Topic: How to Get That BIR "Smokey/Toffee-Like" Taste (Illustrated!)

[Cory Ander]

Step 1:

Get yourself a decent, well seasoned, cast-iron or mild-steel (i.e. "carbon-steel") wok/karahi.  I use a fairly heavy cast-iron wok (see photo 1). 

Step 2:

Get yourself a decent gas burner and connect it to a bottled LPG gas supply (photo 3).  A domestic gas hob typically consumes about 12 MJ/h of gas.  You really need a consumption of at least 18 MJ/h (such as a barbecue wok burner). 

The burner I use is 32 MJ/h (when the gas pressure is lawfully "regulated").  Mine is "unregulated" but controlled (oops! - see photo 2 ).  Restaurant burners are typically 100 MJ/h and above (gosh!  )

Photo 4 shows my burner ready for action! 

Step 3:

Heat your wok until whisps of smoke appear.  Add your oil (lots of it!) and heat until it just begins to smoke.

Step 4:

Add your onions (if using) and fry until just browning.  Shake and stir continuously (the wok and its contents, I mean, not yourself!  )

Step 5:

Add other finely chopped veggies (if using).  Shake and stir.

Step 6:

Add garlic and ginger (if using) in quick succession.  Shake and stir until garlic is just beginning to brown.

Step 7:

Add tomato paste and shake and stir

Step 8:

Add salt and spices (I make a runny paste of them out of water.  This prevents everything from burning! - see photo 5)

Note:  Steps 4 to 8 should take no more than a minute or two in total!

Step 9:

Add precooked meat (I'm making prawn curries here so I add the prawns at the end).  Shake and stir vigorously (the wok......never mind  ).

Step 10:

Add curry base, a ladle at a time.....stir vigourously....and stand back!    (see photos 6, 7 and 8  ;D)

NOTE:  THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS!!  I ADVISE AGAINST DOING IT INSIDE OR ANYWHERE WHERE CHILDREN ARE PRESENT!  MIND YOUR EYEBROWS AND ANYTHING ELSE WHICH IS FLAMMABLE! 

NOTE:  YOU ARE ADDING WATER TO VERY HOT OIL IN EACH OF THE ABOVE STEPS.  IGNITION CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME!  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 

Step 11:

Reduce the heat and add any remaining ingredients and adjust to your liking

Step 12:

Stand back and admire your handiwork and go "Ahhhhhh!  That smokey and toffee-like taste that I get from my local BIR!  ;D"

Step 13:

Sit down and EAT your handiwork!

Well....someone had to eat the stage props! 

[Cory Ander]

Photos (clockwise from the top left):

Photo 1:  Well-seasoned cast-iron wok/karahi
Photo 2:  Variable gas pressure supply
Photo 3:  3 ring gas burner of 32 MJ/h gas consumption (when "properly regulated")
Photo 4:  Gas burner ready for action!

[Cory Ander]

Photos (top to bottom):

Photo 5:  Frying the spices, etc
Photo 6:  Adding the curry base
Photo 7:  Igniting the curry
Photo 8:  "Whhhhoooooooooosh!"  ;D

[Cory Ander]

Photos (top to bottom):

Photo 9:   Chicken Korma (left) and Chicken Vindaloo (right)
Photo 10:  Prawn Madras
Photo 11:  Prawn Korma

[Curry King]

Great stuff as always CA 

Do you find that there is a big difference between the currys you cook on your burner?

cK

[Yousef]

Wow CA,

That is the best post i have seen in ages.  Its posts like this that make me want to get out in the garden and cook curry immediately.

Well done.
Stew

[Paul-B]

Great post, Cory.

Where did you get your burner, roughly how much did it cost, and does it run on bottled gas?

[broon-loon]

Fantastic post!

Thanks for taking the time, and yes, where did you get the burner?

[Cory Ander]

Do you find that there is a big difference between the currys you cook on your burner?

Hi CK.  Assuming that you mean is there a big difference between curries I cook on my burner and curries I cook on my domestic hob?......YES! 

I have I no doubt that very high heat, and ignition, is instrumental in producing that "smokey", "toffee-like", "savoury" flavour usually found in a decent BIR curry. 

The same curries, cooked on my domestic hob, are very nice and flavoursome, but they lack the above characteristics to anywhere near the same depth.

The "toffee-like" flavour is particularly prevalent if there is plenty of sugar around to caramelise, such as in a korma.

Where did you get your burner, roughly how much did it cost, and does it run on bottled gas?

Hi PB.  I got it from a gas showroom (but in Australia!).  You should also be able to find one in a decent camping shop.  Mine cost about 16 quid.    Yes, it runs on bottled LPG/propane/camping gas (see photo 2)

Also check out these previous threads on the subject:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1211.msg10548#msg10548
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1104.0

[Cory Ander]

Incidentally, for those of you who claim to work in an Indian restaurant and takeway, or otherwise have defected to another site (and clearly have absolutely no idea what a proper BIR curry is like), and dare to suggest that the above is "absolutely ridiculous", or otherwise doubt that dishes are similarly ignited in proper BIRs, check out these pictures from a government web site extolling the virtues of Birmingham's curry culinary excellence. 

These are REAL pictures of REAL chefs in REAL BIRs cooking REAL BIR curries  :

Funny thing, must do things a bit differently in certain Indian restaurants and takeawys "up North" then, hey?  :

Regards,