Topic: Has anybody tried.......time

[peterandjen]

I was wondering if anybody remembers the thing that me and the lads used to say years ago before going for a curry, "im not going till chucking out time because the curry tastes better"
I think its true, if you go to your favourite curry house at opening time and buy your favourite meal, then go back at midnight and buy the identical same meal ill bet you a tenner the second curry tastes a load better.
If you think about it i bet you'll all say the same, the best curries i have ever had have been after a good night out and pouring into the restaurant at chucking out time.
Some people put it down to the ale, but its not, its obvious, the curry pots been on for longer.
Here's another question for you, what time does your local curry house actually close on a friday or saturday night? 11:30- 12:30- 1/2am?...None of mine ever did, mine closed when the last piss head had stumbled out the door (me on a few occasions)

We are trying to recreate a bir flavour in an almost clinical way, some of us have even bought hotter cookers and special chefy spoons lol. We have the recipes, the spices the methods, but were arent doing the one thing our curry houses are, we cook our sauces for an hour and thats it done.

Curry houses leave theres on the go all night from 4 till-chucking out time.
And another thing, when we finish our last batch from the freezer, we just start a new one the next day.
Curry houses are constantly making fresh but using it to top-up the original, thus theres an original sauce all the time getting better in there. Like a vintage wine.

What do you think? its a thought but i am going to use my last pot of frozen sauce from now on to start off my next batch, thus over time i will have myself a Vintage 2010 ruby murry base.
 ;D

[JerryM]

peter,

one up for the west mids. we never had time to go for a curry late on - too busy.

sunday afternoons and early sunday evening we're our favs. did have a real good one at 4.00am in brum once though on way back from blackpool.

ps only 1 team in the mids and not mickey's house either.

[Mikka1]

Time is critical for all components. In short. Yes you are right. 

[chinois]

I agree that a sauce takes a long time to cook. Mine was never fully cooked after the hour or so that was stated in recipes.
I tend to boil my onions for about 45mins then blend with the other ingredients and slowly simmer for about 3 hours. It is then often left on the stove with a lid on to cool overnight (by which point it is not fully cooled) and sits there until the next evening. It tastes good and a lot better than frozen (and fridged i think).

[Mikka1]

Well I am really peeved after cooking a 6 hour base after letting it sit in the fridge for 48 hours (Covered) only to fall asleep and forget it was cooling on the stove. Dang!

I did learn something however. Blending kills the sauce so I'm thinking there is an additive AFTER blending that most folks use? Consider.....
Everything is really happy, lots of chunks and taste then you go hit it with a meat grinder and separate every molecule, thus killing what you had.

It smelled awesome and on the money, truly. Also for the first time I had floating oil due to making a spice oil which I used instead of regular oil thus stopping any of the worry about Botulism because particles in the oil were not allowed to sit in just oil.

Ahh well.
A drawing board is a place to write notes. Next week then I think, with some changes.

Cheers.

[Cory Ander]

only to fall asleep and forget it was cooling on the stove. Dang!

Did you mean to say "cooking" Mikka?  If so, it changes the meaning somewhat! 

[JerryM]

Mikka,

i think chilli head suggested putting base through a colander as opposed to using a blender. it's something i have in mind to try but not a priority. the local BIR TA use a blender for sure in fact a big difference between mine and their's is that they achieve a much better blend (smaller particles).

an additive after blending is something i've not come across - consequently look fwd to your next go.

[Mikka1]

Hi Cory no I meant cooling after cooking.

"only to fall asleep and forget it was cooling on the stove. Dang!"

I was so angry with myself, it smelled pucker BEFORE I blended it. I cooked it for aeons too but it didn't come back to the aroma I had at first. Well the jury is out for me since everything I am told or have seen does not do what it says on the box. How does anyone know that nothing like a spiced pur?e is added sometime during  simmering? I'm not aware that anyone has worked in a restaurant or has sat in a window watching from morning till night right?

The more I go  down this wretched BIR path the more cooking home style appeals to me to be honest.  ;D In fact the more I go away from it the more I get near restaurant food. That tells me one thing. There is something that I am doing with home style that is missing from the BIR method or that if it is not missed then something in the process that we are told is God's honest truth is kicking out some flavour?

I'm not certain what it is to be honest? I'm very interested in the shed cooking department as posted on here now, plus the two seemingly similar chilli pastes.  ;D
(I think that is tikka marinade still).

[chinois]

How does anyone know that nothing like a spiced puree is added sometime during  simmering?

I add most of my ingredients at the simmering point. I pretty much only boil the onions.
The other ingredients i use are g/g puree, evaporated milk, creamed coconut block and spices so they can be added after the blending.
It seems you're not in the habit of cooking your sauce after it's blended. I find this pretty much crucial. It helps combine the flavours. We've seen all the restaurants do it.
As for this one incident? Who knows. Once you've blended it you need to cook it until the oil rises again.
Adding spices towards the end is fine and is what i do when the full taste isnt there. Maybe that's all you needed?

[Mikka1]

Hi Chinois.
Well just to clarify this a little better.
I cooked the veg for 3 whole hours unblended. Then I stored it in the fridge for 48 hours. Then I cooked it for a further 3 hours.

On heating the smell was the best ever until I blended it and simmered it for over two hours further.

Soups/stocks bleed out flavour after a time don't they so you have to re-season them. This why I think there is a topup of some substance throughout the day. I really do wish I had just rough blended it into something more coarse. Yeah, yeah I know, its not Bir.  :

Adding spices at the end is something I haven't done, thank you.  ;D

I add most of my ingredients at the simmering point. I pretty much only boil the onions.
The other ingredients i use are g/g puree, evaporated milk, creamed coconut block and spices so they can be added after the blending.
It seems you're not in the habit of cooking your sauce after it's blended. I find this pretty much crucial. It helps combine the flavours. We've seen all the restaurants do it.
As for this one incident? Who knows. Once you've blended it you need to cook it until the oil rises again.
Adding spices towards the end is fine and is what i do when the full taste isnt there. Maybe that's all you needed?