Topic: Don't get Conned - Green Chilli Sauce

[JerryM]

the ashoka put me onto using green chilli sauce.

i've struggle to get a workable solution - available when needed with effort comparable to the benefit.

the best i've got so far is to freeze whole and slice them with scissors when needed. only trouble is i'd prefer to not always have the heat of the seeds.

hence i thought perhaps a bottle might help - could freeze in say 1/2 tsp amounts.

was passing Newlands Street, ST4 7AE Stoke could not resist another mosey. anyhow they had 3 types and i obviously bought the wrong one - this bottle has mint in it

it may be usefull for tikka but i'm not holding out much hope. it's certainly no good for mains.

i should have spotted the herb "mint" on the pic but the words said "green chilli sauce" - so well hoodwinked.

[JerryM]

managed to get the real stuff now. it tastes real good straight out the bottle. i'm still a tad sceptical on if the bottle (to freeze in ice cube tray) is the way to go c/w fresh frozen.

does anyone have any thoughts on when best to use during the frying - i've previously tried after g/g paste and at start of adding base. my current norm is to add at the start of base but something i'm wanting to revisit.

[JerryM]

does anyone have any thoughts on when best to use during the frying

is anyone else using green chilli as std. would appreciate their views on when best to use.

HeyThere (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3375.msg30275#msg30275) seems pretty sure it should be early on "fresh green chillis fried in veg oil " ie perhaps with the g/g paste.

i'm just not sure (tendency to burn/over cook) as they seem to work well when added at the start of adding the base (ie admins jalfrezi).

also any thoughts on which main dishes they should be be used in. Haldi has previously confirmed they are not used in all mains.

it seems easy to say they would not be used in CTM, korma etc but it's not that easy to say when they should be used (except dishes that have "chilli" in the dish name).

someone must have trudged this journey and any short cuts to the answer would be appreciated.

[Ramirez]

I usually add chillies when the garlic and ginger puree go in, or at the very least before the first dollop of base goes in. However, I've recently given the Chicken Tikka Garlic Chilli from the Undercover Curry book a whirl and that adds the chillies when all the base is added.

[solarsplace]

Hi Jerry

I'm slightly confused by your question. Are you wondering if there is generally always some form of green chilli added during the dish cooking stage?

CHeers

[JerryM]

Ramirez, solarsplace,

appreciate your help. it's 2 questions i was after.

on the 1st question Ramirez has sort of confirmed - i don't think there is a "best" point (concensus) in the frying process to add the green chilli -

a) with g/g
b) just before 1st spoon of base
c) after base in

the 2nd question being which dishes benefit from the addition of green chilli. i've only consistently used it in jalfrezi (in which it's a must). are there any others as searching through the CRO mains recipes it does not crop up much.

[Ramirez]

To be honest, I'll add it to any dish when I fancy chomping on some chillies - I quite often bung in some fresh green chillies to CA's Madras. And of course, I add them to recipes that demand it, e.g. Jalfrezi and the aforementioned Chicken Tikka Garlic Chilli.

[solarsplace]

Hi Jerry

Blimey, I think question 2 could be a tricky one for anyone to give you a satisfactory answer.

It is hard to say which well known dishes would benefit from some green chilli from those for which it has become, or evolved into an integral if not essential ingredient already.

I can only recall at the moment 2 dishes that have sometimes been served with green chillis and sometimes not, these being a Karahi and Rogan Josh, where personally I think it does benefit from the inclusion.

In fact it is likely any dishes with whole pieces of things like tomatoes, onion or capsicum would likely benefit from the addition. Where as creamy or sweet-ish dishes I think it would likely be detrimental. Surely it would be worse than awful in a butter chicken dish for example?

Not sure if my reply was of any help at all...

EDIT: Having thought about it, and made myself extremely hungry! - I reckon that some thinly sliced green chills would be especially nice with chicken tikka and bombay potatoes

Cheers

[JerryM]

capsicum would likely benefit from the addition. Where as creamy or sweet-ish dishes I think it would likely be detrimental.

i think that's it for me too. as Ramirez says works very well in Chicken Tikka Garlic Chilli. i'll certainly try it out in the Karahi too (which i make often - ashoka karahi bhuna).

rogan josh i'm not sure on but i don't feel i've really got close to the BIR recipe (i don't have a yellow sticky for it).

many thanks to u both - given me a good steer (did not want to waste time trying things that others had already dead ended)

[Razor]

Hi Jerry,

Can't say that I've ever used green chilli sauce, but I do use about 5 thin green chillis, sliced lengthways, in my Jal Frezi.  I add them about 2 mins before the dish is done.  My idea of a good Jal Frezi, is a hot dish, with a strong taste of 'fresh' green chilli.  If you add them earlier, say, before any base goes in, I think that they get cooked for too long.  I like them to still have a bit of crunch and I love the instant chilli hit that you get when you bite down on one. 

As for when to add the garlic and ginger paste, for me, it goes in firt, when the oil is hot.

Ray