Topic: The Balti Kitchen - Ginger

[Ian J]

Having watched the above DVD I believe that the ginger should not be peeled before placing into the blender.

Here is a screen grab from the DVD.



Is it just my eyes or does the ginger look unpeeled, it's easiest to see on the right hand piece.

Is there any reason why the ginger should be peeled?

[raygraham]

Hi Ian,

In Mridula Balkejar's book she say's no need to peel before blending. Personally I prefer to get rid of the skin and certainly those knobbly bits before use.
It does look like the ginger in the DVD isn't peeled doesn't it. Never noticed that before!

Ray

[Ian J]

For this base I've peeled the ginger, but if no-one provides a strong enough reason not to next time I'll trim of the dried knobbly bits and use it with the skin.

[Mark J]

I read somewhere (probably this site) that you should peel ginger to get rid of pesticides on the skin

[Ian J]

Me too but I'd think any pesticides on the papery skin would also be in the flesh?  Plus the flesh of root ginger from supermarkets is cleaner to the naked eye than the flesh on new potatoes.

I'm just wondering if this is something we're missing out on, like a jacket potato, is there vital flavours in the skin?

Can anyone who's visited a BIR kitchen confirm if the garlic is peeled?

[marstonpeddy]

One of my local BIR's used to serve garlic naan's covered in "hard stringy bit's".? They (the naan's) tasted great.

When I asked the owner what's with the bit's he said that it would be garlic skin as they did not peel the garlic.

I could cope with the "little extras" but my wife couldn't, so we moved to the BIR across the road.

As for the ginger peel, I know an Indian lady who uses it along with other ingredients to brew Indian tea.
I suppose if it did contain any pesticides it might add to the flavour.? ?

[Ian J]

I've just made up a fresh batch of the base and didn't peel the ginger, if I don't post anything after Saturday evening you were all correct.   ;D