Resturant tyranny

[Muttley]

(Edit: I've just noticed some very similar sentiments to those expressed below as I read some more of the current posts here. Sorry for the duplication.)

Whilst perusing uk.food+drink.indian, I came across a pointer to this site.

It look good, but I notice that two of the forums mention "resturant" recipes and sauces. I wonder how many of the members here feel as I do (now) that the perpetual search for an "authentic" resturant curry is becoming a bit of a tyranny that is preventing people from appreciating what they are cooking as good? or even excellent Indian food in its own right.

I posted this in uk.food+drink.indian. I'd be interested in the views of any others who feel that they have freed themselves from the apparantly futile quest to exactly emulate Indian resturant dishes.

Posted------
Last night I went to an Indian resturant for the first time in a while. I've
been cooking cooking my own Indian food for quite a while now, so haven't been
eating it out as much.

I was really looking forward to having some of the "real thing".

We went to a very good resturant - nothing flashy, just reliably good food. The
quality of what we ordered was well up to standard, but, as I began to eat it, I
found myself rather disappointed. I suddenly realised that I actually prefer the
Indian food I prepare myself!

For quite a long time, I tried all sorts of things to make my curries
"authentic" - a ridiculous notion since the food you get in Indian resturants in
this country bears little resemblance to the food you get in India, but, like
most people here, I got my first (well, first few hundred) tastes of Indian food
in English Indian resturants, and I always wanted to be able to recreate those
dishes.

It was a while back now that I realised that I'd *never* recreate a typical
Indian resturaunt dish, because I'd *never* use the amount of gee/oil that they
use in theirs. Nevertheless, it was these I was still judging my results
against.

Now I've had this epihany, I feel a real freedom to push the envelope further,
and experiment with the multitude of flavours and recipes from the sub
continent, rather than trying to emulate the rather limited range of dishes that
one sees in the typical British "Indian", delicious though these may be.

Of course, I'll never stop going to Indian resturants, but it will no longer be
to sample food that I am trying to emulate.

[Curry King]

I'd be interested in the views of any others who feel that they have freed themselves from the apparently futile quest to exactly emulate Indian restaurant dishes.

Your entitled to your opinion but a lot of people are into recreating restaurant dishes at home, me included.? This forum sprung up from in2curry chat and the majority of chat on there was restaurant based so thats why this forum is geared towards restaurant based recipes etc...?

Cheers
cK

[Mark J]

CK has hit the nail on the head, this site was created with duplicating UK Indian restaurant curries in mind although I doubt anyone would violently object if 'authentic' curry recipes are posted or discussed.

I think everyone would agree that the last thing we would want this forum to turn into is bitching between the authentic and Indian restaurant camps.

[Mark J]

And obviously it isn't a futile quest as we are there or there abouts 

I believe that we now have the recipes (thanks to Pete and others) that an Indian restaurant chef would use 100%, the only thing we lack is technique and a couple of other issues that are fundamentally unachievable at home (mainly  ) like we dint have a tandoor and cant keep recooking a base sauce 5 hours a day for 4 days before we use it (Apart from Pete that is  ).

Also there is a separate issue not related to taste or technique which is: can a meal ever taste the same if it is not cooked by someone else and in the same surroundings, this is largely psychological but obviously plays a part.

[Muttley]

Your entitled to your opinion

Thank you. That's very generous.

I wasn't suggesting that there was anything wrong with trying to produce a resturant curry, I was just sharing the realisation I've come to that concentrating to too great an extent on that aspect of Indian cooking might be stopping people from getting as much ejoyment as they otherwise might from their attempts.

I rather wish someone had told me some years ago to stop trying to emulate a resturant curry, and be satisfied with something more akin to Indian home cooking.

Having said all that, I'm going to have one last try at creating the delicious brown sludge that we all so much admire in Indian resturant food.

[Muttley]

I think everyone would agree that the last thing we would want this forum to turn into is bitching between the authentic and Indian restaurant camps.

I promise you that I do not want to do that.

I was just trying to spread the word that there are many dishes that you can cook that don't leave you with the feeling: "Well, it's almost what I wanted, but it's not quite like the Shapla (or whatever)".

[Curry King]

Your entitled to your opinion

Thank you. That's very generous.

I know im good like that?

[tempest63]

I have just read "The Star Of India" by Jo someone or other which charts the history of Indian food here in the UK.
She states that the curry as we know it has evolved over the years and folk are now looking for something authentic, hence the rise in some of the better restaurants such as "The Bombay Brasserie", "The Cinnamon Club" and various others.
She also says that a number of people still hanker for the Indian restaurant taste for sentimental or other rerasons.
Personally I love the authentic food and the great difference in the various dishes which are not all conjured from the same base sauce, but I still hit the high street restaurants and take-aways at least once a week and could not do without my cheap curry fix.

The author of the book feels that the Indian restaurant scene as we know it today will probably not be sustained as demand for the high street restaurant curry falls off, and the authentic restaurants will shut their doors before the pubs empty, a lot of places will probably shut down.

However she makes the valid point that a large portion of the curry eating public will not be prepared to pay upwards of ?50 per head for a curry, or some may not know of the difference, these people will still use the high street curry house and may sustain one or two per highstreet, but the days of four or five curry houses on a modest high street will possibly be coming to an end.

[Muttley]

The author of the book feels that the Indian restaurant scene as we know it today will probably not be sustained as demand for the high street restaurant curry falls off.

Does she explain why she thinks the demand will fall off. The town where I live has had two IR's open in the last year, but neither have been the more authentic, expensive type? They all seem to do very good business.

And although there may be a few higher grade resturants (generaly) opening, there always seem to be 4 or 5 pizza/burger/chicken places for each qualty place.

[tempest63]

She says that more and more people are looking for authentic food in pleasant surroundings and the number of people looking for curry house style food is waning. She also points out that the fresh chilled and frozen curries are improving dramatically and more and more people are happy to eat these at home, whereas once you would have had to go to a restaurant or take-away.

By the way, does anyone remember the old Vesta boil in a bag curries?
They seem a million years away now.