Topic: That Missing Something?

[Cory Ander]

which others can add and comment on for u to sumarise

Hmmmmm, I'm not too sure about that Jerry! 

[JerryM]

CA,

i too share u're trepidations. what we need to do is to draw out all members views or at the very least gain their thoughts on what is put forward as best approach (closest to BIR).

this for me and i'm sure for most is checking for gaps and making sure i/we have not unwittingly fallen into any bad practices or missed a trick.

on the method for identifying and detailing the "processes" i'm thinking starting at the end ie cooked curry and working back applying, "what, when, why and how".

i'm realising it's not going to be easy. cooked curry gives me:
1) sauce
2) texture
3) spice
4) meat

some ingredients fit easily into a category but i'm struggling on where to put tom puree as an example - is it to do with sauce or spice. same for g/g paste. i think i'd put them both in the sauce category but i'm not sure.

but i guess this is what it's all about - improving our understanding of the why. my thinking being i feel we know the what and the when and knowing more of the why should define the how.

[Cory Ander]

Perhaps you should be rather thinking more in terms of (BIR):

1)  Taste?
2)  Smell?
3)  Appearance (colour and texture)?

Tomato (fresh, paste, puree, powder, pasatta, or whatever), in my opinion, gives colour and taste.

Garlic/ginger, in my opinion, gives taste and smell.

[JerryM]

CA,

i'll have a bit of a go at the method and see if it's likely to help ie define the processes.

the choice of word should not matter but picking the closest should get to a result faster.

i'm not sure a the mo which type of word is the best to go for. the word needs to easily fit with answering the what & why.

[Malc.]

Appearance is one I have always considered to be very importance. Looking very closely at the finished dish can identify alot about it. What components are in it and how they might have been treated.

I refer to the IG Tomato Puree as an example. They fry Garlic in plenty of oil until golden then stir through Tomato Paste, adding water at the final stage to bulk it out. This process alone creates an essential part of the finished dish.

[Secret Santa]

I refer to the IG Tomato Puree as an example. They fry Garlic in plenty of oil until golden then stir through Tomato Paste, adding water at the final stage to bulk it out. This process alone creates an essential part of the finished dish.

It is interesting axe as to why they 'doctor' the tomato paste like this. It's quite clear that many BIRs are doing this but I have to wonder why? After all, in this case for example, the garlic could go in at any stage of the final curry cooking but they choose to 'force' it into every dish that uses the tomato paste (nearly all?).

It just seems a bit unnecessary to me.

[Malc.]

Perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye. The flavour imparted to the tomato may not be as coarse as you think or adds that certain something to the depth of flavour. Freshly cooked garlic will taste different to roasted garlic for instance. The same thing is probably going on here.

Just as the Ginger & Garlic paste is different to the raw ingredient. Now when I say this, I refer to the uncooked blended Ginger & Garlic paste. I am unsure whether the BIR does this for time saving or whether it is due to the chemical transition that takes place. One would like to think the latter is more agreeable but in all likely hood, it is just a lucky break on the first school of thought. However, to get the best out of garlic prior to cooking it, it should be bruised or gently crushed and allowed to sit for 20 mins. so by turning it into a paste, they change the make up of the ingredients. this becoming another process that is not necessarily the breakthrough 'missing something' but is an essential process to the finished dish.

[JerryM]

i've tried the technique out but it's not working.

we need to pick out the individual process as Axe has started to do and discuss them in detail.

the fried garlic in the tom puree does suprise me too - the fried garlic slither is a key taste for me in quite a few dishes but like Secret Santa it amazes me why force it to all. perhap my want on the process front may explain more behind the apparent madness.

my want is on why follow: oil, g/g, onion, puree/spice.

for me it should be oil, onion, gg/puree/spice ie 3 steps not 4.

ps i use the ashoka pre cooked g/g but this has no bearing but i do rate the pre cooking as a process.

[Domi]

Perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye. The flavour imparted to the tomato may not be as coarse as you think or adds that certain something to the depth of flavour. Freshly cooked garlic will taste different to roasted garlic for instance. The same thing is probably going on here.

Just as the Ginger & Garlic paste is different to the raw ingredient. Now when I say this, I refer to the uncooked blended Ginger & Garlic paste. I am unsure whether the BIR does this for time saving or whether it is due to the chemical transition that takes place. One would like to think the latter is more agreeable but in all likely hood, it is just a lucky break on the first school of thought. However, to get the best out of garlic prior to cooking it, it should be bruised or gently crushed and allowed to sit for 20 mins. so by turning it into a paste, they change the make up of the ingredients. this becoming another process that is not necessarily the breakthrough 'missing something' but is an essential process to the finished dish.

Knowing the ratios of the garlic to oil to tomato paste to water would help clear at least some part of it up - any help on that, Axe?

[Malc.]

Domi, this will hopefully be something I can answer when I next visit the IG to see the base gravy being made. But it would be best guess for now i'm afraid.