Topic: An Indian Housewifes Recipe Book

[haldi]

I just bought this book

I'm afraid that despite all my efforts I am not really any closer to perfecting the BIR flavour at home
Why?
Goodness knows!
I have seen countless curries cooked by chefs
I've aquired dozens of recipes (most witnessed first hand)
But when it comes down to it, I can't make them exactly work
The restaurant's version is always that bit better
Even though I have this super duper cooker
The blame lies with me
My guess, is that it is, the curry gravy
There is more to it, than meets the eye
My best recent result, was using Bruce Edward's new curry gravy
That had something of the aroma I'm after

Anyhow, bearing this all in mind, I reasoned that the BIR flavour may possibly also occur in Indian homestyle cooking
So I got this book
I have made a very good spinach curry
A rubbishy aubergine & potato curry
And some passable pea pilaw (that's how she spells it) rice
If I find the flavour I'm after, within these pages, then I will most certainly post it here!
No doubt some of you, may think I'm a little obsessive, but this flavour is almost like a missing vegetable
It is certainly stronger than the spice flavour.
I compare my results to kept frozen restaurant samples.
Annoyingly, sometimes I feel mine has a trace of the flavour
Oh well, the search continues

[JerryM]

Haldi,

i fear u may have an interesting book cover to keep on your bookshelf.

a very good friend told me that authentic and BIR just don't meet at all.

on an up note i've been eating garlic chilli bahar over the weekend at the BIR and it was fantastic - reinvigorated for sure.

just for you - "A very hot dish, extensively prepared with fresh garlic and chillies in a lingering piquant sauce" ;D

[haldi]

Haldi,
i fear u may have an interesting book cover to keep on your bookshelf.

You may be right
It was a desperate act
I was hoping to stumble onto this taste I cannot get in my curries
My curries are very good, but I know that they are still not quite there
So far I have established that this taste is not fried onion, fried aubergine, fried potato,fresh coriander,dried fenugreek,spinach, mustard seeds,cummin seeds or chilli powder

To tell the truth, I thought as soon as I cooked a curry, on my big cooker, it would automatically happen...
It didn't

[JerryM]

the one thing on my mind at the mo is "chilli powder".

because i'm mainly cooking for the family and at home - i don't tend to use much chilli powder.

one of the friends visiting this week shares the holic for hot curries. i made my normal "madras" and all liked it but we holics could sense it was a sham in terms of BIR madras hot.

i upped the chilli by 1/2 tsp in the next portion and we both felt the curry had stepped up a gear - those spices were being drawn out more.

we were in BIR over the weekend and the 1st thing that hit me was how much hotter chilli wise BIR's are to my copycat attempts.

i'm going to work on it over the next few weeks. maybe others on the site already use higher proportions than i do but maybe we all have 1 or 2 missing essentials without realising.

[Graeme]

I have this book too, however i dont think i am going to use it !

[haldi]

I have this book too, however i dont think i am going to use it !

I'm going to try recipes, if I find anything that seems "BIR" I will post it here.

[Graeme]

Thank you.

but i get the feeling this book and others
are jumping on the band wagon of KD etc.

regards graeme.

[Curry King]

Thank you.

but i get the feeling this book and others
are jumping on the band wagon of KD etc.

regards graeme.

The cover even looks the same as the KD book!

[currytester]

Haldi

I have recently poste a recipe for Brinjal Aloo, (Potato and Aubergine Curry) - I havent got the book - could you do a quick comparison between the book and the one I posted - My family all think this one is great - it may just be different perspectives

Thanks

[Gazza63]

Thank you.

but i get the feeling this book and others
are jumping on the band wagon of KD etc.

regards graeme.

The cover even looks the same as the KD book!

It'the same publisher as the KD book, had this book for years, the only recipe that I
use a lot is the Bombay Potato but add double the amount of Chilli powder , the curries are nothing like BIR but there are some interesting recipes for other dishes that you won't find elsewhere.