Topic: Bombay Aloo Group Test

[Malc.]

Perhaps I should order some Bombay Aloo next time round, to see if it is still as hot as I remember from the times I have tried it.

I can certainly understand why restaurants would use the same recipe and thinking about it, making the bombay potato hotter is just as simple as the addition of chilli powder (or extra chilli powder).

[Peripatetic Phil]

(Sorry for silence, been away in Germany) :

I would go along with the "Bombay Aloo is not Sag Aloo minus the Sag" philosophy : I agree with those who believe that Bombay Aloo is generally hotter than Sag Aloo, even allowing for the diluting effect of the Sag.  And I also regard it as a fairly dry dish, which is not to suggest that there is no base sauce but rather than whatever sauce there it contains must be fairly heavily reduced.

To put things in perspective, Sag Aloo, Bombay Aloo, Mushroom Bhaji & Onion Bhaji are more-or-less the only vegetable dishes I eat (other than the Southern Indian specialities such as Masala Dosa, which are not really mainstream).

I can certainly understand why restaurants would use the same recipe and thinking about it, making the bombay potato hotter is just as simple as the addition of chilli powder (or extra chilli powder).

Axe, do you not think that the heat of Bombay Aloo normally comes from fresh green chilli rather than ground chillies ?

** Phil.

[chriswg]

Axe and Phil - Are you both up for doing the tests? There will hopefully be 5 different recipes to test and it shouldn't take too long.

[Malc.]

I must admit, my experiences of Bombay Aloo have also been fairly dry. I don't doubt that some base is used but these days I also consider that alot of restaurants seem to be caught in a 'plenty of base ' culture.

Dip's Bombay Aloo for example, has alot more base than I would expect. Where generally I would have thought base was used sparingly to keep the dish moist, rather than creating what you could consider to be a potato curry.

[Malc.]

Axe and Phil - Are you both up for doing the tests? There will hopefully be 5 different recipes to test and it shouldn't take too long.

Chris, i'll give it a go. This is really an avenue I want to test as the wife and I love Saag Aloo.

Where base is needed, are we going to agree on a particular recipe or use what we have? I realise that this is a question that will reoccur when testing other dishes, particularly mains and will no doubt cause concern about the results.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Axe and Phil - Are you both up for doing the tests? There will hopefully be 5 different recipes to test and it shouldn't take too long.

Yes, given my very poor performance in the Onion Bhaji stakes ("fell at first fence"), I feel I owe it to the forum to try again, so  put me down for this one and I will do my best !

Where base is needed, are we going to agree on a particular recipe or use what we have? I realise that this is a question that will reoccur when testing other dishes, particularly mains and will no doubt cause concern about the results.

I still have a fair amount of the Madras 2011 base (now strained) looking for a good home, otherwise my normal base is KD1.

** Phil.

[chewytikka]

Hi chriswg
BIR/TA Bombay Aloo
It is the simplest and quickest of side dishes
Especially if you pre heat the cooked potatoes in the micro!

Method
Heat a chef's spoon of oil, quickly add tsp g&g paste, tsp mixed powder, touch of chilli powder,
chef's spoon tomato dilute, a handful of small chopped onion and green pepper.
Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for 10sec, add potatoes and toss to coat, 10sec
add 2 chef's spoons of warm base sauce and Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for
a minute or so, until the sauce clings and coats the potatoes (dry) add fresh chopped coriander, mix and serve.
(If you want it to be wet, just add more base sauce.)

This is the basic BIR Bombay Potatoes! anything else added to this makes it something else.
e.g. cumin seeds = Jheera Aloo, which I like.
and my favourite, Aloo Manchurian, which is Indo/Chinese and amazing.

Recipes are here and there, Method, Technique and Timing is everything!

I've always used potatoes, in experimenting with new curry dishes,
as they carry the spice flavours and if the flavours don't work for me, I haven't
wasted a good portion of Lamb or Chicken.

976bar
Did you learn your recipe from Jamie Oliver ?

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/558/bombay-potatoes

chewy

[solarsplace]

Hi chewytikka

Thanks for posting your recipe and advice.

I am hoping to get my recipe for Bombay Potatoes posted and considdered for inclusion on the tests. If its not, thats fine, no bother - but I hope it will be tried!

It is very similar to the recipe that you just posted, however, it has a couple more simple ingredients to it which gives it an extra dimension. This was based on trying to clone one of my fav BIR's version of the dish.`

I really like it when great restaurants try to subtly personalise a standard dish and they are gifted enough to have the dish easily recognisable as a standard one, but leave the customer tantilised with the subtle extras. Just that little extra goes a long way when done right.

I will aim to get the recipe posted this weekend. I am poorly ATM and just cannot face cooking anthing ATM. In fact I have some lovely chilled tikka in the fridge and suspect it will just go in the bin just cant face it

Anyway, I was digressing... I agree with your comments - timing is far more important than most would believe!

Regards

[chriswg]

a handful of small chopped onion and green pepper.
Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for 10sec, add potatoes and toss to coat, 10sec
add 2 chef's spoons of warm base sauce and Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for
a minute or so, until the sauce clings and coats the potatoes (dry) add fresh chopped coriander, mix and serve.

Is this right that the onion and pepper only has 20 seconds of fry time and 1 min in the sauce? Won't that be a bit raw or is the pepper and onion pre-cooked?

[976bar]

Hi Chewytikka,

976bar
Did you learn your recipe from Jamie Oliver ?

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/558/bombay-potatoes

No I didn't, and to be honest I don't remember where I got the recipe from, it was a long time ago, but it certainly wasn't Jamie.

I wonder where he got his recipe from because it is very similar