Topic: That Missing Something?

[Domi]

What I don't understand though, is why I have only just noticed this smell. I don't ever recall having smelt it in the restaurant during service.

Hi Axe,

I notice in your first post about the smell that you mention smelling it on the chef in the morning or otherwise out of service times...could they be times that the chef has been clearing out/setting up the tandoor that has made the smell somehow more noticeable? I'm not saying that's the case but I'd guess that the other cooking/preparation processes throughout the day/night may drown out/ dissipate the smoke-like aroma?

[Malc.]

It could well be and its definitely something I aim to find out. Perhaps they use the Tandoor to precook certain meats. The Tandoor for certain, was not fired up when I visited for the Bhaji demo and by the time the other cooking processes had started, the pilau rice process especially, the aroma's had all but engulfed the smoky aroma.

I have also taken a mental note of when certain processes are being done as well. They only have a small kitchen and with 3 or 4 people in their, you have to be polite.   So perhaps different processes are done on different days for this reason. For instance, they make base (garabi as they call it) Monday and Saturday, the Onion Bhaji demo I had was on Thursday and the Pilau rice was being prepared too. Which produced some very interesting aroma's along its way.

[Dirk]

Ok. I know I'm a newbie here but I've been a keen recipe follower for a while. I use UB's base and CA's recipes. Tonight I carried out the utimate test, I made a chicken madras and ordered a chicken madras. My missus was in on the test too. Tne dishes looked almost identical but the most notable taste differences were a definite tea / leafy taste which my other half describes as fenugreek after getting her to sniff a variety of ingredients. The other taste which I found stood out was a definite taste of black pepper and a bitter tase of something else. Can anyone explain further?

[MethiGoshtFreak]

Two points...

1. Experience.

Let's not forget that most of us only make a handful a month and are still relative novices at the game. My local takeaway,for example,has just promoted a young guy(who's been around the kitchen 3 odd years) to apprentice chef status.The basic training alone will take him a year under the eye of a Masterchef who's been doing it 40 years or more.To watch this old guy cook in front of you one might think it looks easy-he knocks out superb curries in less than 10 minutes-whilst cooking pakoras,making naans,serving chips and cheese and dealing with pissed and obnoxious punters. His lifetime experience makes it look so easy.Fact is it aint!.Years of know how are invloved.

2. The Psychology.


When you've worked away for hours in the kitchen your're already familiar and possibly immune to the spices/smells. But when it's just handed to you by a delivery guy as you're sat home with a few beers and DVD then the sheer walk-in factor from your local take away probably makes a bigger impact on your senses than you might think had you been around your kitchen own cooking alll day...

[Razor]

Excuse me,

dealing with pissed and obnoxious punters.

I resemble that remark ;D

Ray

[Malc.]

cooking pakoras,making naans,serving chips and cheese

Remind me not to visit that restaurant, sounds very traditional, LOL.

[Razor]

mmmmmm,  Chps 'n' cheese ......larve it ;D

[JerryM]

Axe,

i get the same smell that u get in the street or as u enter an open kitchen TA. if this is the smell u refer then for me it's from frying the curries. mine lingers for about 3 days.

Dirk,

the bitter taste in madras could well be tamarind (see Secret Santa's chill sauce).

[Malc.]

Jerry,

The smell is definitely more of a woody smoky aroma, I suppose if you add into the mix, frying onion and spices it has sweetened it up. Its certainly not an offensive smell but it is very noticeable.

[Domi]

cooking pakoras,making naans,serving chips and cheese

Remind me not to visit that restaurant, sounds very traditional, LOL.

eeh! you've not lived till you've had cheesy chilli chips, Axe! They're not very BIR though...