Topic: How do you heat yours?

[Cory Ander]

I've never seen any chef....seeming to spend any time "fusing" spices or anything beyond a quick stir with a few flames added in.

I agree that it hardly requires the comparable skill of a glass blower

But I do recall (in the early 1980s) watching one old guy (probably in his 70s at the time) sat on his 0.5 meter high stool, hunched over a very small aluminium frying pan, placed on a typical single burner camping stove, very, very carefully dribbling, what I presumed to be curry base, into his pan.  He would have studied diamonds with less intensity!

On second thoughts, maybe it was him that was 0.5m tall and him that was dribbling......

When he spotted me watching him, he was slightly less careful, but equally diligent, in slamming the kitchen door in my face! 

I agree that this is not really the norm though (the former and not the latter of course!) 

[Secret Santa]

Well here's a challenge for you...

It's hardly a challenge. I have seen and been in a few BIR kitchens and that's why I made the comment. Apparently you haven't been in a BIR kitchen.

[George]

Does anyone think they cannot cook a decent curry on the Indian Subcontinent without a tri-laminate top of the range 'insert telly chef's name here' pan? Discuss?   

My approach is to try and understand the fundamentals of anything I buy, like the materials used, the construction technique, build quality and -  way, way down the list the brand name and, off the scale, whether it has a photo and name of some celebrity on the packaging. I don't feel that celebrity association means something is bad. It just means you'll pay more.

The celebrity pan pictured on this thread looked good to me. Tri-laminate is normally top quality. It's probably possible to purchase similar quality pans from large Tesco stores a bit cheaper, but I'm not sure they have a pan exactly like that, e.g it may come with a non-stick inside, which some people may not want.

Regards
George

[ast]

Playing devils advocate here (it's a hobby of mine, forgive me )
Does anyone think they cannot cook a decent curry on the Indian Subcontinent without a tri-laminate top of the range 'insert telly chef's name here' pan?
Discuss?   

The only reason we ended up with the (feckin expensive) Jamie Oliver pans you've seen in the pictures was that they were the only ones I found (and could actually touch and feel before I bought) with the build quality I wanted.  I don't want any pan without a riveted handle because I tend to end up with handle-less pans otherwise, and they were heavy enough to allow even heating without any hot spots.  Having used them for a while, I have to say that I think they have the best balance and shaped sides of any pan I've ever used.  Sauteeing and turning things without using anything but the pan is a breeze!

That said, I'm not happy with the way the non-stick surface has lasted compared to some much cheaper Calphalon pans of similar build quality that I bought at Target in the US 8 years ago.  The new ones that we use all the time have barely lasted a year, and the non-stick is in really bad shape.  I haven't cooked that many curries in them, so I don't think it's down to that.

I've always known that non-stick cookware was a disposable item, but I really thought these would've held up better than they have.  I cook a lot and a lot of different types of stuff, but I'm cooking pretty-much the same sort of stuff in them as I always have.  When these go, I'm going to gradually replace them with as high-end SS as I can afford (even if I need to ship them from the US), and buy a cheaper non-stick pan for a few things so I don't immediately need to re-learn how to cook everything.

Like Jethro said earlier, I too can burn anything in a 2 quid or a 200 quid pan, but I think the better the equipment, the easier it is to cook with.  Of course, you can get used to anything and eventually produce brilliant results with it, so it comes down to if you're really going to get your money out of it or not.

I know which I'd pick! ;D

[vindalooney]

whenever i have been to BIR's, the karahi have normally been brought out on trollies
that are like mobile gas cookers, therefore all is sizzling constantly.
 

[mike travis]

I had a Vindaloo some years ago, and it was brought out to the table on such a trolley. It was spitting and glowing red hot, and that was before he lit the gas!!! 

[haldi]

I've been in BIR kitchens load of times and what always amazes me, is the leisurely way (almost slow) that the dishes are prepared
At one place, a few years back, the chef got the curry going and then went and sat down, and chatted to a few colleagues
Nothing ever burnt at these places (except naans) so I guess that is cooking skill
I ,on the other hand , have burnt loads of curries
All the pans I ever saw, were aluminium, but there were plenty of woks around too
They're stainless steel aren't they?

[Cory Ander]

...but there were plenty of woks around too...They're stainless steel aren't they?

I think you'll find that most will be mild carbon steel and will be "seasoned" Haldi

[Secret Santa]

It was spitting and glowing red hot, and that was before he lit the gas!!! 

That's not a vindaloo. That's lava that is! 

[Secret Santa]

At one place, a few years back, the chef got the curry going and then went and sat down, and chatted to a few colleagues

I remember you saying that before haldi. I think the only way you can get away with doing that is if you use aluminium pans like the BIRs do and as you suggested. It's the only pan (other than a pure copper one) that will distribute the heat quickly and evenly enough to avoid burnt hot spots. They're definitely the pans I would use, but I don't want to get Alzheimer's disease!