Topic: PanPot's Ashoka Garlic/Ginger Paste

[976bar]

Many thanks for your advice, "976bar", but one more question if I may ?  As this is to be used in the Ashoka Chicken Marinade (and therefore won't get any more cooking until the final dish is prepared) do you think that the "heat until it starts to fry and the flavours are released" might be more significant in this context ?

** Phil.
[/quote]

What are we talking here? 10 - 15 seconds? Remember, we should always heat the pan first, then add the oil, this way the oil takes about 5-10 seconds to heat up to a temperature where we then start to add the ingredients.

When making tikka, I always add the raw garlic and ginger to the marinade, then leave the marinade for 48 hours to infuse.

I think if the ginger/garlic puree is fried and cooked first, would you run the risk of burning it when cooking it again?

[Panpot]

Phil. I am sorry all is not clear here. The recipe assumes like in the BIR you have a hand blender. The half cup if oil together with the garlic and Ginger easily let's the blender do it's thing. Chopping the Ginger to half inch cubes will help. I have never had a challenge with it.

Once fully blended add the turmeric powder and blitz again. finally heat a pan with the paste stiri g as it heats until it just begins to fry and the ingredients release their aroma.

Simples honestly. The Ashoka chef uses powdered turmeric as you would expect.

I freeze the paste once cooled in table spoon sized portions as per The Ashoka recipes. This recipe and the Bunjara gave me the missing ingrdiants after 30 years if searching. It provide the smell, the moorishness, the "sweetness" the lot. Curry without the paste and bunjarra is second best if one is after genuine Glasgow area BIR duPlication 

[Peripatetic Phil]

OK, thanks everyone : got to dash, table tennis this afternoon, more questions (esp. about colour change, if any, during frying) on my return (circa 17:00).

** P.

[PaulP]

Hi Phil,

You may struggle to blend stuff like this in a full size upright jug blender, without adding loads of extra liquid.

I find a kenwood mini-chopper works well for blending smaller amounts like this.
They cost about 20 quid. Or even less see:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=kenwood+mini-chopper&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=6164066821&ref=pd_sl_8yfkfer042_e

Cheers,

Paul

[976bar]

You may struggle to blend stuff like this in a full size upright jug blender, without adding loads of extra liquid.

I find a kenwood mini-chopper works well for blending smaller amounts like this.
They cost about 20 quid. Or even less see:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=kenwood+mini-chopper&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=6164066821&ref=pd_sl_8yfkfer042_e

Cheers,

Paul
[/quote]

Right on Paul!!

[Ramirez]

Hi Phil,

You may struggle to blend stuff like this in a full size upright jug blender, without adding loads of extra liquid.

I find a kenwood mini-chopper works well for blending smaller amounts like this.
They cost about 20 quid. Or even less see:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=kenwood+mini-chopper&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=6164066821&ref=pd_sl_8yfkfer042_e

Cheers,

Paul

This is what I use as well. Works a treat!

[JerryM]

Phil,

couple of tips which may help

use cheese grater for the ginger - just wash it and go ie no peel.

i've replaced the fry with 5 min microwave bake. i blend it all in a tall jug with stick blender.

the way i look at the process is that it's a "pre cook". for me this up front part cooking seems to make the final cook at dish frying less hit and miss.

[976bar]

I freeze the paste once cooled in table spoon sized portions as per The Ashoka recipes. This recipe and the Bunjara gave me the missing ingrdiants after 30 years if searching. It provide the smell, the moorishness, the "sweetness" the lot. Curry without the paste and bunjarra is second best if one is after genuine Glasgow area BIR duPlication
[/quote]

Hi Panpot,

When you freeze this, does it not add ice to the mixture? What happens when you start to cook it? Is there not a watery content from the ice? Does it in you're opinion water the taste down any?

I'm just intrigued............

[Razor]

I'm gonna let you in on a secret, but don't tell panpot, he'll go mad if he found out :

I actually used jarred garlic and ginger once, and followed the rest of the method to spec.  I couldn't tell any difference, than when I did the full method to spec.


Shhhhhhhh, don't tell him

Ray ;D

[Peripatetic Phil]

My sincere thanks to all for their helpful suggestions.  There are just two related points to the bottom of which I would really like to get :

Firstly, in response to 976bar :

What are we talking here? 10 - 15 seconds? Remember, we should always heat the pan first, then add the oil, this way the oil takes about 5-10 seconds to heat up to a temperature where we then start to add the ingredients.

The problem is, there is no extra oil that can be brought up to temperature; all the oil that is used is present in the blended mixture, so while I can see that bringing the pan up to temperature first will help (I forgot to do that), I can't unfortunately also bring the oil up to temperature because there is none !

And in response to Panpot :

Once fully blended add the turmeric powder and blitz again. finally heat a pan with the paste stiring as it heats until it just begins to fry and the ingredients release their aroma.

I confess I did not blitz the turmeric, simply to avoid the difficulties of decontaminating the blender later !  But I really want to press you on the "until it just begins to fry" bit : are we talking sizzling sounds here, with a noticeably darkening of the turmeric and garlic, is this a high-temperature fry or a low temperature, and approximately (for the given quantities) for how long would you expect the mixture to remain in the frying pan ?

And finally (!), a question about the "25 mins at 150C in the oven" phase.  Spread out on a baking tray, or in a covered casserole dish ?

** Phil.