Topic: Taste the same

[loveitspicy]

I'm going through a stage at the moment when all the curries are tasting the same! don't know if its the amount of mixed spice or whatever but they all seem to taste exactly the same but with a change of some ingredients apart from Korma

Anyone else gone through this stage

best, Rich

[karl.s.berg]

 I know this is an old topic, but I would like to react on this, hoping this might start some discussion. Actually, I have the exact same thing. Very often, my dishes taste very alike, apart from Korma and Vindaloo. I have used different bases all with the same effect.

On the other hand, my local curry restaurant does a great job in making different dishes that taste significantly different.

So what could be the problem? Are we spicing the base too much? Not enough spices in the mix? Or too much a dish?

[livo]

There are 3 distinct possibilities, and probably others contributing factors.
Number 1 is the base is too heavily flavoured as you have mentioned, and so this flavour carries over into every dish.  If you are using one of the many bases here though that would be unlikely, but you could try watering your base down as is often recommended as the final step.  A step which many choose to ignore by the way to save freezer space.

Number 2 is that there is insufficient variation in the spicing and additional ingredients in the finished dish.
There was a thread here not too long ago, in which someone gave a very simplified method of cooking where all dishes were prepared exactly the same and only very slight variation of chili levels and other spicing was used to create all the differently titled dishes. I can't see that approach myself but who knows? I never tried it.  I may be wrong but it could have been Korma Chameleon, about a year or so ago.

Number 3 is the strength of flavours in the pre-cooked meats if you use them.  I've been doing Kushi pre-cooks and they do have a very strong influence on the finished dish, particularly if you transfer some of the pre-cooking liquid over as well.

When I am cooking a banquet style meal (usually) I always try to make dishes that are deliberately quite different to avoid this, so for example I'll do a lamb Rogan Josh for spicy / hot, either a lamb or chicken Madras for tangy, a creamy Mango Chicken for sweet, a nutty Korma, a tomato based Vegetable curry like a Navratan with Paneer, a pulse dish like Rajma Masala and / or a Dal. I've recently been adding the traditional Staff Curry and found it adds a good variety and is delicious, as does a lamb mince Keema.  I rarely cook Vindaloo but I have some diced pork in the freezer so it will be on the list soon.  The CTM added lately was very good and different.

You really have to force the variety into the BIR cooking method.

When I have a curry cooking day I usually spend all day at it and do 6 to 8 dishes and try to vary them as much as possible. 

[karl.s.berg]

Thanks livo, some interesting remarks there. I think my problem is/was no2. I use one of the bases of the forum and I do not overly spice the meat when precooking. Recently, I have been trying more varied dishes spicewise and the differences are more apparent.

Lamb mince Keema...mmmm...sounds nice...will look that up!!

NB: sorry for late reaction - notifications were off.

[livo]

Look up Keema Matar which is mince with peas.  There are plenty of different versions out there and it is a relatively easy dish.  Delicious when eaten with other dishes and the leftover is great on toast for a nice different breakfast with some fresh tomato.

[Bhajeegirl]

Not sure if I'm allowed to change main subject of the thread but couldn't help myself when I read that Livo makes a creamy mango curry.
Any chance of the recipe from Mr Livo himself or from anyone who has a recipe for creamy mango curry??

[chewytikka]

Hi Bhajeegirl

Mango Chicken is a simple mild delicate BIR curry.
But its not cooked in a delicate way, (Another High Heat Curry)

Hot pan
Add 3Tbs Veg Oil -1min
Touch of G&G -10secs.

Quickly add and combine
1Tbs Almond Powder, 1Tsp White Sugar.
2Tbs Tomato Puree dilute,1heaped Tsp Mix Powder.
Tarka this 30sec then in with 250ml Base Gravy.
Mix, stir and bring to the boil (High Heat) -1min.

Add 75ml Kesar Mango Pulp, mix, stir and keep on the boil 2 minutes.
Add the precooked Chicken pieces, Keep on high heat 2 minutes
Add 100ml single cream and combine well.

Turn down to medium heat and just let it sit and reduce a little -2-3 minutes.
Give it the odd stir, the sauce will thicken and become silky/creamy and ready to serve.

Should look like this - cheers Chewy

[livo]

That's the one.  This recipe is the closest I've ever been able to get to the dish served in Indian food takeaways and restaurants all over Australia (and elsewhere). This recipe and technique ended nearly 2 decades of frustration for me.

I have been using Alphonso mango pulp, which is very orange in colour and has quite a strong and very sweet flavour.  My kids love this dish.  I haven't tried yet but I intend to do a batch of this using tikka chicken breast. Recently I've been using the Kushi pre-cooked chicken.

Here is a link to my very first post on this forum asking for the recipe.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,12501.0.html