Topic: Kashmiri Chicken Masala

[livo]

That is my concern Phil. I'm certain we used to get the full range of Pataks here a decade ago.  Not today though. Thanks for the offer but I'll work it out.

Contains Mustard. I wonder?

[livo]

I have managed to locate an online Indian grocer who stocks Mangal Kashmiri Masala. I've read the old thread about it on this forum so I'll give it a try.

[livo]

I made this tonight with my own concocted Masala Spice mix.  While it was indeed a very pleasing dish and one I'll make again, I have no idea if it tasted like it is meant to in either 976Bar's OP using Pataks or JerryM's version using Bassar.  I think it would benefit from the use of at least just a little bit of Mixed Powder which is not present in either recipe.  Maybe next time. Still a nice dish anyway.

[livo]

Today I received in the mail the complimentary packet of Kashmiri Curry Masala (Basaar) from the local Spicery and as discussed elsewhere, I immediately set about doing a 3 way side by side test of my own concocted Basaar, this newly created commercial blend and the Mangal Kashmiri Masala paste I finally managed to obtain a week or so ago.  This will take 2 posts as there are 8 photographs.

These are scaled down single serve preparations using only 150 grams of chicken per dish and all other ingredients adjusted to quantity for consistency and fair comparison.

Ingredients 1 - 3 are the 3 different Masala blends, 1 tsp of each, along with 40 g onions. 2 tsp G&G paste plus a pinch each black pepper and salt.

Ingredients 4 is per dish, 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee 3 tsp diluted tomato paste, 2 tsp coconut milk, 3 tsp cream / yogurt blend and a squirt of lime juice per dish. Not pictured is chopped coriander leaf and stalk. 1 tsp added at end of cooking and 1 tsp for garnish.

[livo]

Ingredients 5 is 450 g of pre-cooked chicken thigh fillets and enough base gravy.

KCM X 1 - 3 are the finished dishes in the order of my own Basaar, Mangal paste and the new commercial Basaar.  (I think the brand may be also available in UK but it is from Australia. I'm not naming it publicly on this site so I can't be accused of trolling for business promotion even though I have no connection to the firm). To look at the dishes there is hardly any discernible difference as you'd expect. There may be a very slight difference in colouration.

How were they?  I have come to the conclusion that my own Basaar blend is 100 % acceptable as a Kashmiri Masala and can easily be adjusted to give more if required. The only real difference in the 3 was a very slight variation in heat, with mine the mildest, followed by the Mangal and the new Basaar the hottest.  It does list Hot Chilli as an included spice as well as Kashmiri Chilli.  The other difference which I do quite like is in the new Basaar there is a woodiness or mustiness that I would attribute to the Dagar Phool (Dagarful). I really do like it.  This makes this new commercial blend my winner but I can easily fix my own up by the addition of some dagarful and I'm fine with the heat level of all 3.  Once mine is all gone I'll probably just buy the ready made stuff. It's good.

Good fun and a yummy lunch. ;D

[littlechilie]

Hi Livo, this is a great and inspiring post, you really are creative and I

[livo]

LC, I don't think anybody had a dig at me about Dagar Phool. It is relatively new to me and basically unknown until very recently. Today was the very first time I've ever actually had any that I know of unless it is used in restaurants.  There is very little written about it at all on the forum. DalPuri didn't rate it and CT simply said that it is rather obscure and that he doubted actual BIR's would even know about it let alone use it.  Neither of these assertions were directed to me.

The blend I made is already here somewhere.  I'll see if I can relocate it. It was made from a box of Eastern brand Fish Masala that I noticed had a lot of the same core spices included in Basaar. I then just added the stuff that was missing in a guess of quantity. As it turns out I was pretty close to the mark.

I'll post a link when found.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=8823.30 I still have the piece of paper with my notes on it.  I'll try to nail it down a bit better for you tomorrow LC.

By the way, my wife also preferred the dish made with the blend containing Dagar Phool.  She just said it had something a bit different that made it nice.  But honestly there isn't much difference at all unless you really concentrate on it.

[littlechilie]

Thanks Livo for pointing that out, I knew it had popped up recently and  been dismissed before your testing. Yes please do forward or link me to the information as I did a forum search on Dagar Phool with the only post being yours.
Basaar Masala dose seem to be so very expensive.

[livo]

Search also for dagarful and dagad phool

See the "what is bassar curry masala" thread for info about my homemade mix. Link 2 posts above.