Could it be that ?

[bryan@232]

    Some ideas to kick around...
       I dont think the average chef / waiter knows what we mean by restaurant smell / flavour. I anyone asks, they think they are talking about spices. Chefs seem to think that the clever part is the sauce - something that makes their food palatable to us Brits. The rest is just curry cookery.
       I believe that the most important part of producing a restaurant curry happens in the last 5 minutes or so, in particular, the frying of the spices. I have a hunch that some of us are producing the desired result, but for some reason it dosen't 'stick' , it just evaporates away, or possibly something we do destroys it. The smell often seems to be in there when the spices are frying. Maybe some action is needed to 'fix' it.

[George]

Bryan

I agree it seems likely that the smell and much of the taste comes from towards the end of the cooking process, rather than from the base sauce. Garam masala is added towards the end of cooking, in authentic Indian cuisine, so the aroma is fresh and hasn't 'boiled off', presumably. If it is that, we just need to figure out exactly what to add; not just packet mix garam masala.

Regards
George

[Yellow Fingers]

it seems likely that the smell and much of the taste comes from towards the end of the cooking process, rather than from the base sauce

George, the smell and taste may come at the end of cooking, but that doesn't mean the 'secret' isn't in the base. It may be just that the final cooking is required to bring out that smell and flavour from the base.

I still think it's in the base because that's the only common factor throughout all the curries.

[traveller]

If it is the base, how can each curry house know the "secret" ingredient?  I still think it in the technique.  My moms' friends make food which smells like an indian restaurant's food but nobody wants to give the details of the masalas!  They just say they use masalas with the onion, ginger and garlic.

Payal

[George]

nobody wants to give the details of the masalas!  They just say they use masalas with the onion, ginger and garlic.

Payal

What exactly do you mean by masalas here, please? Is it a specific mix of powders?


Yellow Fingers
>I still think it's in the base because that's the
>only common factor throughout all the curries

Good point. You may be right. This is so frustrating, not being able to crack this mystery, once and for all, with so many of us working on it.

Regards
George

[traveller]

Thats what I mean George - nobody wants to give away their secret mix of spices - not even my mom's friends!!  I dont know which masalas they are referring to so thats why I ask and they just say "add some masala as you like" - it is so frustrating for me too!

[George]

Payal

I don't mean the specifics but, in general terms, do you know if they are using a powder or a paste or could it be anything that they describe as a masala?

Regards
George

[traveller]

What they mean George is a dry mix of spices....and i know some of them use mixes such as Kitchen King along with other spices they put together to add to the onions, ginger and garlic.

[George]

Great - I've had a pack of Kitchen King for about 2 years. I'll have to renew it and start experimenting!

George

[Curry King]

What is Kitchen King ive never heard of it?

Cheers
cK