Topic: Pet Peeves

[DalPuri]

two words that are grindin on me, Cast iron & Garabi :
i've been readin like a demon over the past few weeks/months on both forums(90% here ) and keep seeing
these two words cropping up over and over, and in my eyes,, they're incorrect.
the first is cast iron.
now i've owned some karahi's for about 25 years. the only resemblance to cast is the fact theyre black.
im currently converting the 9" to use as a wok. cutting off one loop handle to replace with a single pan style handle
which i'm making on the anvil. i know if i take a hammer to cast iron,,,well... you know too

now to garabi :@
THE WORD IS GRAVY!!!!!!
it seems crazy that from one guys accounts of being in a couple of BIR's and hearing the chefs using this, it has become commonplace in 2 forums as the word for sauce and gravy.
mick even agreed to a comment on youtube saying that it was illiterate chefs that couldnt pronounce the word gravy.
then said other staff were using it also out of habit? :
its not out of habit, its because most struggle with certain letters i.e (v&b) (y&j) (th) (v&w) etc..
i was told once by a sri lankan guy that they dont have an F in their language and have to use vr to make the sound.
so, on the same basis, if i was to report on a couple of chinese takeaways and say, "i heard the chefs say fLied Lice, yeah they were all sayin it, it must be right" would you all be using that as standard? :
nahhhhh i diven think see ;D

[PaulP]

I've had chicken and lamb korai curries served to me in bowls that were definitely cast iron. They were sizzling hot and sitting on a wooden stand. I doubt that they were cooked in these small bowls, probably just transferred to them after cooking.

Paul

[Razor]

Hi DP,

Ok, this is  my 2 penneth. Most woks or karahi's seem to be made from 'carbon steel' or certainly that's how they are described.  As PaulP says, I've also been in restaurants where curries (balti's) are served in a sizzling hot cast iron bowl.  I also doubt that they have been used to cook the dishes.  I don't think I could use cast iron cookware as the weight alone puts me off.  Isn't that Le crueset brand all cast iron?

Your second point.  It really is a bit of a mystery.  I've also read that the word Grabbi, is a simple mispronunciation of the English word gravy, however, I have read in many books and internet accounts, that what we call our base sauce is actually Garab ( pronounced = ga -rarb)  Again, not sure if this is fact but it does come from many various sources?

To be honest, as long as WE know what we're talking about we should be fine.

Interesting to hear that you have an anvil.  Have you made an other cooking equipment for BIR enjoyment? 

Ray

[Curry Barking Mad]

now to garabi :@
THE WORD IS GRAVY!!!!!!
it seems crazy that from one guys accounts of being in a couple of BIR's and hearing the chefs using this, it has become commonplace in 2 forums as the word for sauce and gravy.
mick even agreed to a comment on youtube saying that it was illiterate chefs that couldnt pronounce the word gravy.
then said other staff were using it also out of habit? :
its not out of habit, its because most struggle with certain letters i.e (v&b) (y&j) (th)

I would like to respond here as I feel I'm being slightly mis-represented.....
Your comment.. it seems crazy that from one guys accounts of being in a couple of BIR's and hearing the chefs using this, it has become commonplace in 2 forums as the word for sauce and gravy.

I have been given access to seven kitchens over the years, of which I have been in kitchen of each many times. the couple of BIRs you refer to were two that I had access to simultaneously.

It is quite common for those staff who don't speak English to refer to the gravy as 'garabi' because of the pronunciation of the 'V' sound.
I have heard many of the chef's in different establishments call it 'garabi' and others call it 'gravy'.
A lot of the younger staff whose English is probably better than mine and who can say the 'V' sound with no problem still call it 'garabi' .....this is what I refer to when I said they called it 'garabi' out of habit.

The bottom line is this for me.....does it really matter whether a chef or anybody else calls it 'gravy' or 'garabi'..?
No it doesn't...it's just what the chef's I have seen do and I have told others about it. I can only talk about what I have seen or the what the staff tell me.
If it keeps people happy I will, from this moment on, refer to it as that yellow/orangey soupy stuff  ;D
Cheers,
Mick

[Peripatetic Phil]

My two penn'orth (sorry, my EUR 0,02, while we still have a Euro ...) :

I have some sympathy with DalPuri's position, in that -- like him -- I hate to see our beautiful English language murdered by the use of such atrocities as "gonna" and "ur".  That said, I am not convinced that "garabi" does not serve a potentially useful purpose.  Just as we native British speakers have come to accept and understand the distinction between a "program" (computer) and a "programme" (wireless/television/concert/...), so I think that the BIR cognoscenti are learning to appreciate the difference between "gravy" (brown, savoury, mixture of meat juices and other things) and "garabi" (Indian base sauce).  So on balance, I am happy to read and understand "garabi" on this forum, although I do appreciate that it may grate on other's visual ears.

** Phil.

[DalPuri]

@ paul and ray
  i really want to be proved wrong, but i just think karahi's have been wrongly described across the board as i have
never seen one made of cast.
the small flat sizzlers are made of cast, yes. but the wok type, no.
i believe its a type of iron, but not cast.
next time you go for a curry, try breaking one, greek stylee ;D

@mick, just gravy, sauce or stock etc would do fine
by the way, love your video's ;D

[DalPuri]

Interesting to hear that you have an anvil.  Have you made an other cooking equipment for BIR enjoyment? 

Ray

hi ray,
i did make a 1 metre long bird feeder from bein sick of filling it so often and have made various bits of cowling and flu pipes for the rayburn over the years. but to date, no  other curry related items. 
its such a great thing to have in the garden though,
really useful!