Topic: Using green chilies for that special flavour

[mickdabass]

SS please keep up the sarcasm. Without your acidic wit this site would be too tame!

[Curry King]

Interesting post but I don't think the answer lies with fresh chilli's, like others I have had demo's\seen chef's make my curry and green chilli's have never come up.  I do agree with you on the obsession side of things though, I gave up worrying whether my curry's were 100% correct a while ago, now I just enjoy making and eating them.  I know they are good and better than a lot of restaurants locally to me and that's all that matters 

[JerryM]

HeyThere,

real good post.

took me back to a night in a restaurant (Light of Asia, Dudley) when we asked how the dishes were made so hot. the chef had a real good laugh - a little side plate appeared with a little green chilli each to savour with the meal.

the suggestion i think is to use the chillies at cooking stage (which i do in admins jalfrezi and it works a treat).

i'd be interested though in your thoughts on adding them to base. i know this has been discussed previously but it's still something that niggles me (i add fork punctured fat chillies when making mexican tomato salsa and it works well).

[HeyThere]

To quickly clarify: When I make a curry I leave the seeds in, and chop some of the chillis finely (into little rings, about 6 or so) and some coarsely (cut once accross and once lengthways) and I've noticed that its when these are fried for a while in the oil that they create a lovely savoury taste that when it combines with the spices is that particular bir taste everyone is on about.

I know that its the skins of the chillies and not the seeds that give this flavour, and its the frying in oil that releases it.

As everyone knows its the seeds that have the vast majority of the capsicin in them so the skins aren't actually that 'hot'. I think curry houses might not necessarily put in whole chillis with seeds, especially as most of their dishes aren't burning hot but they probably put in oil that has had chilli flesh/skin boiling in it.

If you eat one of the big pieces of chilli skin in one of my final curries it has its own taste but not this one we're on about - thats why I'm sure it passes this on to the oil. Its in the smell as well when they fry, and it changes as they bubble away.

I think reclaiming the oil basically just increases the time that there has been chillis sizzling in it, the more (new) chillies, the better and so the older the oil the better, though I'm sure my idea of a 35 min frying time with one lot of fresh chillies will do the same job... hope someone gives it a go and reports back....

[SnS]

As everyone knows its the seeds that have the vast majority of the capsicin in them so the skins aren't actually that 'hot'.

A point here for those that want the green chile taste but don't want the hotness.

It is the placenta that contains most capsaicinoids (the chemical that causes the burning sensation). Whilst the seeds are hot, the hottest part of a chile is the white bits that the seeds are attached to. If you don't want hotness then you should remove the seeds but more importantly - also the white placenta.

SnS 

[JerryM]

To quickly clarify: When I make a curry I leave the seeds in, and chop some of the chillis finely (into little rings, about 6 or so) and some coarsely (cut once accross and once lengthways) and I've noticed that its when these are fried for a while in the oil that they create a lovely savoury taste that when it combines with the spices is that particular bir taste everyone is on about.

this reminded me of the Ashoka Green Chilli paste which i've not tried and now feel i should give it a go.

presumably adding it with the garlic/ginger paste.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3189.msg28438#msg28438

[curryqueen]

Capsaicin is the other term used when referring to the white pith that the seed hangs/grows from inside the chilli pepper.

With regard to the chilli oil I will try this but am convinced that the way that I do it has the same effect I am sure.  I usually start a curry with spiced oil and fresh chillies chopped finely and whole ones too (I like my dishes to be HOT!) so this would give the same effect overall, and then of course I reclaim and re-use it next time and so on and it does get better with time.  CQ

[Secret Santa]

its when these are fried for a while in the oil that they create a lovely savoury taste that when it combines with the spices is that particular bir taste everyone is on about.

No it's not. It may be the 'taste' that you require, but it isn't even close to the savoury flavour I am trying to reproduce. I think you'd be better off sticking to your 'authentic' fish curries, you might actually know what you're talking about there.

[haldi]

No it's not. It may be the 'taste' that you require, but it isn't even close to the savoury flavour I am trying to reproduce.

I'm glad someone tried it
Sorry you're disappointed
Is the oil hot?

[Derek Dansak]

Hi CQ, whats an easy way to start reclaiming oil, it sounds like the way ahead. do you just put a lot more oil in the final curry, and skim off some at the end. i am not keen on adding lots of oil to my base, as i like to keep it semi healthy. so am looking for an alternative, quick simple method to reclaim oil. cheer DD