Topic: Top Tips for Creating that BIR Curry "Taste" and "Smell"

[jimmy2x]

just a point on pataks, i have been in the kitchen of a bir many times Before i came on this site. and they used a lot of pataks there. Now if i had the chance i would observe with a lot more knowledge this time what is going on and what they were using it for, they had stacks of big jars of the stuff.

Im still friendly with the owners and they do make a very presentable curry, alas i live a fair distance away now or im positive they would help out in our quest. Im heading sometime over the holidays to their to visit my father so may just pop in to say hello to them.

I wonder how many other bir use pataks, i know these guys are part of a group of 5 bir's so i guess they all use it. will find out what pataks it is the use, if i remember its a blue label.



 

[Cory Ander]

just a point on pataks, i have been in the kitchen of a bir many times Before i came on this site. and they used a lot of pataks there....I wonder how many other bir use pataks

For sure, many do, nowadays, Jimmy.....and this (together with the availability and use of other preprocessed ingredients) is probably one good reason why BIR curries taste different today than yesteryear (because, as I understand it, things like Pataks pastes only became commercially available, and widely used by BIRs, in the 90s).....

Oddly enough, I don't really recall many members reporting that "they added 1 tbsp of Pataks Madras/Tandoori/Tikka Masala/Vindaloo, etc, paste to the curry"?  Though the tubs are there for all to see!

Ironically, BIRs are meanwhile going MSG free, low oil, low fat and artificial flavourings free.....go figure.....

[adriandavidb]

a squirt of Lemon dressing [/quote]

I have used many things to sour hot curries, lemon juice; lime juice; various vinigars, and more recently tinned tomarto juice or some of the 'blitzed' contents of tinned toms, added late in the cooking.  The latter works best for me.  However one of my local BIR's madras (not a fantastic BIR, but perfectly OK), had a flavour that I recognised but for ages I couldn't 'place'   After weeks of wraking my brains I finaly realized it was sweet lemon dressing: that discusting overly sweet sh*t you get on pancakes at fairgrounds and craft fairs and the like.  It tastes vile on these because it's designed both to sweeten AND add a lemon flavour, and for some reason the vendors of these pancakes find it necessary to use loads of sugar AND this sauce, rather than using sugar and lemon juice which would be just great thanks!

Anyway, the point of the above diatribe, apart from slating pancake vendors, was to suggest that this rather sickly stuff does work RATHER well in a madras, providing other forms of sweetner (tom puree for example), are reduced.

My local BIR uses it with good rresults; I was interested to see it's use suggested here, because I've been meaning to try it for ages!

[emin-j]

Excellent informative post CA , I would go along with almost all of your top tips , except 

Spicing

I started my Curry Quest using the SnS base and Madras recipes and immediately had excellent results  However I don't bother looking at the recipe now as I have made so many Madras Curries with the recipe I just go onto autopilot  ;D but recently ( past 5-6 Curries ) the wife and me have both agreed the Curry was tasting too rich and we have struggled to finish them , yesterday I decided to look into the reason why and for starters rechecked the recipe . I immediately realised I had been trebling up the amount of Spices whereas the recipe calls for 0.5 tsp of ground Cumin / Coriander I have been putting in more like 1.5 tsp of each thinking more is better  : All this does is give the Curry a much stronger deep flavour being over rich for our taste , yesterday I stuck rigidly to the recipe and the Curry was peeeerfect.

Top Tip.
I feel you need to ' balance ' the amount of Spice in the main Curry with the amount of Spice  is in your Base Gravy AND follow the recipe  :

Spiced Oil.

Not necessary , our favourite T/A doesn't use it and they turn out the best Indian food I've tasted .

Clean Pan .
Top Tip.

I get better results using a clean frying pan for each portion rather than  start a fresh Curry with the remnants of the previous one in the pan .

[Secret Santa]

pride themselves on having no MSG

I haven't played with MSG for years, other than when it's combined with things like All Purpose Seasoning. The thought suddenly strikes me that this may be the answer to my otherwise perfectly seasoned curries tasting too salty next day when cold.

It might be time for a little experimentation as I think more MSG and far less salt might overcome this problem - and perhaps take me one step closer to the curies of old!

[Secret Santa]

I finaly realized it was sweet lemon dressing...

Do you have a link to an example of this please?

[Secret Santa]

Top Tip.
I feel you need to ' balance ' the amount of Spice in the main Curry with the amount of Spice  is in your Base Gravy AND follow the recipe  :

I couldn't agree more AND it becomes all the more important if you use minimal spicing when making the curry, because the base has a proportionately greater effect.

If, like CA, you advocate the use liberal spicing at the curry making stage, you can get away with a wider variety of bases as there is a 'masking' effect going on.

[Cory Ander]

I would go along with almost all of your top tips , except 

I think members are almost bound to disagree, to some extent, with other members' opinions eminj.  I think this is due to what their personal idea of "the taste" and "the smell" of a "BIR curry" is or, indeed, what even a "BIR curry" is! 

No doubt we are all aiming for different things, depending upon our own personal tastes and BIR curry eating experiences.

[adriandavidb]

Having stated the above I still find that sometimes the results are amazing and sometimes only 'good' - Obviously the subtle variables make it seem like a bit of a 'dark art'.

Why do you think that might be ADB?

Excellent answer there CA we need to get down to the Nitty Gritty 
Perhaps we could start by listing what type of frying pan you use then what base recipe followed by which Curry recipe then which order you cook your Spices and at what temperature ? ........... Perhaps it might show up some interesting similarities.

For myself it's....
1. Aluminium frying pan sourced at Asian Supermarket
2. sNs base minus the Potatoes but some Coconut block added ( experimenting )
3. sNs Madras recipe plus a pinch of dried Fenugreek
4. Start on low - med heat ( gas hob )
5. Add 1/2 tbs of Butter Ghee to pan plus veg oil to just cover base of pan
6. Start with the pinch of Fenugreek leaves ( as per my bir kitchen visit )
7. Add 1tsp minced Garlic ( from jar ) add 1/2 tsp of minced Ginger ( from jar )
fry on medium heat prob 30 - 45 seconds until it starts to change colour , add 1 tbs Tomato Puree from tube ( bought at Tesco's ) stir in , Tomato Puree does not mix in well with the oil ,
after about 30-45 seconds add 1/2 tsp of each of ground Coriander / Cumin /Turmeric / plus 1 -2 tsp of Chili powder , still with heat on medium stir in Spices in quick motion or they will burn !
after approx 30 seconds we have the ' Toffee ' smell , then add first ladle of preheated base and this will sizzle violently , raise heat slightly to keep mixture bubbling , add pre cooked Chicken previously marinated in Garlic / Ginger / Tom Puree / Turmeric / Veg Oil , add 2 more ladles of base gradually increasing heat to keep the mix bubbling , add a good pinch of chopped Coriander stalks , add a good pinch of Garam Masala a squirt of Lemon dressing and about 1 tsp of Salt stir in and taste , add more Salt if necessary ,fry mixture for a couple of Min's more adjust thickness of Curry with pre boiled water if needed , serve and garnish with Coriander leaf.

Hi SS, it was from emin-j's post on page one of this thread

[JerryM]

a further thought on the thinness factor. someone pointed out importantly a while a go it don't mean just adding water. if u look in real BIR base it contains a lot of onion even though it appears at 1st sight very watery.

u need to work back from how much evaporation occurs at frying stage. i aim for the initial volume of bulk veg to be in the region of 50 to 60% of the finished volume of base.