What Ingredients are we missing

[Curry Barking Mad]

Mustard oil is the ingredient that gives that missing taste everbodies looking for.

A bold statement that I don't agree with,
it doesn't give the missing taste that I'm looking for,

Mick

[Mikka1]

Thanks Derek. I agree they pour the darned stuff in there on that wide flat spoon don't they. Thing is it doesn't taste salty, Yes you know its there but its not like  4 TBS salt on chips for example. That is offset by spices.

@ Peter.
Yes be careful with this stuff. (Mustard Oil). I ruined some Lamb but ate it owing to adding too much. Yes it has a place but it isn't everything like I was told. 

**** I'm closing in on what I'm looking for as regards taste now. I cooked a NEW base with some different ingredients and based on what we all know. Tastes pretty good really and to be honest if the base sauce doesn't taste good then what is the point of adding it to a meal?

She'll be comin round the mountain when she comes...........................  ;D She'll be comin round the mountain when she comes...........................  ;D

Ain't cookin fun!

[JerryM]

For me Mustard oil is for sure not the missing piece of the jigsaw. i do think it has a place and for sure it's something i've been missing. i'm thinking sort of 1 tsp max in marinades. i put 45ml in the lasan recipe so still waiting on this but it just seem too much for me. i think a touch in base is something i'm also going to try.

DD,

not tried rock salt - i just use cooking salt - i do use use rock salt in none curry cooking - is it really worth trying in curry.

Peter,

where are u suggesting to use "browning onions" (caramelised) - in base or in the dish. i have tried it in base before and i guess bunjarra is the same at dish frying stage.

[Secret Santa]

Mustard oil is the ingredient that gives that missing taste everbodies looking for.

Groan!  :

[Secret Santa]

Tastes pretty good really and to be honest if the base sauce doesn't taste good then what is the point of adding it to a meal?

Except that it doesn't seem to work like that Mikka. There are plenty of people who have reported on the taste of real BIR bases and several have said that the taste is nothing special, and yet they like the final curry made with it!

[Stephen Lindsay]

I used mustard oil way back almost 30 years ago when I bought my first curry book (Harvey Day) and as I recall it had quite a strong flavour. This is not something I associate with BIR. I imagine there's little likelihood that BIRs use mustard oil not least to keep costs down.

[Bobby Bhuna]

Hmmm... I've not read the other posts here but isn't the obvious answer we don't know otherwise they wouldn't be missing?

I don't think I'm missing anything for my goals. My curries now are as good as the best takeaways around here (I've been using CA's recipes recently and they're excellent). I just feel I need to fine tune my technique to get consistency in results and expand my range of dishes.

[peterandjen]

Ok this is what i have done today, i slowly fried 2 onions right down until they were very dark, it took about 40 mins of slow frying.
Then added this.
balti masala paste mix
4 tb Coriander seeds
2 tb White cumin seeds
2 2-inch pieces cassia bark
1 ts Fennel seeds
2 ts Black mustard seeds
4 Cloves
1/2 ts Wild onion seeds
1/2 ts Fenugreek seeds
1 ts Dry fenugreek leaves
10 Dry curry leaves
1 ts Green cardamom seeds
1/2 ts Lovage seeds

And fried with a couple of tsps veg oil and 1 tsp mustard oil for 5 mins.
This paste was set aside and 1 tbsp of paste added to the normal amount of garlic/ginger and fresh onion for my stirfry, along with the usual few ladles of sauce to finish off.
It made, as far as im concerned the best Balti i have ever had.

[Mikka1]

Oh dear me.

So everyone is happy? I mean with what they cook? I'm not but I'm a damned strip nearer after today. In fact I'm willing to throw down a towel to any Indian Restaurant Chef provided that I know what the courses are?

I AM WILLING TO LOSE but.................... In some areas I will win.

Tired of sharing secrets because there isn't one.

Use your nose.

Anyway that bet is on.

[JerryM]

Bobby,

i understand exactly what u say. where i was coming from is what 1 yr on i can watch the malik video from i guess a far more experienced stand point. i feel i can work out pretty much all the ingredients they are using (as u rightly say known from this site).

there are these few that i've not got a clue on (other than perhaps the dreaded pataks). all the hope was that it might just jolt someone into perhaps getting a resonable guess at something.

i'm not sure what i'm searching for - i can't decide if it is common to all or dish specific. i think it's probably common. it could well be spice mix (this is probably my belief) but i needed to discount ingredient 1st.

from what u are saying and from the absence of any new leads i think it must be down to spice mix. having said that i kind of gell along the lines of peterandjens paste - that's the sort of thing i had in mind.

the spice mix hit's me as my local TA chef will not talk about it full stop - yet there are Oodles of mixes on the site.

all the best.