Topic: Syed dry-fried mix powder

[Peripatetic Phil]

P.S.  Just opened the small Kilner jar in which I stored Syed's curry powder overnight, and compared it to a tin of Khanum curry powder with a BBE date of October 2020.  Very different, but I was not overpowered by the Syed aroma as I had hoped/expected to be.

[livo]

The pre-cooked vegetables video says that 3 Chef spoons of oil (liquid) is approximately 1/2 a cup or 120 ml so 2 Chef spoons (level) would be 80 ml or close to 6 TBSP (over 5) at 15 ml UK size.  I would say his 2 heaped / rounded chef spoons would in fact be closer to 12 TBSP than 6.  He has just as much on top of the spoon as in it.

Regardless of actual volume, it is about ratios and with the ratio of Garam Masala and RCP / Paprika to the other main 3 spices, being small anyway, somewhere between 20 and 30 : 1 for each should be fine and what he is actually showing in the video.  In this instance I'd be going by the picture, not the words, and replicating what he demonstrates.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Regardless of actual volume, it is about ratios and with the ratio of Garam Masala and RCP / Paprika to the other main 3 spices, being small anyway, somewhere between 20 and 30 : 1 for each should be fine and what he is actually showing in the video.  In this instance I'd be going by the picture, not the words, and replicating what he demonstrates.

Which I tried to do.  But my curry spoon / chef's spoon will not fit into my spice jars, so I needed to know the equivalent in dessert spoons which do fit !  Hence my weighing of two heaped chef's spoons of turmeric (64gm), then investigating how many dessertspoonsful I would need to yield that weight ...

** Phil.

[Donald Brasco]

No offence taken from you whatosoever Romain although other commentators seem to think that the 12000+ curries I have prepared for satisfied  and repeat customers over the past 3 years were all cooked "wrong". Cant wait to get them right and earn even more money 

It

[livo]

Fair point Phil. I buy Turmeric in 5 kg bags and keep it, and my Coriander and Cumin, in 1 litre airtight clip seal stackable containers.  No problem using chef spoons but rarely need to.

https://sistemaplastics.com/products/klip-it-rectangular/1l-rectangle

[romain]

No offence taken from you whatosoever Romain although other commentators seem to think that the 12000+ curries I have prepared for satisfied  and repeat customers over the past 3 years were all cooked "wrong". Cant wait to get them right and earn even more money 

I expect you will be rich and quite possibly famous

[romain]

I would expect the dry roasting would get you part of the way there so long as the toasted spices are used immediately.

Maybe not.  Chef Syed says these toasted spices last, "These spice powders will last long, the same as normal powders. "

I am just curious how close it comes to a blooming spices in oil approach. Looking forward to your results. Thank you for offering to do this.

That would be the test.

We can't discount this as being wrong. He's been doing it for quite a while apparently.  According to Indian Spices 101 there is no "rule of thumb" regarding how to cook, use or blend spices.  It's a free for all and anybody can do whatever they like and whatever works in the application.

I am not discounting anything but I cannot find any food science (you know I'm all about the food science) to support this either.

What science I can find tells me that spices degrade over time. If you've ever toasted whole spices, ground them and cooked with them you know that there is a big difference between freshly ground and commercial ground spices.

This degradation is attributable to oxidation of the aromatic compounds. Two key accelerants of the rate of oxidation are light and heat. Heating something to or near to the point of smoking is seriously accelerated.

So the statement that they will last as long as any spice mix is a bit hard for me to just accept. I happen to know first hand that anyone can say anything on the internet

To provide a timeline overlay, Bon Appetit suggests that the shelf life of ground spices at their peak is around 3 months under normal conditions. Not science but at least a semi-reputable source.

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/do-spices-go-bad

[Hugoboss]

No offence taken from you whatosoever Romain although other commentators seem to think that the 12000+ curries I have prepared for satisfied  and repeat customers over the past 3 years were all cooked "wrong". Cant wait to get them right and earn even more money 

I expect you will be rich and quite possibly famous

I will happily take the money Romain but stay anonymous thank you very much 

[Hugoboss]

May I ask, Hugo, these 20 curries a day

[noble ox]

Does anyone here know the molecular structure of 1/2 tspn of garam masala ?
Or the maths equation to caramelise an onion ?
I dont have a clue or care at all. But I like to spend time cooking and enjoying a curry