Topic: Pressure Cooker Gharabi

[goncalo]

I was highly apprehensive about this base yesterday. I thought I may have added too much yakhni water, as the smell of tej patta/cassia was coming through a lot. I made a tikka jalfrezi and left it cooling overnight. Unlike yesterday, I didn't feel salt needed adjustment today (on the final dish, anyway) and just as I pull the container out of the microwaves, I got a fantastic spicing smell highly reminiscent of the curries from my reference TA in Cambridge (Meghna "exotic bangladeshi food" :) and the kind that I've always found missing in all other bases that I cooked at home. The smell of tej/cassia was not as intense either. I am absolutely stunned, I think the trick may be to play with the amount of akhni and the actual spices. Look forward to try the highly acclaimed madras with this base sauce, as it's already a staple recipe with every other base

Jalfrezi cooked with this base.

[Secret Santa]

...and just as I pull the container out of the microwaves, I got a fantastic spicing smell highly reminiscent of the curries from my reference TA in Cambridge (Meghna "exotic bangladeshi food" :) and the kind that I've always found missing in all other bases that I cooked at home.

I find that too goncalo. Often when I open the microwave up after reheating, or as it wafts towards me during heating, I get a far more BIR like aroma than I ever do from a fresh cooked, or reheated in a pan, curry.

Now I dare say a lot has to do with not having your senses blasted beforehand, as when cooking fresh, but there must be some other magic going on that the microwave makes happen. Food for thought!

[Gav Iscon]

Now I dare say a lot has to do with not having your senses blasted beforehand, as when cooking fresh, but there must be some other magic going on that the microwave makes happen. Food for thought!

I think you've hit the nail on the head in that statement. I can't smell much when I'm cooking but if my wife comes in from outside she says the house smells like an Indian Take-Away.

[rshome123]

Will be making the chewy base next, although I've got at least 9 portions of CA base to use up.  At about 2.45297 curries a week it might be a while ;(

[goncalo]

I agree SS. I also noticed this in the last curry I brought to work a couple of weeks ago. Every time I bring curry for lunch, the lads at work compliment me on the smell and remark it as excellent, today they've asked me when would I make a curry party but I digress.

In any case, I made myself a bhuna today (the picture in my ipad came out rubbish) and although not as good and aromatic as my lunch (for probably the reasons SS mentions above) it was by far my best bhunao'd curry. The base seems to have a je ne sais quoi that I never got with the others and I attribute it to the yakhni stock... I'm quite happy with this base.

[loveitspicy]

goncalo - it looks awesome

best, Rich

[makum101]

I do my base in a pressure cooker too. Very similar to this one. However last time I used frozen onions. Three 750 gram bags from Farm Foods ?1 each or three for ?2. I actually think it came out better!

[gazman1976]

made this to spec - disappointed - defo a regional thing I think, will stick to the Glasgow base in the future

cheers anyways