A couple of preparation tips

[Jethro]

Any of you out there who have made any of the dishes that include lots of garlic, (Darth's base and subsequent Madras spring to mind) you will know what a pain it it to peel each individual clove with a knife.

Try this:

Top and tail each clove and then, with the flat of a knife blade, just give them a gentle thump enough to semi crush the clove of garlic.
The skin will then be very easy to remove.

Fresh Ginger

When buying the stuff, go for the biggest regular shaped pieces you can.
To peel it, cut off any irregular lumps and then use a potatoe peeler to take the skin off. (leaving the skin on can result in a bitter taste, so remove it)

You can always use pre-prepared puree for both but I would rather use nice fresh stuff.

Simple tips I know but hope they help  ;D

[mike travis]

Hi Jethro,  I agree, it has to be fresh Garlic/Ginger. I also crush the Garlic to make it easy to peel, but have recently started to grate the ginger. Takes a while to get rid of the smell from your hands but its worth it. I find chili peppers a pain to chop, any ideas? I have scrubbed my hands after handling them but later on if I so much as touch my eye or bite my nail (bad habit I know) I get a burning sensation   

[nrgh]

A simple spoon peels ginger far better than anything else !....doesn't matter what shape the ginger is .

[Jethro]

Hi Jethro,  I agree, it has to be fresh Garlic/Ginger. I also crush the Garlic to make it easy to peel, but have recently started to grate the ginger. Takes a while to get rid of the smell from your hands but its worth it. I find chili peppers a pain to chop, any ideas? I have scrubbed my hands after handling them but later on if I so much as touch my eye or bite my nail (bad habit I know) I get a burning sensation   

Regarding chillis I always wear disposable latex gloves when chopping them ( yes they can be that nasty)
I did some Dorset Nagas a couple of weeks ago (http://www.dorsetnaga.com/) as a chilli and onion type relish.
Imagine , if you can,the pain inflicted on certain parts when performing natural bodily functions without taking the proper precautions. 

[fumble]

Imagine , if you can,the pain inflicted on certain parts when performing natural bodily functions without taking the proper precautions. 

Hahaha I know the feeling! I grow my own chilis and its a constant risk!

[jimmy2x]

i buy this wonderfull chopped up garlic from farmfoods frozen. big bag i think 200 grams( not got any in to tell exactly)

this stuff is so easy for any cooking and retains all its flavour being flash frozen quickly, no more peeling and dicing up.

and it works out extremly cheap compared to fresh garlic which i always tend to throw half away before i use it. only ?1 a pack, im sure you can get it at other stores, though havent seen it yet at the main supermarkets.

definetly worth a try to save a few quid and time.

[MrCurryLover]

Any of you out there who have made any of the dishes that include lots of garlic, (Darth's base and subsequent Madras spring to mind) you will know what a pain it it to peel each individual clove with a knife.

Try this:

Top and tail each clove and then, with the flat of a knife blade, just give them a gentle thump enough to semi crush the clove of garlic.
The skin will then be very easy to remove.

Another quick tip that an Asian friend gave me to remove the skin from garlic.
Place the cloves on a plate and microwave for 10 to 15 seconds (this is for a 4 or 5 cloves)
Remove from microwave and you can just push the garlic out of the skin.
It's trial and error how long you need to microwave for, too long and the garlics get too hot to handle and can pop, too short and the garlic doesn't squeeze out.