Topic: 100%

[Cory Ander]

Sorry guys, the more I think about this the more confused I become!  It all seems a little left field to me! 

Just to clarify, please:

-  where are we saying that BIRs take their used oil from?  Their deep fat fryer?  The top of their old curry base?  The top of cooked curries? A combination of all three? Or somewhere else?

-  where would BIRs take used oil from that is similar to that used by a kebab shop (i.e. unspiced - in a curry spice sense - and not used to fry fish - presumably?)?

-  if BIRs take used oil from their deep fat fryer, wouldn't that also have been used to fry fish (for the wimps in the crowd!)....as well as to fry chips, chicken(?), pakora, onion bhaji, etc?

Just trying  to get my head around this, if someone could be good enough to please oblige! 

[Cory Ander]

but exact quantities are unnecessary

I accept that exact quantities may be unnecessary, but I suggest that "ten small onions" might weigh anywhere between 1 and 2kg (maybe even more!) and would, therefore, have a significant impact on the resultant base, in relation to the quantity of other ingredients present, I'm sure.

Please could you therefore confirm the approximate weight of onions Haldi?  I'm sure you wish members to stand the very best chance of replicating your results! 

By the way, 4 desert spoons (i.e. 40ml) of old oil (and 80ml of oil in total) doesn't seem very much oil Haldi?  It seems to be considerably less than most base recipes specify?  Unless you are only using about 1kg of onions, of course.

Is the "scooped out" oil (from the base prior to blending)the "salvaged oil" you use to cook the curry?

Thanks,

[haldi]

I've seen a base made up, using fresh and old oil from the top of another curry gravy pot

I confess this confuses me a bit Haldi. 

Given the (unspiced) oil you are using, I would have expected you to say that you've seen a base made up using old oil from a deep fat fryer (but I would expect that even this oil would be spiced in a BIR) rather than from another gravy pot (which would most definitely be spiced, I would think?). 

Surely the two oils are quite different (i.e. spiced and unspiced) aren't they?  Though I accept you say that unspiced oil works for you.

What I mean is that having seen a chef use two types of oil in a base,
I thought I would try the same.
The 100% base I made was copying another place where they only used seasoned oil
My logic may have been " a bit off ", but I got the result

I made a new base on Friday using another takeaways's recipe
Yesterday, I cooked a Korma with it, and it was perfect
This was a real test, as this Korma uses no spices
It relies almost totally on the base's flavour

It's extremly important to match curry recipes with the base they need.

[Domi]

It's extremly important to match curry recipes with the base they need.

Couldn't agree more Haldi! I also agree that exact quantities are not needed either...

[Cory Ander]

I also agree that exact quantities are not needed either...

Well, it seems that we all (three of us at least) agree that exact quantities are not necessary.

But I'm sure that we can all agree that approximate quantities are required..assuming that we wish to replicate and reproduce the same results! 

"ten small onions" (probably ranging from 100g to 200g plus) is hardly exact OR approximate is it! 

[Cory Ander]

..but more importantly....

...I have made three different bases using Haldi's hypothesis on used oil:

1.  Bruce Edward's base using used oil from a (primarily) fried chicken outlet
2.  Bruce Edward's base using used oil from my deep fat fryer which I've used to fry chips and chicken and about 100 onion bhajis in
3.  Ashoka base using used oil from my deep fat fryer which I've used to fry chips and chicken and about 100 onion bhajis in

And the results?

1.  Smelt disgusting and I had to throw it away (including the remaining oil)!    (the smell made me urge so I didn't even bother turning it into curries!  Having said that, I'm told that a limited amount of fish (including squid and prawns) is also fried in this oil (besides predominately chicken and chips).  It was also oil which is solid at room temperature.

2. and 3.  These bases smelt OK so I turned them into chicken madrases.  I honestly could not say that they tasted any better than those made from the same bases using fresh oil (apart from, maybe, the slight semblance - negative, I might add - of used oil in  the taste!).

Conclusion?  I'm at a total loss as to the significance of using used oil with regard to reproducing the "taste" and the "smell" of decent BIR curries.  Sorry to say that! 

I would be very interested to hear if others can reproduce Haldi's result to their total satisfaction.

And here is the rub Domi...cos, no doubt, you and others will no come back and ask me if I exactly copied Haldi's recipe and methods!  Ho Hum!  :-X

PS:  not that you will really care because, as far as I recall, you can reproduce the taste and smell WITHOUT a base can't you? 

[Secret Santa]

I tried using used oil in curry bases and when making the curries themselves at least three years ago. The one definite conclusion I came to, which I agree with CA on, is that no matter how moreish the used oil may smell, the effect is completely lost when added to the base.

However, there is a definite effect when added at the curry cooking stage. The used oil haldi is using must be incredibly potent to have such an effect when added to the base!

[Cory Ander]

The used oil haldi is using must be incredibly potent to have such an effect when added to the base!

I agree SS (again!  ), especially at the rate of only 40ml of used oil in 1 to 2kg of onions (or more) in the base! 

[Cory Ander]

By the way, I used exactly the same madras recipe to make the madras from the Ashoka base and the Bruce Edward's base (because I do not particularly subscribe to the theory that "it is extremely important to match curry recipe to the base it needs").

They turned out very similar, apart from the fact that the Ashoka madras was a little creamier (i.e. smoother) and more coconutty (as might reasonably be expected). 

In the same vein, I'm sure if I'd used the same madras recipe, using SnS's base, it would have turned out (relatively) more tomatoey.

All very paletable, nevertheless.  BUT WHERE IS THE MISSING (decent) BIR TASTE AND SMELL! 

[Cory Ander]

Sorry Haldi, I certainly respect your efforts and opinions but, right now, I'm at a bit of a loss!    I'm presumably misunderstanding you or I'm doing something terribly wrong!

I would be very happy if you could help make me as happy as you!