Topic: Don't get Conned - Green Chilli Sauce

[Razor]

Cheers SS,

No, I don't think I've seen it.  I've seen the many conversations with regards to it but never checked it out.  Gonna take a gander at it now.

Ray

[Razor]

Hi SS,

Don't think the webcam runs whilst to the place is shut, unlike the East webcam which shows older footage.  I'll take another look later.

Ray

[JerryM]

as you know it is a part of the basic sauces and pastes used in The Ashoka kitchen for adding heat and flavour to appropriate dishes and prepared in advance as per the post.

Panpot,

i have used the paste in the past but at the time i was making lots of changes to what i was making and green chilli sort of got lost in the cracks.

at the time u had not posted on the "freezing" which i too have adopted which has help me considerably in terms of having all the tools "ingredients" available when needed - i now freeze (rather than trying to store in the fridge) what i don't immediately need for the g/g, bunjarra, Secret Santa chilli sauce along with yogurt, ginger root, raw green chilli's.

in short my question if u could help - does the ashoka use both the green chilli paste and pieces of raw green chilli - this would make sense from what i've experienced ie in some circumstance paste is best in others whole pieces are essential. i suspect that paste would be added early ie with g/g and the whole pieces later with base. obviously the paste is quite versatile and could be added later too - hence my question.

[Panpot]

Jerry, I will dig out my notes and see what they do though I suspect using the paste at the same time as the others followed by the fresh chili with the base makes sense. PP

[JerryM]

Panpot,

many thanks - it was aimed at if u'd clocked the whole chillies being used in mains during your visit to the Ashoka.

my thinking being u would not make paste if there was not a need (i know there's a bit of effort but also the inevitable airborne chilli to contend with during the blending). clearly though to make the past u need the whole chillies to hand and if they used them too then my question is answered.

[JerryM]

three large white oblong containers. Top to bottom they are chilli paste, GG paste, tom paste.

Secret Santa,

could not get the direct link to work but managed to get full screen zoom via the right mouse off the website video. the pic quality is not as good as was.

things do seem to have changed - more like dippies all in technique. also the oil is no longer off the base but from the separate container.

the stream still drives u mad - not quite enough info to make use of. i can't see me watching it for long - used to love it too. that malik chappy is a real killjoy - i'll tell him so if i ever get there.

ps the base does not look as good as it was.

[chinois]

That sauce with the mint in it doesnt seem like a waste at all Jerry. I've noticed a few places use some kind of mint sauce in some mains as well as tandooris and it works well. I've used a tiny bit of english mint sauce in mains with good results. It's now always in my tikkas.

Making your own chilli sauce is really easy too. Buy the chillies from an asian shop and it'll cost about 50p for a couple of handfulls. Why not make a variety and give them as presents too! I've been meaning to put up my photo-recipe but googling a simple one is a good option.
You'll at least know that you're not adding flour/starch to your curries but more importantly it's fun and dead easy.

Why would you want to freeze the sauce though? It's handier in the cupboard/fridge isnt it?
If it really doesnt have much sugar/vinegar/salt in it then you could pour a thin layer of oil on the top to stop it going off.

[JerryM]

chinois,

the waste reference was to what i was after from the bottle - just plain green chilli. i very much agree mint is essential in tikka and it's just recently dawned on me that i don't use enough (there's far more in it than u'd think).

have made the green chilli sauce "ashoka" in the past. i'm still undecided on whether the paste is worth the hassle c/w just adding the green chillies direct. i have a bottle of the pukka green chilli paste in the fridge to use on the next base. i also have the whole green chillies frozen too ready for a side by side comparison.

on the freezing i suppose i've just become too much at home with the principle - the practicalities of having stuff in a plastic bag in the freezer in "ice cube" lumps just seems to work real well for me - currently have yogurt, g/g paste, red chilli paste, bunjarra, garlic paste. i generally try to make fresh for w/ends and use the frozen for mid week.

[JerryM]

tried the Shezan Green Chilli sauce last night for the 1st time. the taste of the sauce straight out of the bottle is very good. slightly more rounded than what i've produced before from fresh green chilli using the ashoka recipe.

i made 3 off plain curry sauce for dipuraja's biryani.

the green chilli sauce was added with the g/g paste in 1 off of the dishes. the other 2 off were cooked as std.

we did not feel the green chilli sauce added anything to this dish (which i know the taste of well from my TA).

i will try it in a few more dishes but gut feeling is really saying that this sauce is solely used for adding extra heat to a dish.

pic LHS and CTR - standard recipe, RHS with green chilli sauce