Topic: CA's Chicken Phal, Vindaloo, Madras and Curry (Illustrated!)

[Curry King]

It's probably worth mentioning that if you chop your scotch bonnets\habernero chili's up to a pulp and fry at the very start I find they lose a lot of there flavour and leave you with just the heat. 

cK

[Cory Ander]

Thanks for the great tip CK

Is this what BIRs do to get the heat do you think?

Regards,

[Curry King]

I'm fairly sure they don't unless you ask for fresh chili, although I have requested this before and found they have just added them whole.  I don't normaly order phalls as they tend to make me gag with the amount of chili powder thats used  :-X

[stargazer]

CA, here you go...pop one of these in your curry and watch the smoke blow out your ears ;D

>>The New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute has certified the Bhut Jolokia or 'ghost chilli' from India as the hottest ever tested......The ghost chilli tested at 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units (SHUs)<<

Interesting article   see: http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.1260269.0.heated_debate_over_worlds_hottest_chilli.php

Stargazer

[lorrydoo]

Cory Ander, your dedication to the reproduction of BIR is first class.  I am humbled by your formidible knowledge.

In your recipes you say that the garlic and ginger can be bottled, can you reccomend a make because the stuff Ive tried seems always to be a bit vinigery, spoiling the final outcome.

[Cory Ander]

Awww shucks Lorrydoo, stop it, I'm blushing! 

Try these links for pureed fresh and bottled garlic and ginger:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1192.0
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1642.msg14824#msg14824

I know what you mean about the very distinctive acidic taste (and smell) that bottled versions have.  I often use a mixture of fresh and bottled in the ratio of about 2 fresh to 1 bottled.

Regards,

[lorrydoo]

Just found this on youtube, its the kitchen in an Indian restaurant.   You can see the basic sauce on the stove and other dishes getting cooked full blast on the stove top.  It might give some clues!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_px2yY7cw&mode=related&search=

[lorrydoo]

Check out this video at 1:38 and you can clearly see a large tin of ghee near or on the back of the stove!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_px2yY7cw&mode=related&search=

[Paul-B]

Quite a few Indian restaurants in this part of the world use Ghee... one of my local ones chucks the empty cans into their garbage skips, I've noticed them quite a few times.

[Cory Ander]

Hi guys,

There's stacks of stuff debating the virtues of ghee on this site.  I suggest you look at these threads, for starters, and add your comments and observations to them 

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=301.msg2525#msg2525
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=645.msg5861#msg5861
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=327.msg2833#msg2833

Regards,