Topic: Tom Puree stright out of the tin or with water

[JerryM]

for a good while now i've diluted the tom puree with water (1:2 puree:water).

i did this to make sure i didn't burn the spices when frying them (i always add a little base and now the base is very thin i'm thinking if i really need to continue to dilute).

my cooking skills have also moved on a bit having learnt much from lot's of disasters.

the other day i was cooking 1 off curry and out of ease just took the tin of puree without adding water.

it had quite a dramatic affect during the cooking - it seemed to want to instantly combust and i could not for the life of me stop my pan repeatedly flaming. this is not a problem as i'm used to the likelihood (i try to avoid it as it uses up oil too quickly).

i'm not 100% sure but i felt the taste of the curry might have been better. i would normally have to add more oil to get a similar result.

i'd be real interested in knowing who does not add water to the tom puree.

[PaulP]

I usually do a rough 50:50 mix of tom puree and water. Recently I couldn't be bothered and used just the tom puree. I found it a little harder to mix around the pan and to get it to blend with the oil without the water. I'll probably continue to mix it with water for this reason and also because I've read this is what BIRs do.

I couldn't say it tasted different with or without the water to be honest.

PaulP.

[emin-j]

I mix with water for the same reasons as PaulP

[976bar]

for a good while now i've diluted the tom puree with water (1:2 puree:water).

i did this to make sure i didn't burn the spices when frying them (i always add a little base and now the base is very thin i'm thinking if i really need to continue to dilute).

my cooking skills have also moved on a bit having learnt much from lot's of disasters.

the other day i was cooking 1 off curry and out of ease just took the tin of puree without adding water.

it had quite a dramatic affect during the cooking - it seemed to want to instantly combust and i could not for the life of me stop my pan repeatedly flaming. this is not a problem as i'm used to the likelihood (i try to avoid it as it uses up oil too quickly).

i'm not 100% sure but i felt the taste of the curry might have been better. i would normally have to add more oil to get a similar result.

i'd be real interested in knowing who does not add water to the tom puree.

I nearly always buy tomato puree in a tube, if I can't get that I buy it in a jar. But I have never ever mixed it with water.

When adding it to the oil spice mixture, yes it seems to thicken up and segregate a little but it still fries well.

When I then add a ladle of base sauce it disperses well and I have never had any problems. This not only applies to Indian food I have made, but other cuisines as well.

Hope this helps...

[joshallen2k]

Jerry, I was in the same boat as you. I always mixed my puree with a bit of water to prevent the spices from burning.

A few months back a switched to a larger pan, which also meant I was able to start using the chef's spoon to cook with. For me, this sorted the tom puree / spice problem, as I was easily able to mash the puree and spices and move around without burning.

So, the net it out, I use the puree as is now, with no added water.

-- Josh

[Cory Ander]

I think there is some confusion in the terms, particularly between "tomato paste" and "tomato puree".  In fact, I think they mean different (i.e. opposite) things in America and the UK!

I can see how dramatically different tomato concentrations (and tastes) might be obtained depending upon which you use.

I use "tomato paste", which is more concentrated than "tomato puree", which is more concentrated than "passata".

To my mind, "tomato puree" is just diluted "tomato paste" anyway (but there may be some other differences in its production?).  So I sometimes dilute "tomato paste" to make a "tomato puree".  Presumably you're diluting the "tomato puree" even further?

[joshallen2k]

To me, tomato puree has the consistency of toothpaste. It chunks up in the teaspoon I use, and I have to tap it a few times against the pan to get it to drop in. Here, in Canada, they call it tomato paste.

Curious to see how many interpret otherwise.

-- Josh

[JerryM]

the stuff i have is called "double concentrate tomato puree". i also use passata which is completely different (i add only after base not before).

the tom puree is just as Josh describes - thick like toothpaste.

the only advantage i'd perceived lately (of thinning with water) was in the ease of getting it into the pan - i found last week though that i had time to sort of tap the undiluted off the spoon into the pan.

given the comments (using the thick past as it comes out of the tin, jar tube) is not that wacky i'll keep at it for a while to see if it does make a difference in the taste or whether the 1st go was just a fluke.

[chriswg]

I think for a Madras the tomato content is absolutely critical and is the only small piece of the puzzle left for me to reach curry utopia. In the base stage I use blended plum tomatoes which must be pretty similar to a cheap Passata. In the curry cooking stage the chef put in a dessert spoon of tomato puree. What I don't know is what kind or concentrate. If it was double concentrated paste from a can does that mean I should use 2 spoons from a tube or puree? I think it was runny but I have no way of knowing how watered down it was 1:1, 1:2 etc. I think it should be minimal in a final Madras. The ones from the BIR don't taste of tomato. I think it probably one spoon of 1:1 watered puree from a tube or 1:4 watered double concentrate from a can. I imagine to keep costs low they use the big KTC tins.

[JerryM]

I think for a Madras the tomato content is absolutely critical and is the only small piece of the puzzle left for me to reach curry utopia.

chriswg,

same here for plain curry sauce. i am ok on madras as a main dish using CK's recipe.

the plain curry sauce is still troubling me. i've tried adding passata as well as puree. i've also tried leaving the puree out and just using passata. nothing seems to get me close though. the TA version gives the impression of being very tomatoey but when trying tomato yourself it just does not fit. it's also seems to me as if they don't use any base or much less than for a main.

i'm going to try 1/2 and 1/2 tin tomato : base next.

ps i tried the tom puree again without water on the last of CA's aka base tonight with a pinch of Secret Santa's APS - no complaints whatsover (just not quite the same as from the TA though).