Topic: BIR missing taste its all to do with OLD OIL

[Panpot]

Guys just a small point. The Ashoka chef suggested that we consider substituting olive oil for the margarine when making the base sauce for health reasons. Personally I would like to but have yet to take the risk in case it effects the taste though he didn't feel that it would. He repeatedly stated that at home he would use more expensive and healthier options while cooking eg red onions and olive oil. Cheers PP

[George]

the observation on my local TA is down to taste. i know what their base taste's like. i also know what taste the black oil brings.

Yes, but that's different to knowing what goes into those elements. A simple example might be salt. I'd wager that most BIRs use a lot more salt than most of us would be happy putting in at home, so we probably cut it down ' to make it healthier' and yet we don't think about that every time we go to a BIR for a takeaway or sit down meal. Another example is anyone who says they don't like pineapple or something and so leave it out. I bet they've had BIR Dhansaks and other dishes with pineapple included which the same members thought were delicious. BIRs are, as yet, almost totally unregulated. They don't have to provide analyses of ingredients, like supermarkets do.

PS your conclusions on Maliks are totally irrational on the basis that it must somehow be good just because they haven't gone bankrupt!

[jimmy2x]

i dont think this old oil idea is correct, just for the sheer fact the restaurant wouldnt be able to produce enough old oil for curries. as curry uses a fair amount of oil and will be the biggest selling item, i cant see how old pakora and bhaji oil would keep up with the demand to keep a uniform product. infact i doubt there would be more than a few deep fat friers of the stuff a week, which would hardly be enough for all the curries they would sell in that time.

[JerryM]

jimmy2x,

real good point. it also stacks up for me with the thought of only using a small amount of black oil in proportion to the rest of the oil.

has anyone tried using less than the prescribed 50:50 ratio.

Panpot,

i've used olive oil twice now at frying stage and it was very good. far better than expected. i see it working just as good as your chef says in base. i'd keep a little of the marg though as this does magic for me.

[joshallen2k]

i've used olive oil twice now at frying stage and it was very good

Personally I tried it once (was out of veg) and found it added completely the wrong flavour for Indian food. I relegated olive oil to the "never try again" list.

Maybe though if you use significantly less oil than you would for a finished curry you might get away with it. But 5 tbsp of olive oil floating around ruined the dish for me.

[Cory Ander]

The Ashoka chef suggested that we consider substituting olive oil for the margarine when making the base sauce for health reasons.

I assumed that the margarine was in the base to impart a particular "creaminess" to it?  I can't see that substituting olive oil for it would achieve the same?

[Cory Ander]

it also stacks up for me with the thought of only using a small amount of black oil in proportion to the rest of the oil.

has anyone tried using less than the prescribed 50:50 ratio.

I'm not sure this was ever "prescribed" Jerry?  I understood that Haldi just chose to do this because he witnessed his BIR adding "some" used oil and "some" fresh oil to their base.  And guessed it to be about 50:50?

[JerryM]

CA,

yes the marg adds that creaminess for me and the olive oil won't cut it the same for sure.

the idea of using less of the black oil came from the fact that it produced overkill in taste for me when i tried it. as u know from the smokiness post - i (and i am sure u) don't need the black oil. i don't intend to use it.

where i was coming from was that if u're unable to use a high heat burner (down to the smoke and mess it produces) u could try a smaller proportion of the black oil. it may work but it may not. i have learnt a lot from haldi's posts and the success reported niggles me that there must be something there. i consequently believe there must be potentially 2 pieces of jigsaw that fit this particular gap.

[rallim]

I remember watching a cooking program years ago with an Indian chef (can't remember name of program or chef) but olive oil (at that time) was a big no no, to strong a flavour. How times change when chefs are now saying it's ok to use.

About the old oil issue, I have mentioned somewhere on this site before about the owner/chef of a restaurant I frequented telling me that 'burnt oil' was used in the gravy (base sauce) and dishes. I never got to find out what he meant by 'burnt'. 

Cheers