Topic: Vegetable Phall Demo

[pete]

Vegetable Phall

Ingredients

2 ladies fingers chopped
1 tiny aubergine sliced lengthways

1 ladle of oil from top of curry gravy
4 green chillies chopped 1cm long
1 tablespoon finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon garlic ginger puree
? a tomato chopped
1 desertspoon fresh coriander
1 desertspoon cooked chick peas
1 desertspoon precooked mushrooms
2 desertspoons precooked veg (very dry mix)
1 desertspoon dried fenugreek
3 ladles curry gravy
1 desertspoon tomato puree
1 desertspoon spice mix (paprika,turmeric,coriander,cumin)
? dessertspoon chilli powder
? teaspoon ground coriander

All was cooked on a really large gas ring
It seemed to have an inner gas ring as well as an outer one.

He popped the aubergine and ladies finger into a deep pan fryer for five minutes
While this was cooking he heated the oil from the top of the curry gravy for a minute then added the chillies and onion.
He stir fried this for two minutes.
Although the gas was clearly packing out a lot of heat, nothing was ever in danger of burning.
Then he added the garlic ginger puree and stirred for another minute
He added a ladle of curry gravy and, because the oil was really hot, this evaporated off quite spectacularly.
Flames and splutters all round but not in the pan.
Then he added the tomato puree and stirred for about thirty seconds
Then (quite late on I thought) in went the spice mix and chilli powder
Stir for a minute then another ladle of curry gravy and evaporate off
Then in quick succession
The chick peas, mushroom, fresh tomato, precooked veg and fresh coriander
Stir for a couple of minutes and add the dried fenugreek, ground coriander and the last ladle of curry gravy.
Shake the pan add the deep fried ladies fingers and aubergine.
He then placed an upturned frying pan on top of the pan cooking and left it for a couple of minutes.
And it was ready.

If it sounds tricky this recipe, it?s not.
It?s just because he used such a variety of veg in it.
You could substitute the veg for precooked chicken and that would cut the recipe by half!


Interesting information:-

The curry gravy was really runny (see photo)
I got a sample and it?s very nice but it doesn?t have the taste
Neither did the curry (although it was really excellent)
I have had curries from this place and they have had the taste, so I guess it must just be a flavour of kitchen circumstances.
The rice is all micro waved
It has been precooked earlier
The poppadoms were being cooked and I couldn?t believe what I saw.
They use a 4 inch deep frying pan full of oil (nearly to the top) and cook them two at a time.
The man was stacking them and the pile was about 14 inches high.
That?s how flat he was cooking them.
Skill!
The tomato puree was really thick and stodgy
Almost as thick as pataks tandoori paste
It came from a can and he doesn?t water it
He said they make garlic ginger puree using equal volumes of each.
That's as runny as soup
He adds oil so it doesn?t turn BLUE!!
That?s what Curry King said too.
The curry gravy is also really runny.
That's like a soup too.
And finally he emphasised you must cook the curry till it is really hot to kill off the bacteria.
That is very important!

[pete]

This is the curry!!

[DARTHPHALL]

It looks like there is a lot of Turmeric in there, does it stain everything it touches ( is good indicator of the said Spice ;D ;D).

[Yellow Fingers]

I got a sample and it’s very nice but it doesn’t have the taste
Neither did the curry (although it was really excellent)
I have had curries from this place and they have had the taste, so I guess it must just be a flavour of kitchen circumstances.

Pete, forgive me if I'm a bit stupid, but it's late and I'm a tad sozzled. Where did this demo come from..did I miss a thread?

And, you made the curry but it didn't have the taste, but when you eat there usually it does?

Doesn't this mean there is some 'secret' ingredient or technique they are hiding from you?

And finally he emphasised you must cook the curry till it is really hot to kill off the bacteria.

Now that makes sense. Leave the curry gravy around for a day, you need to cook it up.

The poppadoms were being cooked and I couldn’t believe what I saw.
They use a 4 inch deep frying pan full of oil (nearly to the top) and cook them two at a time.
The man was stacking them and the pile was about 14 inches high.

pretty standard for a busy currry house i would have thought?


if any of the foregoing caused offence, it was totally unintentional.

[pete]

Hi Yellow Fingers
This was a demo that I had last night in a takeaway.
For some reason the demo curry did not have the taste
Nor did the curry gravy
In fact, the finished result was very similar to the Bengali Cuisine lesson.
This implies to me, that whatever creates the taste, is made by a kitchen circumstance.
I still think it might be to do with the tandoor fumes (the tandoor was off)
I thought it would be of interest that I got a sample of the curry gravy
I actually saw it lifted from the pot
I have tasted it and know it's consistancy.
Before this, I believe there was an element of doubt over the authenticity of sampled curry gravy.
It is very oily, yellowy orange and sweet.
The taste is not very spicy but mainly of boiled "fried" onions.
It is like a soup.
Not thick at all.
So we definitely need to not use many spices in our bases and need extra water.
I was impressed with the poppadoms because he cooked them so flat.
Whenever I fry them they are anything but that!
You couldn't even stack three of mine

[Curry King]

Hi Pete,

This is all very similar to what I was shown a while back, a simple not to heavy gravy and the method for cooking the phall is exactly the same as what I was shown for a vindaloo.? ?

This was a demo that I had last night in a takeaway.
For some reason the demo curry did not have the taste

I think this is interesting as when I watched a chef make it I stood right next to him, when he had finished it I tried it and thought mmm ok but no "taste".? ?A while later I tried it again and the "taste" was there, I think maybe this is the problem, i very rarely eat my currys after making them now and it makes a big difference.

[George]

I got a sample and it?s very nice but it doesn?t have the taste
Neither did the curry (although it was really excellent)
I have had curries from this place and they have had the taste, so I guess it must just be a flavour of kitchen circumstances."

Many thanks for writing-up and reporting this recipe. If your dish lacked the taste, just on this occasion, could it be that he left out secret ingredients because you were watching?

[Mark J]

I agree with CK, did you eat it soon after pete so were still 'spiced up'?

[pete]

I agree with CK, did you eat it soon after pete so were still 'spiced up'?

Yes I think you are right.
I'd been in the kitchen and came back with? a restaurant perfume.
I bet if I had left it a couple of hours the taste would have been in there.
It must be in some of the ones we all make, we just don't realise it
Ck has the right idea
Leave it a while before you eat your cooked meal

 

Many thanks for writing-up and reporting this recipe. If your dish lacked the taste, just on this occasion, could it be that he left out secret ingredients because you were watching?

No.
Honestly, I think there is nothing hidden
It's our tecnique that is at fault
The pan must be really very hot when the curry gravy goes in.
It must almost vaporise.
The curry gravy must also be really soupy for this to work.
If we don't get that right, then it won't happen

[Mark J]

I reckon if everyone religiously cooked their curries 24 hours before consuming them we would all be saying we can produce the taste