Topic: Success, Failure & Silver Linings

[Malc.]

Completely lost as to what to have for dinner the other night. Myself and my good lady wife, thumbed through some of the curry books we have. The intention was to try a spicy potato dish we had seen previously but in the end opted not to make it as it turned out. :

Anyway, we chose to make a Pork Tikka from Kris Dhillons 2nd book and a green been recipe that I posted up yesterday found here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5549.0

The Pork Tikka was a failure and I hasten to add that this was my fault not Kris Dhillons recipe. I went to the freezer to get some base only to find I had used it all up! So I had to improvise. The result was a far cry from the image shown in the KD2 book but the silver lining was the fact it was actually very tasty despite my improvisation. Phew!

The success though, was the green bean recipe and its certainly one that we will have again.

[solarsplace]

Mmmm, looks very nice - glad your improvisation worked out

Had to do a double take though! - looked like you were having grated carrot with it 

Regards

[Malc.]

Had to do a double take though! - looked like you were having grated carrot with it 

Don't tell anyone but that was a cheat, I bought it from ASDA. Its not bad though, microwaves in 2mins and tastes pretty good. Great when your in a rush.

In all honesty I was in two minds about posting the pic, as the pork recipe doesn't look very appealing (well to me anyway). I'm grateful that it tasted alot better than it looked.

I did want to show what the beans looked like though. Definitely worth trying if your looking for an alternative healthy option side.

[rhodriharris]

Never thought of green beans in this way will give the recipie a go as look good but try as i may i'm not impressed with the pork tikka, sorry to have to be honest . I use the curry secret  as well as recipies on this site and haven't come across this recipie so guess its in the the new curry secret which i don't own yet, can you post it here for me to try please. Am also intrested to know how you improvised on the base gravy, did you fry and caremalise onions then blend or some other way.  I love the colour of the rice, i'm gona look for it at my asda too. Thanks.                                   

[Malc.]

Never thought of green beans in this way                     

Neither had I which is why I was keen to try it.

I understand your comments about the tikka, it certainly doesn't look edible does it. The recipe does come from the KD2 book and the published picture certainly looks alot different. Since the original recipe calls for onion and garlic & ginger in the marinade, I opted not to try and mess about with onion in my 'quick fix'. I simply made veg stock and added tomato pur

[rhodriharris]

  I do agree that the new curry secret/kris dillons second book is misleading a bit. I started with the curry secret and never achived the results i expected from a BIR but after putting it away and focusing on the recipies on here before opening it's pages again i find that most of the recipies are spot on now. I hated her onion gravy and felt that the problem was not enough oil, a carrot and half a green pepper.  I now use mick/taz's onion gravy with her spicing and cooking procedures. I think she has a BIR replica in the chicken korma in her first book, the curry secret along with mick/tazs base gravy and from her blog spot which you got the pork tikka and listed in your reply i have made the chicken tikka massala and thought it to be the best BIR recipie i have tasted.  I did add a few more tablespoons of cream than her recomended six tablespoons in the recipie but have definatly had this at a few indians before and almost identical taste and consistency, the best non food dyed curry i have ever had, even had it at a bengal resturant exactly like this.
  At first i hated Kris Dhillon but now i love her, don't use all her recipies as some on here are much better but please have a go at the chicken tikka massala from her blog spot where you got your pork tikka from and let me know what you think of that one, mine came out pretty much the same as her picture and same colour. Prefered to fry my chicken tikka not use the oven method, much better. Thanks.

[commis]

Hi
Where in KD1 will you find the word British? Apart from the printing works!
Regards

[Malc.]

I will definitely try the CTM recipe you mention, as well as the original Pork Tikka Masala Kris has on her blog, it looks far to tasty not to.

What disappointed me was the fact that Kris has taken a traditional recipe that she loves and tried to turn it into 'convenience' food. I guess there's nothing wrong her doing that and publishing it. But I would rather cook the original recipe in all its glory, rather than a version made to be convenient.

I can't be too critical though, afterall, I didn't follow her recipe to spec. If I had and it turned out as expected, I would never have Googled the images and found her original recipe. Then again, for me, that adds to the 'silver lining' part of this thread.

Strange ol' world, init!

 

[Peripatetic Phil]

Where in KD1 will you find the word British? Apart from the printing works!

I had never realised that, but a full-text search confirms that you are absolutely correct : she does not use the word "British" at all, nor "Britain", nor "England", nor "English".  Something I had never ever realised.

** Phil.

[rhodriharris]

  You are right cause she dosen't mention the word British once although she dose say Indian resturants worldwide and seems to be the theme of the book.  Some of her recipies are exactly the same as i've had at indian resturants abroad and in Britain, mainly the ones i prefered.  Some of her recipies are not though.  Was i taking for granted that this book was 'British' Indian resturant food? dose seem similar procedure to my locals, i also like its simplicity but feel like it can lack that depth of flavour sometimes with the spicing.
  I also was intrigued by how the base was improvised in the above photo and the fact that it was from a book that i used as well, have tried the green bean recipie and much prefered it to plain boiled green beans like we usually have.  I do use a lot of spicings and recipies from this site as well though.
  I did notice that the chicken tikka massala of her blog was a little different to her book but not by that much.  Her first book uses ghee and veg oil but her blog seems to refer to olive oil and more healthier living.