Topic: Garlic and Ginger paste.

[Peripatetic Phil]

... or gurka shop ...

Gary, where is this Gurka shop ?!  We used to have a wonderful Ghurka restaurant in Swanley, in an old building with exposed timbers, but one day it was just gone and replaced by a Chinese buffet 

** Phil.

[Razor]

Hi Mick,

Just my take on things....
Mick

A very well informed take as well Mick.

It's always occurred to me that the difference between today's BIR fare and that of the earlier decades, has derived more from practises more than ingredients.  Using old oil, makes perfect sense, as an explanation as to what is missing today.

I'm guessing then, that it would be illegal to do the same thing these days then?

These places that you get access to Mick, have you noticed any of them using pastes, not just GG paste but actual curry pastes, in any of their final dishes?

It seems to me, that whilst pastes are very prevalent in the modern day BIR, I'm unsure as to it's actual use.  Yes I can imagine it's used for their tikka, and tandoori marinade, perhaps in their seekh kebabs too but do they use the stuff in their actual curries?

Ray

[Peripatetic Phil]

Ray, success :-)  I have located the last of the Tandoori Red !  Send me your postal address by PM, and a teaspoon or two will wing its way to you, courtesy of Royal Mail.  Then let's see whether you can finally re-create the authentic colour of a 1970's Madras.

** Phil.

[Curry Barking Mad]

Yes Ray,
From what I have seen the use of pastes in tikka, tandoori, kebab marinades and CTM is widespread, most of us are aware of this.
The only paste I have seen used in a curry is Balti paste. I have seen this in takeaways and restaurants that are not marketed as Balti houses. They would cook a Garlic Chicken Balti, for example, by cooking the Garlic Chicken curry as usual and add a tablespoon of this paste and cook out for a minute or so.
The "Balti house restaurant" I get into would cook a curry as normal except add more mix powder to deepen the flavour. Nothing more than that. To be honest I think its more about the dish it's served in rather than how it was cooked. I think the modern day "balti" house just means it has a large steel tandoor capable of cooking the huge Naan breads that we associate with Balti houses.

Mick

[parker21]

... or gurka shop ...

Gary, where is this Gurka shop ?!  We used to have a wonderful Ghurka restaurant in Swanley, in an old building with exposed timbers, but one day it was just gone and replaced by a Chinese buffet 

** Phil.

hi phil there are 3 in ashford and probably anywhere there are a small population of the ghurkas that have been recently been allowed british citizenship for service to the empire. just like an asian shop very cheap spices etc
will give you the addresses if you are planning to visit ashford for a shopping trip there

gary

[parker21]

hi the ghurka shops ( they are like little supermarkets for them ) also do ginger garlic paste by SHAN (imported by TRS from pakistan) which is also very good. strange though how often do you get GINGER garlic paste but it does not give the quantities though it does say premium quality, other ingredients are vinegar, citric acid and potasium metabisulfite.
regards
gary

[Peripatetic Phil]

hi phil there are 3 in ashford and probably anywhere there are a small population of the ghurkas that have been recently been allowed british citizenship for service to the empire. just like an asian shop very cheap spices etc  will give you the addresses if you are planning to visit ashford for a shopping trip there

Yes please, Gary : my only reason for going to Ashford would be to check out the Ghurka shops, so the addresses would be much appreciated !  Given the weather, I don't expect to cycle there, so what is parking like in Ashford in your experience ?

** Phil.

[commis]

Hi
Phil, tried any of the Gurkha recipes yet?
Regards


Sorry I'd  misspelt your name

[Peripatetic Phil]

Phil, tried any of the Gurkha recipes yet?

Not yet : my previous experiences of Ghurka restaurant  cuisine have been a little mixed.  Just off the Euston Road : excellent; Oxted : awful : Swanley : brilliant; Tunbridge Wells : (Himalaya : too fancy, not good value; Mooli : excellent, both value and flavour)  But I've never tried cooking Ghurka cuisine myself, apart from one attempt at Ghurka-style chicken livers following a visit to the Mooli, but I was not very successful in re-creating the flavour.

** Phil.

[commis]

Hi
Phil, if you'd like I can forward them to you. I need to get them hosted so people can access them.
Regards