Topic: Tweaking

[George]

The main reason I think quantity plays a part, is because you get told so...

I've learned not to believe everything I'm told. I think this excuse is either because the chefs don't know the real reason or, if they do, they certainly don't want to tell their customers.

[pete]

This is not true. I have achieved 'the taste', and reporduced perfect imiatation takeaway dishes 3 times now. I've made curry every night for the last month (really), with the quest of hitting the nail on the head. I've done it three times - what I can't do is reliably reproduce it. As a result, I'm unable (so far) to? identify exactly what it was bout what I did one time that wa right, and what was not etc.

 I chop 3-4 onions very finley - some finely dived, some finley sliced into small strips. I fry these gently in plenty of oil, with a bit of base sauce, and a desert spoon of *cinnamon* on them. I slowly fry them for 30-40 minutes, until they are totally soft, see through, and sweet.

At the end of last year I made four brilliant vindaloo curries which I knew to be as good as I ever would get.
Everyone who tried them said the same.
They had the "eat every last bit of it" flavour.
Almost the same as a restaurant but fresher.
And................I don't know what I did right.
I am currently backtracking to try and do it again.
When I do, I will post it.
One of the problems is that I try too many different things.
I get enthusiastic whenever I see an interesting post, or if I chat with a chef.


I have read several post regarding adding pre fried onions.
So I started adding them to my curries as a matter of course.
They only improve it.
Here I go experimenting again..........
What about making the 600ml oil base but cook the onions in more oil for an hour, then add the water and other ingredients.
One thing seems clear to me, is that when we achieve the taste, it will not be through the standard methods used in a takeaway.

[Mark J]

And one other thing my takeaway owner said was that HE cant recreate it at home either! When he cooks curry he says his kids tell him "bring it home from the restaurant dad"

I dont know if the quantity thing is right or not, my gut feeling says it should be possible to reproduce at home (and I believe I can do)

Im sure that some BIR owners will talk bullshit but this guy I talk too just seems genuinly interested in helping me, he is amused by the idea. I obviously know a massive amount of what goes on in the background of a BIR and when talking to a chef I know if they are bullshiting.

A case in point, I talked to my local restaurant, I asked about the curry powder and they said "its a special mixture known only to the chef, you cant reproduce it" - total bullshit

The same question to this guy - "Its just curry powder", I say "I use rajah, is that ok", "yeah thats fine, the actual make isnt really that important"

[Mark J]

Some people may not like this but:
I strongly urge the members of this forum to forget the whole idea that 'this can't be done at home'. - I know it is a great excuse every time your NOT overjoyed with the curry you've just cooked. But it simply CANNOT be true.? Sure, all the BIR chefs and bosses would love us to think that - and I don't blame them at all, it's their livelyhood.

One comment my takeaway chef/owner said was its difficult to get the spicing right, I wonder if this is compounded when making smaller quantities and hence his comment you cant make the base at home.

[George]

I've made curry every night for the last month (really)

How much weight have you gained, if you don't mind me asking? I'd be concerned about salt and certain other factors too. Every visitor to this forum should be grateful to generous pioneers like you for putting so much effort into this quest. But, pray don't harm your health, let alone become a martyr, heaven forbid, in the process.

[pete]

Perhaps when the chefs say the curry base can't be done at home, they mean that they never do it, and consequently don't know how.
I am puzzled by Mark J's restaurant owner's comments.
The scale we work on is so much smaller.
Maybe it's like trying to make a scaled down nuclear expolsion.
If it could be done, then you wouldn't do it the same way.
One thing did occur me.
The pot they use for the curry base, may be a different shape to our pots.
This would affect how much oil comes up the side of the pot when cooking.
If it is proportionatly wider, then the oil will be very shallow.
If proportionatly taller, then the oil will come up higher.
It would make the difference of ingredients being shallow fried or deep fried.

[thomashenry]

>> Generous helping of very well cooked onions >>

My only concern about this is that all the best currys i've had are a very smooth gravy, with no 'bits' in it at all.

Other peoples' currys may have bits in though.

Vindaloos are generally smooth, but other dishes that I order in BIRs invariably have thicker sauces with stuff in them I find, apart from one particular curry house (which is atrocious!).

My attempt at copying my BIR success met with failiure last night; I failed to re-create the magic, although I was not far off. Ive got 4 more nights of my current batch of base sauce, then I'm off the curries for a while, so fingers crossed.

[Mark J]

Did you leave the curry for a few hours after cooking it?

[thomashenry]

Did you leave the curry for a few hours after cooking it?

Not that long, more like 10. The one I did the night before was left for 30; so I will revert to that.

A new idea has struck me; garam masala, we have generally agreed is not a good thing. I've got a small jar of home made stuff, made to Dhillon spec. Its very similar to my East End packet. From memory, it contained coriander seeds, cumin, two colours of cardomman, cloves, black pepper, cassis bark, and nutmeg.

Coriander seeds and cumin seeds are friendly. Black cardommans have the smokey aroma that we often talk about, but no-one has found a way of harnessing them for this yet. Cassia bark/cinammon is a flavour I've definatly identified in most of my favoruite BIR dishes.

Therefore, I am going to make a new batch of home made garam masala, but will omit the cloves, pepper and nutmeg. I think these are the 'baddies' in the mix. Cumin, coriander, caroomans + cassia bark ought to be a lot more up our street.

As ever, will report on success/failure of this.

[thomashenry]

I've made curry every night for the last month (really)

How much weight have you gained, if you don't mind me asking? I'd be concerned about salt and certain other factors too. Every visitor to this forum should be grateful to generous pioneers like you for putting so much effort into this quest. But, pray don't harm your health, let alone become a martyr, heaven forbid, in the process.

I've not gained any weight that I've noticed. I'm a pretty skinny bloke (6'2", 11 stone), and have been the same weight since I was about 16, so a month won't do my any harm! I think after this month is up, I'm going to cut back to one batch of curry sauce a month (hence 6 dishes). This doesn't include authentic indian food, whihc I cook a lot (and is very healthy )