Topic: Syed's basic chicken curry and pilao rice

[Peripatetic Phil]

Both made exactly to spec

[Secret Santa]

Of those two pictures, which one is representative of the true colour of the curry? Oh, and for goodness sake Phil, spoon some of that oil off before serving it!

[Peripatetic Phil]

Of those two pictures, which one is representative of the true colour of the curry? Oh, and for goodness sake Phil, spoon some of that oil off before serving it!

Unfortunately the two images were not colour balanced but that is now rectified.  I didn't want to spoon off any oil because I wanted to give a 100% faithful depiction of (a) the curry in the pan, and (b) the curry and rice on the plate.  That was the oil that was present, and no extra oil (above and beyond that stated in the recipes) was used at any stage.  I now have a Kikkoman bottle ²/₃ full of spiced oil which I will use to dredge my seekh kebabs when I next make them.

** Phil.

[Garp]

Gads!!!

[martinvic]

Both made exactly to spec

[romain]

I'm not following Syed closely so I don't know the underlying recipe/quantities but in my single serving I typically have 1 Tbsp oil from the base (my base is pretty light on oil) plus some indeterminate amount of oil from the garlic ginger plus either 3 or 4 Tbsp oil to cook the curry (standard portion). I don't know what I do different but I manage to keep the 4+  Tbsps emulsified into the sauce.

You can look at anything labelled restaurant curry picture on glebekitchen. I don't change anything when I take the pictures. No removing oil. No tricks. Always pictures of my dinner (styled of course). Goes from the pan to a bowl for pictures, reheated in the pan, onto a plate with some rice and dal and into my mouth.

I don't understand why anyone would want their emulsification to break like this and spoon the oil off (unless calories were more important than flavour). You aren't just lifting calories. All the flavour from the spice infused oil is lost as well.

How much oil went into that total? That really doesn't look good to me at all. I'd likely send it back as well or at the very least never go to that restaurant again.

Except the rice. It's out of focus but from what I can tell it looks impressive.

[livo]

I don't know what you're doing differently Phil. I'm not getting any oil separation out of Syed's base, even after extended cooking. Maybe something to do with your preservation process as mine is in the fridge.

I had oil come out of the Chicken Bhuna/Rogon during the reduction stage, and I did remove some, but I put that down as being my own fault due to not actually measuring the oil into the pan and I know I put in excess ghee.

[Sverige]

If you

[noble ox]

Phil.
Either you are not able to follow a recipe or you dont want to.
I have produced very good currys following Syeds instructions.
Quite how you produced a curry with all that oil then photographing it makes me wonder if its a wind up

[Peripatetic Phil]

Phil.  Either you are not able to follow a recipe or you dont want to.  I have produced very good currys following Syeds instructions.  Quite how you produced a curry with all that oil then photographing it makes me wonder if its a wind up.

In reverse order : absolutely not a wind-up