Topic: Razor's Mixed Spice Blend

[Razor]

Hi Guy's,

Been working on this a while now, tweaking it here and there to use with my base http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0

I've made my last 7 curries using this blend now, and I'm really happy with the results.  It's versatile enough to use with the milder dishes too.  Here goes;

Razor's Mixed Spice Blend

Please note, all measurements are in level teaspoons, 5ml.  All spices used are of the Rajah brand, but you could use any decent brand such as East End, TRS, Nacto and so on......

3 tsp Tumeric
3 tsp Ground Coriander
3 tsp Mild Madras Curry Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Methi Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
0.5 tsp Ginger Powder
0.5 tsp Garam Masala

Measure each quantity into an air tight container, give it a really good shake and store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.

You could use my spice mix in place of your usual but I couldn't vouch for the final taste as I can with my base, using CA's methods.

Ray

[joshallen2k]

Hi Razor, appreciate the effort and enjoy testing different spice mixes.

The only thing there that stands out to me is the tsp of salt. I personally like to measure salt separately, since it has a huge effect on the finished dish. I've settled on about 1/3 tsp of salt per restaurant-sized curry. A quarter tsp isn't enough, and I find half a teaspoon too much. (Note I also use MSG, which is a sodium of some sort, so I'm not sure how much that adds).

The rest of it looks OK to me.

I also wonder about (to a lesser degree than the salt) the methi powder, ginger powder, and garam masala. When I break down the ingredients of commercial curry powders, its often methi, asafoetida, cloves, bay leaf, etc. So I wonder if you add a lot of that separately (methi and garam), as well as a large proportion of curry powder (its tied for your #1 ingredient in the mix) I wonder if your mix is a little curry powder-ish.

Note that I have not tried it, but that would be my initial observation. No knock intended, I appreciate the experimentation and glad you enjoy the results.

-- Josh

[Razor]

Hi Josh,

Thanks for the review

With regards to the salt, methi and GM, yeah I totally understand where you're coming from but, I designed the mix to compliment my base, which also has varying amounts of these ingredients.

What I was/am trying to achieve in my curries, is to get a real savoury note to them. Of course, all of the spices will help me achieve that to some degree, but methi, ginger powder, salt and GM seem to to take it to the next level (for me anyhow) and the ginger and GM give the blend a background warmth, unlike chili powder which can be a bit unpredictable.  Note, that I do not add chili powder to the blend!  Like you with salt, I prefer to add it at the dish stage.

I would like to try this blend with another base to see what effect it would have on the final taste.  I usually make 2 different bases, mine and CA's.  I have never tried it with CA's, always stuck to his curry masala but next time I knock up a batch, I will give it a go.

Another point to note, my base does release a bit of oil when frying (intentional :) so when I start off my dish I only add 1 tbs of oil to the pan and a chef's spoon of my base. I let this sizzle for a minute, to release a little bit of oil, then I add my g/g paste, then 2 tsp of my spice blend off the heat.  Then I proceed with the standard  methods.

Appreciate your thought Josh, and thanks for taking the time to give it a read

Ray

[Malc.]

Ray, with the extra salt that you've added, which does seem quite a bit, do you still add salt when cooking the finished dishes?

I understand that you have balanced this recipe against your base, but I wonder if perhaps it is the base that needs adjusting as you seem to have quite alot of additional elements in the spice mix as well as the salt, Garlic and Ginger Powder for example.

Incidentally, I have until now been using Schwartz Mild Curry Powder, but picked up a bag of East End Mild Madras from Tesco recently. I was quite taken back as to how different the two are. The East End is alot sweeter overall with I think Fenugreek seemingly being the the more dominant smell in the Schwartz.

[Razor]

Hi Axe,

The salt only makes up 4.25% of this blend.  As for adding it in the final dish, I taste, taste, taste as I go along ;D The reason being is, sometimes I do prefer my food saltier and sometimes I don't.

The ginger and garlic, is typical in Balti spice mixes, and because I started out making Balti before BIR, It is something that I have missed using other spice mixes/masalas.

As for my base,  I'm really happy with it, and wouldn't want to adjust it to suit the spice mix, I'd prefer to go the other way around.  My base smells really savoury, almost like a curry sauce in its own right, which is what I had in mind when I was designing it.

Curry powders do vary quite alot from brand to brand.  I've tried a few different brands now but I'm stuck on Rajah.  For me, it smells like 'curry' ;D it even taste like 'curry' on a finger dip test.  I have no qualms in using it for these reasons.  I also think the East End brand is very good too, but I still prefer Rajah, just!

There is also Rajah Gold, but I haven't come across it and to be honest, I'm not sure what the extra ingredients in it could be to warrant having 'Gold' in the title?

Ray

[Malc.]

Ray,

I Hope you don't mind me saying but the percentage of salt in your recipe is actually 5.88%  ;D

If your happy with both the base and the spice mix, that is all any of us can ask for. Have created different recipes for the main dishes to suit your base and spice mix. If not, what recipes have you tried using then for? 

I'm interested as i'd like to play around with my own ideas but would like to a get a measure of where I should be.

[Razor]

Hi Axe,

I Hope you don't mind me saying but the percentage of salt in your recipe is actually 5.88%

Correct, must have been having a blonde moment, I did 85/5x100 = 4.25, when I should have done 5x100/85 = 5.882, call it 6% to save argument ;D

Still, 6% doesn't seem to bad to me

I have tried it on madras x4, Jal Frezi x 1 and CTM x 2, using CA's method but replacing with my base and spice, and leaving out the spiced oil.  I've also added the onion paste twice to the madras, that I have mentioned recently, which improved the dish IMO.

I'm going to have a serious crack at all the classics this month and compile a bit of a "portfolio" of dishes.  I hope to post them up with photo's of the end dishes 'ala CA'

I'm comfortable with my Madras, Vindaloo, Jal Frezi, CTM, Korma but I need to work on Pathia, Bhuna, Dopiaza, Rogan Josh.  The one I really want to crack though is the Dhansak.  This was my first ever curry back in the very early 80's and it was absolutely beautiful.  I've tried many a recipe, but never recreated what I had that day.  I think I need to crack the Tarka Dhal recipe first, then get on with the Dhansak.  And I'm thinking, mango in there somewhere?

Ray

[matt3333]

Hi Razor
Interesting looking mix, on the salt front why not just omit it from the mix and then salt the base and or recipe to taste.
M

[Razor]

Hi Matt,

Good question. 

Ok, I just done another Madras tonight for myself, and a medium plain curry for the better half.  I put no extra salt in either dish whatsoever and they were perfect, even if I say so myself ;D

Now as my good friend Axe rightly pointed out, the salt forms about 6% of the spice blend, so the in the overall dish, the percentage would be greatly reduced.  I think adding salt does give the dish a savoury note, but I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to what quantity to put in if I omitted it from my spice blend, and it is for that reason as to why I add it to my blend.

Hope that goes some way to answering your question mate

Ray

[Cory Ander]

The one I really want to crack though is the Dhansak....I think I need to crack the Tarka Dhal recipe first, then get on with the Dhansak

You might want to try using tinned lentils (blended), instead, Ray?  I know of (highly rated) British Indian Restaurants that do this......it wouldn't surprise me to find that many do!