Topic: New Base Gravy from visit to Saffron

[slipperz]

We had this Wednesday night and we are having it again tonight  ;D

Bloody lovely.

Bring it on 

SLIPPERZ 

Nice to hear it matey. Perhaps you may let SS into your secret !!!!

SNS

Well all i did was follow your clear and concise instructions!!

Its a bit like getting a prescription from the doctors and it saying "take 2 every hour" and you only take 1. Well you will never get better will you?  ;D

SLIPPERZ 

[SnS]

The Saffron uses 9 king/Tiger prawns per serving, so a goood handful of meat or standard prawns would be about right.

Thems not King/Tiger Prawns (9 per serving!  ), thems shrimps!...

....THESE are King Prawns: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2217.msg18757.html#msg18757

Get 9 of THOSE per serving and you'd be laughing!  ;D 

HaHaHa - need a mortgage to get nine of them in the local supermarket

[haldi]

Hi SnS
      I have never come across this paprika (deghi mirch)
Is ordinairy Paprika totally different?
When I first started collecting recipes from takeaways/restaurants, I had a chef tell me how important the "paprika" was to his curry gravy
I always thought it was just ordinairy paprika, but maybe it was this stuff
We had a thread on this site about paprika
There was some discussion over a "smoked" paprika that's available
I'm going searching tomorrow for this deghi mirch
You've got me very curious, it's certainly something I've never tried

[SnS]

Hi SnS
      I have never come across this paprika (deghi mirch)
Is ordinairy Paprika totally different?
When I first started collecting recipes from takeaways/restaurants, I had a chef tell me how important the "paprika" was to his curry gravy
I always thought it was just ordinairy paprika, but maybe it was this stuff
We had a thread on this site about paprika
There was some discussion over a "smoked" paprika that's available
I'm going searching tomorrow for this deghi mirch
You've got me very curious, it's certainly something I've never tried

To be honest Haldi, I'd never used it before either, which was why I copied down what was written on the box.

I've found some here (this is not the same make or same spelling .. "degchee mirch") ...

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-MDH-Deggi-Mirch.html

However, before using MDH's stuff, check out this site also ...

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2004/apr/deggimirch

According to the Chileman www.thechileman.org

"Originally a variety grown in Kashmir India, it is now a generic term for any medium long dried red chile. 'Deghi Mirch' is also a mild flavored red chili powder used extensively in Indian Cusine for its colouring properties. It is more sweet than hot. 'Guajillo' is an appropriate substitute."

As far as I'm aware it is a type of Paprika however there does seem to be some contradictions (see Cayenne) ...

http://flavorstosavor.com/glossary.html

Regards

SnS ;D

[SnS]

I think you said that they DO NOT use reclaimed oil at this restaurant SnS?  Or did you?

I think more oil will also rise to the surface the longer you cook it for.

I find a carrots add to the colour, sweetness, flavour and consistency SS.

Just a couple of questions please:

• what do you mean by "salad potatoes"?
• so this is an exact half-scale version of what the restaurant does is it?  If so, have the cooking times also been varied accordingly?
• A 3kW burner is not very powerful at all.  It's akin to a domestic hob.  Is this right do you think? 

Thanks for your great efforts and great post 

No reclaimed oil used either in the Gravy or the curry.

1) Salad potatoes such as Charlotte (the ones they used) http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/charlotte/

2) I was told that the cooking procedure (for my half scale version) was exactly the same as the full version ... but to be honest I didn't persue the issue any further.

3) My largest ring (of 3 sizes) is a 3kW burner. A special domestic hob "Wok" burner ring is normally 3kW to 3.6kW. Their burner appeared to be about the same as my 3kW burner.

Regards

SnS ;D

[SnS]

8 to 10 medium size cooking onions
1 large carrot
1 green pepper
4 salad potatoes (peeled)
2 medium tomatoes

Chop roughly and add to large cooking pot

Add:-

2 cups (500 ml) of fresh vegetable oil
2 tbsp (30 g) garlic/ginger puree
1 tbsp (15 g) salt
enough water to cover all the ingredients

Cover and bring to boil. Simmer for about 40 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add:-

Half a tin (200 g) of chopped plum tomatoes (Italian Napolina)
25 ml cumin powder (5 tsp)
25 ml coriander powder (5 tsp)
25 ml turmeric powder (5 tsp)
25 ml paprika (deghi mirch) (5 tsp)

Cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and blend for at least 5 minutes until very smooth.

Add 2 pints of water. The gravy will now resemble a very thin soup.

Bring to boil. Simmer uncovered for about 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove any scum forming on the surface. When the oil separates the gravy is complete.

Please note that the measured spices should be in ml not grams.
If you have used grams (as shown in the original recipe) there will be approximately 1.5 to 2 x times as much spice in the gravy than is required.

25 ml is 5 teaspoons

Really sorry Secret Santa - you were right - too much spice. However, how it still produced good results (in nearly all cases) is obviously something to look at (CA) - strange eh??

Admin , would you please edit the orginal recipe for me please (to stop further mistakes).

Regards

SnS ;D

[Jeera]

Please note that the measured spices should be in ml not grams.
If you have used grams (as shown in the original recipe) there will be approximately 1.5 to 2 x times as much spice in the gravy than is required.

25 ml is 5 teaspoons

Really sorry Secret Santa - you were right - too much spice. However, how it still produced good results (in nearly all cases) is obviously something to look at (CA) - strange eh??

Admin , would you please edit the orginal recipe for me please (to stop further mistakes).

Regards

SnS ;D

SS, I don't think your point is clear....... do you mean that it should be 5 tsp of each spice rathern that each being specifically weighed out at 25g ? .... which I assume works out much more than 5 tsp ?

[ast]

SS, I don't think your point is clear....... do you mean that it should be 5 tsp of each spice rathern that each being specifically weighed out at 25g ? .... which I assume works out much more than 5 tsp ?

I think what he meant was that it was a "by volume" measure vs. a mass measurement.  In this case it would be an equivalent volume to 25ml of liquid.  The weights will vary greatly as the relative density of each spice is quite different.

SnS:  thanks for the update.  I'm glad I saw this before I made the base.  I was wondering if I was going to have to become a spice merchant since that's pretty much a whole pack of each spice each time you make the base!

Current plan is to make this tomorrow.  One final clarification please:  your 8-10 onions should be about 2kg right?  This would jive with CA's approx 200g representative "medium" onion in the cr0b1 recipe.

Thanks in advance,

ast

[SnS]

Please note that the measured spices should be in ml not grams.
If you have used grams (as shown in the original recipe) there will be approximately 1.5 to 2 x times as much spice in the gravy than is required.

25 ml is 5 teaspoons

Really sorry Secret Santa - you were right - too much spice. However, how it still produced good results (in nearly all cases) is obviously something to look at (CA) - strange eh??

Admin , would you please edit the orginal recipe for me please (to stop further mistakes).

Regards

SnS ;D

SS, I don't think your point is clear....... do you mean that it should be 5 tsp of each spice rathern that each being specifically weighed out at 25g ? .... which I assume works out much more than 5 tsp ?

Ast is correct (last post). In my work I deal with water in air (psychrometry) and a ml of water is a gram - there is no difference (1 litre volume of water weighs in at 1 kg mass). I forgot I wasn't at work !!!! (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it)

Unfortunately with spices the density is less than water so as I used mass (grams, weight) instead of ml (volume), it meant there was too much spice by volume.

Anyway if you measure the spice by volume (25 ml) that is equivalent to 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (or 5 teaspoons total). The actual weight in grams will vary depending on the spice density - but will be a lot less than 25 grams. I have just accurately weighed the individual spices (25 ml) and I get this

Cumin 10 grams = 25 ml
Coriander 10 g = 25 ml
Turmeric 16 g = 25 ml
Parika 12 g = 25 ml

This means the original error was even greater than I first thought:-

x 2.5 on cumin and coriander, x 2 on paprika and x 1.5 on turmeric !!! Whoops (big whoops)

Sorry chaps. We all make mistakes.

Regards

SnS :

[SnS]

Current plan is to make this tomorrow.  One final clarification please:  your 8-10 onions should be about 2kg right?  This would jive with CA's approx 200g representative "medium" onion in the cr0b1 recipe.

Hi Ast

Thanks for your earlier mass/density/volume explanation. I feel a bit of dickhead now!!

I've just weighed a typical unpeeled cooking onion (just purchased at Sainsbury) of about the same size (volume cc's) they used and it is 140 GRAMS (I don't know the volume HAHA). So based on this, 8 - 10 (before peeling) will be no more than 1.5 kg.
Also at Sainsbury are the salad potatoes "Charlotte" (look a bit like large new potatoes but oval). An average size Charlotte spud weighs in at only 80 grams.

Regards

SnS ;D (keep smiling)