Topic: My Saffron Journey Part One, Two, Three & Four

[Cory Ander]

1. Chopped vegetables ready to go
2. Didn't have any ginger/garlic paste - so used chopped (problem?)
3. beginning to boil
4. 40 minutes later

Hi Ibbzie, sorry for my late reply!  But welcome to crO anyway! 

Just to be clear, is this your own curry base recipe or that from the Saffron?  If it's your own, it's difficult to comment without seeing the whole recipes (ingredients, quantities, process, time, etc)

Some of your photos also don't seem to match your descriptions ("skimming the scum", "oil separates", etc)?

What is it that you felt was "missing"?

Where did you get your main dish recipe from?

Otherwise:

- Chopped garlic and ginger is fine (in the curry base) because you are going to blend it anyway

- Your spice mix (composition) is simple and is probably fine, in my opinion, for a subtle curry base, but I cant say for sure without knowing the actual quantities you used in your base.  Was it the 25g of each?.  I think SnS changed the recipe from "25 grams" to "25ml" of each, which will change the resultant spiciness of the curry base.

- Your curry base looks VERY orangy (as does your final dish) - like tomato soup?  Is this just a camera thing?  Probably?

- I would stir the onions/garlic/ginger continuously, to prevent it from burning (as it is seen to be doing around the edges in your photo).  I generally make a paste of garlic and ginger, in water, to prevent it from burning.  I add it after the onions are beginning to brown.  Quickly followed by tomato paste.  Quickly followed by spices (in a water paste).  Quickly followed by curry base....

- Where's the oil Ibbzie!?     I suggest you use MUCH more oil than that! 

- I wouldn't add minced coriander root to the main dish (I add it to the curry base though...unminced).  I'd add chopped leaves (and fine stalks) at the end of cooking process.

- Dried fenugreek leaves are a great addition (in my opinion) and add a very nice savouriness to the dish.  Be careful not to burn them, if you add them early in the process.  I rub them between my fingers, to make them a little less coarse, and to release more flavour.

- Fenugreek powder (or seeds) needs frying at the beginning of the process, otherwise they will be bitter. 

- No problem with your spice combination, if it works for you. I might add some ground coriander...but then it just starts to look like your spice mix so why not add some of that?.  What main dish are you trying to make by the way?  A madras?

- As CK says, I also would fry ginger/garlic/tomato paste at the beginning of the main dish process

- Yes, your final dish looks VERY orangy.  Either you used heaps of tomato paste, food colour, paprika and tumeric....or its the camera? 

- Otherwise the consistency looks pretty good to me.

Sorry Ibbzie, I found it a little difficult to follow your process.  I probably got most of my understanding wrong, but I hope something I mentioned helps at least!   

Please shout if you have any more questions;  we are all here to help as much as we can 

[JerryM]

above comments sit well with me too.

My Spice mix 25g each of turmeric, coriander, cumin, paprika - 1/2 the tin of tomatoes

i think the spice mix is quite crucial. i don't use turmeric as i don't like the taste or colour that it adds. I also find the cumin can be overpowering so use in the proportion 1:2 cumin: coriander. i also like toms and would use full tin or even 2 of toms.

the parker21 base also adds garam masala to the base which i think is quite crucial particularly for me who adds star anise to the garam (rest as KD but no black cardomon).

[ibbzie]

Hi Ibbzie, sorry for my late reply!  But welcome to crO anyway! 

Thanks CA - no problem work gets in my way of replying!

Just to be clear, is this your own curry base recipe or that from the Saffron?  If it's your own, it's difficult to comment without seeing the whole recipes (ingredients, quantities, process, time, etc)

Yes this is the Saffron base from SnS, I made a bit of a blunder and didn't post it under the correct section. Sorry  :-[

Some of your photos also don't seem to match your descriptions ("skimming the scum", "oil separates", etc)?

I tried to upload 4 pictures per post, but only the first and last arrived (I did send Stew an e-mail asking for help!) Only today have I managed to get four pics in one, and have four of them.

What is it that you felt was "missing"?

I may have read the original recipe wrongly, but CK also pointed out that in making the final dish I didn't use garlic and ginger - I think this was spot on, since then I've tried again and was very satisfied with the result.

Where did you get your main dish recipe from?

I used the one originally posted by SnS, I'm a beginner so please forgive my stupid mistakes.

Otherwise:

- Chopped garlic and ginger is fine (in the curry base) because you are going to blend it anyway

- Your spice mix (composition) is simple and is probably fine, in my opinion, for a subtle curry base, but I cant say for sure without knowing the actual quantities you used in your base.  Was it the 25g of each?.  I think SnS changed the recipe from "25 grams" to "25ml" of each, which will change the resultant spiciness of the curry base.

I did use the original - bit fortuitously read 25g as ml, cos I'm stupid. :

- Your curry base looks VERY orangy (as does your final dish) - like tomato soup?  Is this just a camera thing?  Probably?

Yes it's a camera thing, in one of the photos it looks normal! Honest.

- I would stir the onions/garlic/ginger continuously, to prevent it from burning (as it is seen to be doing around the edges in your photo).  I generally make a paste of garlic and ginger, in water, to prevent it from burning.  I add it after the onions are beginning to brown.  Quickly followed by tomato paste.  Quickly followed by spices (in a water paste).  Quickly followed by curry base....

Agreed!

- Where's the oil Ibbzie!?     I suggest you use MUCH more oil than that! 

A trap for young players! Having been an ex-pat for 9 years I forget!

- I wouldn't add minced coriander root to the main dish (I add it to the curry base though...unminced).  I'd add chopped leaves (and fine stalks) at the end of cooking process.

Taken on board and thankyou.

- Dried fenugreek leaves are a great addition (in my opinion) and add a very nice savouriness to the dish.  Be careful not to burn them, if you add them early in the process.  I rub them between my fingers, to make them a little less coarse, and to release more flavour.

I mill them to kasoori methi (sp?) powder, them add that after the final scoop of base.

- Fenugreek powder (or seeds) needs frying at the beginning of the process, otherwise they will be bitter

That will be one of my biggest mistakes - I sprinkle Panch Phoran at the very last (Whole not ground)

- No problem with your spice combination, if it works for you. I might add some ground coriander...but then it just starts to look like your spice mix so why not add some of that?.  What main dish are you trying to make by the way?  A madras?

A madras to start - I'm not sure enough of my spicing to go for my favourite vindaloo 

- As CK says, I also would fry ginger/garlic/tomato paste at the beginning of the main dish process

I tried and it works well!

- Yes, your final dish looks VERY orangy.  Either you used heaps of tomato paste, food colour, paprika and tumeric....or its the camera?

Again a camera thing.

- Otherwise the consistency looks pretty good to me

Sorry Ibbzie, I found it a little difficult to follow your process.  I probably got most of my understanding wrong, but I hope something I mentioned helps at least!   

Please shout if you have any more questions;  we are all here to help as much as we can 

Thanks very much, I now have some pictures 4 in one, that match the initial post, but cant figure out how to send them. Any help would be appreciated. Spare a smile for a  clueless bin man. 

[Cory Ander]

Hi Ibbzie,

Don't be hard on yourself Ibbzie!  You're doing just fine! 

If you'd like to email me (coryanduh@hotmail.com) your photos I can post them for you. 

Alternatively, send me a personal message and I will talk you through it.  You might find this thread on posting photos helpful http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,1475.0.html

[Secret Santa]

I did use the original - bit fortuitously read 25g as ml, cos I'm stupid. :

I wish I was that stupid. 

[Cory Ander]

Just to explain SS's comment Ibbzie, unfortunately for SS, he was diligent enough to use grams of each spice