Topic: Curry made with curry powder !

[Cory Ander]

And what, precisely, do you mean by ["we just have to perfect our technique !"] ?

we need to refine our technique, rather than keep searching for an ingredient or recipe that is "the holy grail of BIR".

** Phil.

What I meant was what, precisely, do you mean by "perfect our technique"?  Which "techniques" do you think we need to perfect? 

Many people seem to allude to "technique" as being the all important factor in creating BIR curries with the taste, texture and smell but, it seems to me that few (if any) are able to describe what they mean by it or describe which "techniques" should be used.

In fact I started a thread on this, yonks ago (thinking it to be important) and, to put it mildly, the response was very disappointing http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1283.0

[Peripatetic Phil]

What I meant was what, precisely, do you mean by "perfect our technique"?  Which "techniques" do you think we need to perfect? 

Temperatures, timings, sequencing, and so on.  Many, including yourself, have referred to the importance of briefly bhooning the spices and then rapidly cooling them (to prevent burning) by adding dilute tomato puree or similar.  Similarly, several (including yourself) have referred to adding the base ladle-by-ladle, from an already warm/hot pot, so as not to overcool the curry once the main cooking is underweigh.

Many people seem to allude to "technique" as being the all important factor in creating BIR curries with the taste, texture and smell but, it seems to me that few (if any) are able to describe what they mean by it or describe which "techniques" should be used.

"Describing which techniques should be used" requires that the author already knows and understands the importance of a particular technique : we (CR0) have not, in general, acquired this knowledge, which is why I spoke of the importance of "perfecting our technique" rather than pretending to know what the technique is and telling people to use it.  We are here on a voyage of discovery, and although some of us have progressed further than others, I doubt if there is one single member who would claim that he (or she) is the Raymond Blanc of BIR.

In fact I started a thread on this, yonks ago (thinking it to be important) and, to put it mildly, the response was very disappointing http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1283.0

I don't know why you feel the response was disappointing : the responses seem very much on-target to me, and the only negative factor I can identify is that interest petered out after a while, which is often the case on CR0 for threads that are of only marginal interest to many.  There is almost certainly no doubt that the average member of CR0 is better informed than the corresponding average member was when CR0 started, but we still have many new members who are just starting their search for the Holy Grail, and they will probably lack the confidence to start contributing ideas on technique until their quest is beginning to bear fruit.

My EUR 0,02.
** Phil.

[Cory Ander]

Phil,

So, so far, you're saying that "technique" involves "temperatures, timing, sequencing, and so on" (sounds familiar!).  That's a start at least!  Perhaps we can expand on that?

I have my own ideas about what constitutes "technique" and I agree that they include the above, plus things (that you've mentioned) like:

• "bhoona-ing" (if there is such a word?) the spices, in plenty of oil, at the beginning of the curry cooking process, to extract maximum flavour from the spices
• adding other liquids (e.g. tomato puree, a little base), shortly after adding the spices, to prevent them (and the garlic and ginger) from burning
• adding the base, little by little to avoid adding too much liquid at once (and hence reducing the temperature too much) and "bhoona-ing" it to ensure effective cooking and to extract maximum flavours
• warming the base, beforehand, to minimise temperature drops when adding it to the curry
• etc, etc

However, MANY members refer to "technique" without EVER describing what that might mean to them!  I am not the one who is suggesting that "technique" is the be-all-and-end-all of cooking a decent BIR curry.  However, I think it would be very useful for those who are to be quite specific about what they mean (not least of all, to help other members - new and old alike - produce similar BIR-like results)

Regarding my previous thread on "technique" (posted FIVE YEARS AGO!), I found (still find) it "very disappointing" because ONLY SEVEN members (of an alleged SIXTEEN THOUSAND  members!) bothered to respond!  Temper that with the countless times that members have cited "technique" to be the be-all-and-end-all and I am staggered if you, or any one else, wouldn't be equally "very disappointed"!

So, the purpose of my original thread (and this post) was (is) to encourage/challenge members, who believe "technique" to be critically important, to be specific about what that means (for the benefit of all). 

Otherwise all we have is rhetoric and words.

I trust that explains it better for you Phil?