Topic: Describe "The Taste"

[Yousef]

Has anyone tried just adding a teaspoon or two of sugar to sweeten up their curry does that help create the taste?

I am currently moving home so cooking is off for me at the mo, but when i get to my new place I'll be back and with gas to cook on i can't wait.

S

[Blondie]

Hi Admin,

I have used sugar once or twice to add a little extra sweetness when the base wasn't sweet enough, but, I find that if the onions are fried with a little salt at the start of making the base there is plenty of sweetness without sugar.

Hope this helps.

cheers Admin,

Blondie

[DARTHPHALL]

Sugar has never helped my curries I'm afraid.

[thomashenry]

I've started using it - about 1/2 to 1 teapsoon in a curry for one. It definately imprvoves the dish I find. When Mark J saw curries being cooked at his local, they used about this amount, and it is the method he describes that I've been using to cook with over the last week - easily the best curries I've ever made.

[Mark J]

Any curries that are described as sweet the BIR's will add sugar, for example the pathia I saw was described as hot sweet and sour, 1 TSP sugar per portion

[joe2]

Sugar has not taste whatsoever.  Sweetness from sugar is a sensation, not a taste.

Sorry, I have to give my honest opinion.

[thomashenry]

That is being pedantic about definitions tho. Many BIR curries are a bit sweet - and adding sugar makes things sweet. I visitied my favourite ever Indian on the weekendfor the first time in a while, and was surprised at how sweet it was. I'd just not really thought about it or noticed it before.

A different issue from the toffee taste tho, certainly.

[merrybaker]

Mridula Baljekar's Northern Curry Sauce Base uses some sugar and a lot of dried fenureek leaves.? I don't know anything about her or her recipes... but you can scroll down to Northern and look at it:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ejones/ufdi/faqrec/cursau.html.

[Mark J]

Any curry that has as part of its description 'sweet' in a BIR is simply adding sugar

[TheAffectionBath]

I know topic has moved on a bit, but a local takeaway near me has the most beautiful "smokey" smell when you enter.  It took me a while to place it, but it turns out it is black cardomoms ...lovely  - my jar of these is over 5 years old and still they are very pungent when slit open...