Topic: Why we cannot produce that missing taste ?

[George]

It is the smell of TARKA  DAL   cooking
They start cooking it when they arrive at 4:00 pm
Of course every one know what  TARKA  DAL  consist of

Ghanna

I regard highly your inputs, but how confident are you that this is the smell, the whole smell and nothing but the smell?!

I thought tarka dall is pretty bland stuff, with only a minimal amount of spices added. Which might come right back to square one - which spices exactly? I am so sure that it is the spices which produce 'that smell'. Not chicken, lamb, onions or dall being boiled in water but the spices added to one or more processes. Just my hunch. I may be wrong.

[pete]

Hi
It is the smell of TARKA? DAL? ?cooking
They start cooking it when they arrive at 4:00 pm
Of course every one know what? TARKA? DAL? consist of
Thanks
ghanna

Ghanna
          I have seen tarka dhall being made at one of the demos.
Here it is:-

Tarka Dhall

Spoon of oil from the top of the curry gravy
Add enough chopped garlic (which was blue) to cover the base of the pan
Fry for about a minute
Add a large spoon of precooked lentil (yellow and stodgy)
Straight after add ? breakfast spoon of spice mix (yellow) and salt
Cook a little and add chopped fresh coriander
Add ? cup of cold water
Heat a little then add more lentil
More water
A teaspoon of dried methi
Add a teaspoon coriander/cummin mix
More lentil
Cold water

Total cook time 10 minutes

I make this quite a lot and it is very good.
People say my kitchen sometimes smells like a restaurant.
I never think that when I am cooking.
I just can't tell.
Curry King said the same.
The predominant smell from Tarka Dhall is the spiced oil, fenugreek and frying garlic.
A very nice smell too!!

[Blondie]

Hi Pete,

When you say enough garlic to cover the bottom of the pan, what size pan would you use ?

Thanx in anticipation of your answer,

Blondie

[Yellow Fingers]

[I make this quite a lot and it is very good.
People say my kitchen sometimes smells like a restaurant.

Pete, is it like restaurant tarka dhall? This is one dish that I make quite often at home but have never had at a restaurant, can you or anyone else describe the consistency, colour etc. of the restaurant tarka dhall please, so that I can see if mine are anywhere near?

[Yellow Fingers]

Add enough chopped garlic (which was blue) to cover the base of the pan

Blue garlic - what!? ? ?

[pete]

Hi Pete,

When you say enough garlic to cover the bottom of the pan, what size pan would you use ?

Thanx in anticipation of your answer,

Blondie

It's about three cloves of garlic finely chopped.
You will have death breath the next day.

[I make this quite a lot and it is very good.
People say my kitchen sometimes smells like a restaurant.

Pete, is it like restaurant tarka dhall? This is one dish that I make quite often at home but have never had at a restaurant, can you or anyone else describe the consistency, colour etc. of the restaurant tarka dhall please, so that I can see if mine are anywhere near?

Very close to a restaurant taste.
Because you use the oil from the top of the curry gravy, the curry gravy needs to be very good.
What brings out the flavour of the Tarka Dhall is adding bits of the cold water then evaporating it off.
I will post a picture next time I make it.
It looks mainly like the sauce you get with your curry.
Perhaps a little thicker.

[pete]

Add enough chopped garlic (which was blue) to cover the base of the pan

Blue garlic - what!? ? ?

Yes, it's odd isn't it?
I've seen this loads of times.
It's when the garlic has been chopped or pureed by a blade of a certain metal.
It has a reaction and slowly (over hours sometimes) turns a blue colour.
I had this problem with my blender and wrote to the manufacturers.
They advised me to add a little salt when I made garlic puree.
I do that and never get the problem now.

[DARTHPHALL]

Blue garlic , you know the stuff that grows on Saturn & glows in the dark, gibber,gibber,cluck,cluck !!! 

[ghanna]

Hi , George
Thank you very much for your comment.
Could you please see my reply no:7  posted on the 03.04.2005 under Dhansak advice  thread by Mark J.
As well  Please see Pete recipe above.
Tarka dal  is very spicy . I mean the proper cooked one.
To make it , fry onion,garlic,ginger until brown ..........you cam imagine the smell of these.
Add spices, tomato ,lentil.........................................................................................
Add fenugreek leaves and fresh coriander ................................................................
Make a tarka  which is frying garlic until it is caramelized and then add coriander powder .......
Add to the lentil mixture above .
Really it is very spicy and not bland at all.

I am not confident that it is the smell that fill the air . This what i have been told.
I agree with you about the spices
Thanks
ghanna

[ghanna]

Hi , George
The spices that is used is  Curry powder
Thanks
ghanna