Topic: 20 attempts, now I read I need bhaji oil! Should I give up?

[prawnsalad]

Been seriously trying to recreate a vindaloo for 2 months now. Have tried quite a few recipes from here with very domestic results, but after reading the undercover curry thread

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4776.320

I see I need oil from a fryer that does countless onion bhajis to get a true BIR flavour. Can anyone here honestly say they have achieved a proper BIR without such advantages? My current prep/cooking time for two servings is 3 hours and I enjoy the process but I don't want to invest more time if I am never going to one day serve the real thing.

[Vindaloo-crazy]

You'll get there Prawnsalad; trust me. I usually use bhaji oil but you can get a similar effect by frying your spices carefully after the gg paste and tomato paste goes in. The trick is to cook the spices, infusing the oil, without burning them. It's all technique once you've got a good recipe. Oh and don't think the thing's done after a couple of minutes, they need a good simmer. I usually leave mine sitting, bubbling away for a good ten minutes while I have a pre-curry fag on the deck.

[solarsplace]

Hi

Having tried the Under Cover Curry base and bhaji oil method myself - My personal opinion is that using the old bhaji oil took me no further to BIR mastery, in fact I thought it made the final dishes rather 'sticky' and they had a very un-healthy old chip shop character about them.

I do however recommend experimenting with custom spiced oils and re-claiming oil from the base made with fresh or spiced oil to start not old bhaji oil.

EDIT:

The key thing is never give up! - its a really good idea for you to try as many things as you can yourself, so you can make your own mind up. Listen to advice but don't take is as gospel. What can happen often is that an idea is suggested and followed, but the results were not as good as expected and so the idea is rejected. However that idea may have been the key, and it was the method or implementation that failed. Keep at it and try many things more than once

Regards

Russell

[PaulP]

Hi Prawnsalad,

Can you tell us what recipes you are using i.e. which base sauce and vindaloo recipes from this site?

Also, what do you feel is lacking?

Cheers,

Paul

[JerryM]

What can happen often is that an idea is suggested and followed, but the results were not as good as expected and so the idea is rejected. However that idea may have been the key, and it was the method or implementation that failed.

solarsplace,

found this myself too - u have to keep revisiting things i find as u get more pieces of the jigsaw in place.

[prawnsalad]

I have been mostly using the Kris Dhillon Prawn Curry as a base for vindaloo and varied it with tips from these forums.

I have also recently tried cabbage and carrot as per "Undercover Curry" which I find not to have a huge impact on the overall flavour but it definitely makes it smell more appealing during cooking.

Another site says its essential to blend onion and garlic in water, add a small amount of cinnamon and cumin then boil down to a dry paste to add in at the end. I imagine thats listed here somewhere too but then this site is new to me.

I have been wondering how my local gets it's Vindaloos bright red, mine finish up a nasty light brown. Anyhow thanks for the encouragement I will do more reading here.

[Peripatetic Phil]

"Nasty light brown" doesn't sound right for a vindaloo.  A few basic questions : what colour are your ground chillies ?  Does your sauce include both paprika and tomato ?  Is it possible that you are adding too much garam masala just before serving ?  Looking at KD's prawn curry, if you are following it to the letter and not increasing the amount of chilli powder as she suggests in paragraph 2, then the chilli will be swamped by the coriander and garam masala which could explain the colour.

[Vindaloo-crazy]

Prawnsalad

Try CA's Madras recipe. Do it to the letter substituting 2 tspns chilli powder for the one in the final stages. Make sure you give the tomato paste a good fry to get your oil that deep red colour. Let us know how you get on with it.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3830.0

[Secret Santa]

I have been wondering how my local gets it's Vindaloos bright red

I've never had a red vindaloo, mine have always been some shade of brown. Must be regional variation again.

Anyway if you want bright red I would suggest:

1. lots of tomato and/or tomato paste
2. lots of kashmiri chilli powder
3. (and most likely) lots of red food colouring

A tomatoey vindaloo is, by the way, a complete anathema to me.

[JerryM]

i too don't feel red vindaloo is a vindaloo. if u don't mind the red colour then CA's "vindaloo" takes some beating http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3953.0