on this forum (or elsewhere !), but I can send a link via PM to anyone who wants a copy for their own personal use.  The link will be to a directory, not to individual files, so as more transcripts are added they will automatically become available.  All are "E&OE", and corrections will be both appreciated and incorporated, but modifications will not

[George]

Just in case anyone might find them useful, I am transcribing each of Syed's recipes that I have tried or intend to try.

Are you adjusting the spoon measures to level for consistency? And validating what actually appears to be added with the often quite different lists of ingredients.

[Peripatetic Phil]

No, definitely not trying to convert to level spoonsful, George.  As far as possible I try to note if they are heaped, rounded or whatever, but the notes are meant to augment the video, not replace it, so the reader should use his/her own powers of observation to gauge the appropriate amount of each ingredient.  All transcripts are prepared by watching and pausing the video at each stage, and any deviations between narrative and reality corrected where possible.  I hope that if Syed has time, he will cast a careful eye over them and correct any errors on my part.

** Phil.

[livo]

FOAM. Fixated On Accurate Measurement.  This is an acronym added to the Curry Related Acronyms thread on Jan 25 2013 9.21 pm (AEDT) by member Salvador Dhali.

https://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=8213.msg72726#msg72726

Have a quick look at Chef Shah Malek's video on Chicken Tikka and Naan Bread on his youtube channel, Shah Cooks. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ-sPA4eZv4

Observe his teaspoon measures of spices at 1.40 and 2.00.  It would appear that BIR chefs and video presenters are not at all FOAM.

It looks to me like he's adding TBSPs scooped up on a heaped (really heaped) tsp.  He even mentions heaped tsps for the Mixed Powder but only lists tsp in the ingredients.  I'm ok with that.  It is a visual presentation so I look at the image.  He is using a teaspoon to scoop spices, not necessarily measure them.  In his listed ingredients he uses the same 'measurements' as stated, except for the Mixed Powder, but I already know what he did because I watched it.  Pretty easy to work with as far as I'm concerned.  If I was going to record the recipe in text only format I would make the required notation or add the word 'heaped' where appropriate.

Ps: His Tikka is a bit different but not significantly or completely different.  English Mustard and Smoked Paprika.

[livo]

Are you adjusting the spoon measures to level for consistency?

See above.  George, I am very much of the same mindset. I have an analytical brain and I come from a measured and calculated scientific / engineering background so loose ends are quite foreign to me.  Working with loose measurement is something that I've had to train myself to accept. I now understand that in relation to Indian cookery a teaspoon is a description, not an accurate measurement.

And validating what actually appears to be added with the often quite different lists of ingredients.

Which videos are you referring to George?  The 10 or 12 I've watched so far (some repeatedly) and 6 or 7 I've already made have no inconsistencies that I've noticed.

[George]

Which videos are you referring to George?  The 10 or 12 I've watched so far (some repeatedly) and 6 or 7 I've already made have no inconsistencies that I've noticed.

Here's just one example of many. This morning I attempted to transcribe the ingredients of the BIR style plain chicken curry. I made the following notes:

INGREDIENTS
50ml cooking oil - added in two shots, one at the start, then more as an afterthought
1 slightly rounded tsp butter ghee - he said 0.5 tsp
1 level tsp chopped garlic - he said 0.5 tsp
50ml chopped onion - he said less than quarter cup in commentary but quarter cup (60ml) was printed on screen
1 level quarter tsp salt
1 level tbsp diluted tomato puree
2/3 tsp mix powder - he said 0.5 tsp
1 rounded tsp fenugreek leaves - my guess from volume added as a large pinch by hand
Pre-cooked chicken (200ml) with some of the sauce
Big pinch fresh chopped coriander - he said a handfull
Base gravy - 4 chef spoons (approx 120ml) but 1 tsp (5ml) was listed as text on screen
Some chopped green chillis
Further fresh coriander before plating, then another quantity as a garnish

Notwithstanding the need to check quantities, I think the Britisian Food channel is fast becoming the best BIR related channel on youtube.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Here's just one example of many.
Base gravy - 4 chef spoons (approx 120ml) but 1 tsp (5ml) was listed as text on screen

Agreed.  Although I would say that four chef's spoons is closer to  4 x 3.5 x 15 ml = 210 ml.  My notes say 3

[George]

I was pleased to see the Bombay Potato video, too. I'm thinking I could try adding spinach to try and turn it into saag aloo, if he doesn't soon post a video for that.

It's a bit disappointing, though, that someone asked in the comments if he's using all the same techniques as at the restaurant. He confirmed he's not so maybe this isn't quite the eureka moment I'd hoped for. How significant the differences are, I don't know. Shah Cooks is another channel with potential, I think, except he doesn't appear to use base sauce in his youtube videos.  So, for example, the Shah Cooks dishes can't taste quite the same as at his restaurants if they use base sauce which almost certainly includes green or red pepper and carrots (left out in the videos).