Topic: Takeaway demonstration - Bengali Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi

[Mark J]

OK, another demo, same place as the Pathia and as you might expect very similar method.

Cooked on a very high heat all the way through

Start with about 4 TBSP veg oil
Add 1-2TSP chopped garlic
Cook garlic until starting to brown
Add about 4 TBSP pre cooked onions and 2-4 chopped fresh green chillis
Cook for about half a minute.
Add 2-3 TSP tomato puree (pasata, not concentrate)
Cook for half a minute
Add 1.5 TSP restaurant masala, 1.5 TSP chilli powder, 1 TSP fenugreek leaves, 1/4 TSP salt
Cook for half a minute
Add precooked chicken tikka and a wedge of fresh tomato.
Cook for 1 minute stirring, add 1-2TBSP fresh coriander
Add one ladle curry sauce, cook for a further 2-3 minutes.


I asked the chef how long he marinaded his chicken for to make chicken tikka, he said about 8 hours which surprised me as I expected it to be around 2-3 days.

[PACMAN]

thankyou Mark

At last my favourite dish.

could i just ask whether the base sauce was the thin yellowy sort as only one ladle is used at the end.
and were there no green peppers in this version?
I am interested as my local restaurant does an excellent tikka jalfrezi that i cannot emulate despite having been told how to do it by them and seen them cook it. they used a chip fryer to cook the onions and peppers and added them in at the same stage as the
Chepstow version. The chilli were added at the end so as to keep the curry as a medium rather than a hot.

Do they always cook with chopped garlic rather than the pureed sort.

also on the subject of the marinade do you know whether they use pataks paste mixed with yoghurt or make their own.
perhaps you could ask next time you go in

many thanks

i will try over the weekend

paul

[pete]

thankyou Mark
 they used a chip fryer to cook the onions and peppers and added them in at the same stage as the
Chepstow version. The chilli were added at the end so as to keep the curry as a medium rather than a hot.

Hi Paul,
? ? ? ? ? I saw a chicken balti cooked at one restaurant where they used a deep pan fryer.
They cooked the chunky onion and green pepper in it.
Then add it to the frying curry at a mid way stage .
They also used the oil, from the deep pan fryer, to cook the curries with.
I saw them cooking? chips in the deep pan fryer too.
Although that isn't quite so interesting

[Mark J]

Hi Paul

>could i just ask whether the base sauce was the thin yellowy sort as only one ladle is used at the end.
It was of the thinnish yellow variety.

>and were there no green peppers in this version?
There werent which I was suprised at as jalfrezi tends to come with them (maybe he forgot to put them in? ;D). If I were to make this I would add them precooked at the chicken stage. To pre cook them I would fry them very gently in oil with a teaspoon or so of restaurant masala and a bit of garlic.

>I am interested as my local restaurant does an excellent tikka jalfrezi that i cannot emulate despite having been told how to do it by them and
>seen them cook it.
Please describe what you saw and what they told you

> they used a chip fryer to cook the onions and peppers and added them in at the same stage as the
> Chepstow version. The chilli were added at the end so as to keep the curry as a medium rather than a hot.
Fair enough, I reckon Jalfrezi is a hot dish.

>Do they always cook with chopped garlic rather than the pureed sort.
Yes from the 2 kitchens I have been into.

>also on the subject of the marinade do you know whether they use pataks paste mixed with yoghurt or make their own.
I dont know but I have found the chicken tikka method described in Pete's curry house cookery ebook to be the best so i would use that.

>perhaps you could ask next time you go in
Will do

[Graeme]

Just like to add...
the tikka jalfrezi up here is like a thick
sludge of peppers, onions and full of flavour.

Most times it has a sour tang which i love
but I dont know what it is, it's not like lemon etc
has a earthy, smokie taste to it.

Not to be confused in any way
with the red tom sauce type thing.

whats yours like?

[Mark J]

This Jalfrezi was quite thick, which is the odd thing, even though the base sauce is thinnish the final dishes do turn out quite thick. They reduce the sauce under high heat.

[pete]

This Jalfrezi was quite thick, which is the odd thing, even though the base sauce is thinnish the final dishes do turn out quite thick. They reduce the sauce under high heat.

I don't understand? how the restaurants have the gas ring turned up so high but nothing seems to "catch" or blacken like if you cook at home.
I have watched them, and they never have the gas on low.
Because their gas rings are wider, the heat is going more to the edge of the pan.
That's why the pan keeps catching fire, in little bursts.
Maybe you should cook in the smallest pan you have.
To copy the restaurants I find it easier on a gentle heat.
At the very end of the cooking I will turn it up, but garlic seems very difficult to control.
It can burn in a moment.

[Mark J]

I think they have less trouble with bunring due to the amount of oil they use also

[deelay]

I have a wok burner and have never used it for currys as i thought it might burn the spices and spoil the flavour, however a new takeaway opened a few week ago and has a window so we can look in and i also seen these high heats thou out the cooking. up till now i cooked on a med heat thou out. time for a change may be.

[Mark J]

All the demos Ive seen have been on high heat, Im always paranoid abnout burining the spices though