Topic: Wish List - Questions for a BIR Chef

[JerryM]

re the recent post, "I'm BITTERLY Disappointed!!!!!" http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3584.0

put yourself in dream mode for a while and picture a one to one with BIR Chef who has agreed to answer 3 wishes or questions.

if all else fails in terms of external help it might just get an answer from an existing member who already knows the answer.

i purposely haven't added my 3 (but will later) as i feel the posting should not be constrained in any way.

please give it your best. just pick what's important to u.

[CurryCrazy]

Only 1 question....what is that flavour in a good BIR madras? (I know what it is but can't explain it!!)

simples! 

[JerryM]

1) what's in the tubs and spice rack.

there's a picture in the maliks post with some numbers on. at the time we all had a good guess at them. trouble was it was a guess and also now and again they got things from the table behind and from under the hob. a full list of what's used would be brill.

2) what part does garam masala play in the final dish

up till the ashoka recipes i'd swear blind there is no garam masala in any BIR worth eating only mix powder (spice mix). trouble is the korahi bhuna only uses garam masala and tastes very good. it's put the cat among the pigeons for me.

3) i can't decide on a no 3 at the mo. either how much spice goes into a single portion - ball park 

i use 2 tsp per 200ml portion is it right?

4) what's the technique for cooking a dish

i cook the oil & garlic/ginger as the pan heats up and until the rawness is gone (typ 30sec), then emulsify "fry" the spices in watered tom puree and some base leaving the dish un stirred until the surface starts to crater "dry out" (typ 1 min), then add rest of ingredients and evap off typ 3 mins with a stir now and again. all done at full whack. is this right?

[JerryM]

i've racked my brains on this one to try and add some more questions. i'm struggling.

i hope others are experiencing the same (not to struggle but the fact that they don't have a need).

is everything here on the site that we need or not. that's the question.

it appears we're answering it one way or another.

i'm beginning to feel i'm only in need of "wanting" comfort and don't really have a need.

yes a few recipes can be fined tuned and the broadness of our expertise expanded and there's a good few red herrings but on the whole is a "we're essentially their" a true reflection of the site as a whole.

[Cory Ander]

1)  Where are you originally from (I'd be hoping for Bangladeshi)?

2)  How many years have you cooked in BIRs (I'd be wanting many), in how many (I'd be wanting lots), and where? (I'd be wanting a reasonable awareness of regional differences...if there actually are any  ) - OK, that's 3 questions in 1 there  )

3)  Can you reproduce your restaurant curries at home?  If not, why not?  What do you need to enable you to do so? (Another 3 questions in 1!  B*gger!  )

These questions would be to establish the chef's credentials against what I define to be the goal of this forum (well, at least it's certainly my own goal!), as follows:

To help members reproduce classic British Indian Restaurant (BIR) curries (and accompaniments) produced by decent British Indian Restaurants (typically Bangladeshi). 

[TyeNoodle]

1, Can you teach me please

2, Can you teach me please

3, Can you teach me please

Sorry but its usually my question that I ask!!

[JerryM]

CA,

for sure got to be bangladeshi for me.

TyeNoodle,

sounds as if we'd both like to work in a BIR. vacancies don't seem to be that common though.

[Derek Dansak]

Hi Jerry, the bir chef i know, uses about a 5th of a chefs spoon of spice mix per portion (about 2 or 3 tbs). alot more than most members here use, including me. i know its hard to believe but i have seen that amount 20 times now when getting demos. i used about a rounded tbs of dd spice mix last week with lots of oil and made a very respectable vindaloo. with a watery base, and lots of spice mix, it should not cause any problems. it will add a lot more flavor

[JerryM]

Hi Jerry, the bir chef i know, uses about a 5th of a chefs spoon of spice mix per portion (about 2 or 3 tbs). 

DD,

the amount of spice per portion is something i intend to work on next in the context of recipe refinement (still deciding which recipe to try given i'm sorted on CTM, Korahi, Jalfrezi, Kashmiri & Madras. Balti and Khalia are in the pot).

my chef spoon is 4 tbsp level which on 1/5 th gives ~2 tsp or 12ml. pls confirm how u've calculated the amount per portion.

given what u say i will try a higher amount of spice but my current thinking is to go less. this being based on how good CK's madras tastes with what is very simple spicing. i currently use 2 tsp as my std spice mix amount.

if the spice mix is in the "tbsp" ball park then i think i would have to reduce the spicing in the base but that is already v.low in the range of 3 to 5%.

best wishes,