Topic: Using green chilies for that special flavour

[joshallen2k]

bengali potato and fish curry

Err. No thanks.

Chicken Madras BIR-style will do for me.

What's missing is not green chillies. Its been tried and works well in some dishes like Jalfrezi.

The missing piece in MY opinion is in the oil, and some others who have spent more time than you have in re-creating BIR would concur.

Ciao Baby.

[haldi]

That classic takeaway taste is just a combination of that turmericky garam masalaey sauce and fresh green chillis fried in veg oil (sometimes without seeds, sometimes with). Unless you're using lots of green chilli you're literally chasing your own backside tweaking minor things here

Hi HeyThere
           I have managed to work a couple of days in a BIR takeaway, so I've seen a lot more than most.
I've had oodles of demos too, at different places
Thanks for your input but I you are mistaken
Firstly, chillies do not go into every BIR curry, and secondly it's the reclaimed curry gravy oil giving the majority of flavour.
You could cook simple boiled lentils in this oil and get a BIR standard curry taste.
I've been given this oil, and cooked perfectly at home
I have eaten many times with BIR staff and yes, these curries are fantastic.
Better than any standard BIR meals
But what is making them extra special, is this oil they are cooked in!!


         

[HeyThere]

What I'm saying though, is that its the way that green chilli taste changes after a lot of cooking in oil that gives that unique flavour - imparting it to the oil.

The reclaimed oil is one way of doing it, or you could try making it - theres even a couple of threads on here where people are suggesting making spiced oil.. but not mentioning fresh green chilli! What all of these recipes need is fresh green chilli.

If you don't want the final dish to be hot, then carefully score the chillis and tip the seeds out. Beleive me I've done this before and the final result, as well as several other characteristics, has had that distinctive taste you get from a take away.

If you want to fit my suggestion into your own 'scientific' method then try this: put 250ml SF oil in a pan, heat it up (but nowhere near smoking temp) then throw in about 25 stemmed, deseeded small green chillis that you bought by weight in the local indian shop. cook it so the chillis are rising and slightly bubbling for 35 - 40 mins, then either take the chillis out with a spoon with holes or strain.. Cool this oil and use it as the cooking oil next time you make your best 'nearest to the real thing' recipe - if you want to remain objective make one at the same time with normal oil.

I think you'll be surprised by the result.

By the way one more thing - I noticed theres a thread on veg ghee, some of you are experimenting. Have a quick search for veg ghee trans fats.. this stuff is generally though to be pretty nasty (and it falls under the new york trans fat ban so curry cooking is def still fine without).

I actually think the main advantage for the restaurant is that veg ghee saves them money because it doesn't have to be refrigerated - marginal effect on flavour and butter ghee or SF oil will do the same job in every case.

[qprbob]

HeyThere
Thanks for the tip on the green chilli's, I for one will be objective and give it a go and compare the two side by side.

[haldi]

If you want to fit my suggestion into your own 'scientific' method then try this: put 250ml SF oil in a pan, heat it up (but nowhere near smoking temp) then throw in about 25 stemmed, deseeded small green chillis that you bought by weight in the local indian shop. cook it so the chillis are rising and slightly bubbling for 35 - 40 mins, then either take the chillis out with a spoon with holes or strain.. Cool this oil and use it as the cooking oil next time you make your best 'nearest to the real thing' recipe - if you want to remain objective make one at the same time with normal oil.

I think you'll be surprised by the result.

Thank you
I'll try that, that's something I've not done before

[SnS]

Hi HeyThere

Thanks for your comments and valued input to this forum.

I have modified your title to something more constructive and a little less confrontational - I do hope you don't mind.

SnS 

[Secret Santa]

Well F*** *e. I've been at this game for well over twenty years now and you know what, I'd never given green chillis a thought! Well, no need for this forum any longer!

(And before anyone says it, yes that was the politest response I could come up with!  : )

[CurryCrazy]

20 years secret santa...bloody hell.

20 years of telling everyone else how their ideas are s***e.

If you know everything why don't you enlighten us all.

If not shut the F**K up and stop shooting eeryone down in flames.

[Secret Santa]

If not shut the F**K up and stop shooting eeryone down in flames.

Sorry curry crazy...I'd love to respond...but got green chillis to prepare...at last, I have the answer to the BIR taste and aroma.

[CurryCrazy]

 ;D