Topic: Vegetable Vindaloo demo

[pete]

Spanish Onions

Spanish onions are a large yellow storage onion, as round as a globe.? They usually have a slightly higher water content and so generally are less hot, sweeter, somewhat crisper and more perishable then the storage onion.?

Hi CK
? ? ? ?you have more or less said what the chef said
He said there was too much water
The onions they buy are in these large knee high red netted bags
You can get a bag for around ?1.50 or ?2.00 from my local asian supermarket
I bet the restaurants get a big discount on that too

Pete you forgot the chilli powder ;D
Your account of the base sounds very similar to the guy I talked to, again there was very little spicing in the base for 30+ onions.

Hi Mark
I haven't tried to duplicate the spice mix yet
But the chef was insistant on only the five spices I mentioned
He held up his hand when he said "five" so I am sure there was no misunderstanding
I have seen him use chilli powder in cooked curries so I guess he just adds chilli powder later
I also asked about using dried methi leaves in the base and he said no
Again, he uses it, but when a only when curry requires it
What really surprised me this time was how watery the curry gravy seemed.
It had about the same liquid consistancy as a cup of tea
There was also this lovely red oil floating on top too

I think your 30 onion curry base recipe is the exact real thing
I will never be able to make it though
It's too large for me to cook
I also think that you do need to make it in bulk to get the "magic" happening

Hi Pete,
 Did the pre cooked mixed veg's look as though they had been cooked with spices, were they coloured / crusted / coated , or did they look as though they had just been boiled ?The same goes for the meat when you have seen it done with that, spiced or just boiled?
 I'm asking because it is my belief that the main ingredient is responsible for a lot of the flavour,the curry gravy providing the background.
 Dave.

Hi Dave
? ? ? ? ? I wondered about the main ingredients carrying a large part of the flavour too.
Indeed the vegetables had been precooked in oil, salt and spice and a little water
The veg end up, really quite dry
The veg were a bit oily and yellow with a very small amount of the mixture it was cooked in.
They hadn't just been boiled with spices and water
It's more intense than that
As I understand, it is very similar to the precook methods in the Kushi book
But having said that
Prawns are not precooked with spices are they?
I have seen them cooked and they just thawed them out
They were used at my prawn madras demo the other month
That curry was very tasty and not lacking in any flavour

I conclude all the flavour we love comes from the
curry gravy
curry gravy oil
garlic ginger puree
and the spice mix (which is mainly aroma)


And the most important part is the curry gravy
Someone else, try and buy some when you next buy a curry
It can't hurt to ask
Just say you want to cook with it, they will probably be amused and give you some
All these chefs seem to be really nice people and once, they know you are not a threat, will love to talk about cooking
Call in when it's quiet
Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday nights are good

I also wonder if covering the curry at the end, and making it really hot, has an effect too
We need more demos

[steve e]

Hi Pete,
Tried the vindaloo recipe last night followed it to the letter, result was fantastic, I am hooked on this recipe .
Thanks
Steve e

[pete]

Hi Pete,
Tried the vindaloo recipe last night followed it to the letter, result was fantastic, I am hooked on this recipe .
Thanks
Steve e

That's brilliant Steve
My recent demo posts are very "straight forward" curries
And that's how the takeaways cook them
Which recipe base did you use?

[steve e]

Hi Pete,
I used the kd base as shown in one of your previous posts, some small additions i e
4 black cardamons and small slice of coconut block,the rest exactly to the letter.
I suppose the addition of chili powder along with the final coriander/cumin mix would give the required "heat" but I was more than happy with this curry the way it came.
Steve e

[Mark J]

Pete you forgot the chilli powder ;D

But the chef was insistant on only the five spices I mentioned
He held up his hand when he said "five" so I am sure there was no misunderstanding

I meant in your final recipe for vindaloo, not the base. Unless my eyes deceive me there is not chilli in it

[pete]

Hi Mark
? ? ? ? ? This is the local variation
Round here a vindaloo is not a hot curry
Madras is hotter and a Ceylon is very hot
They are all brilliant curries though
I buy vindaloo if the whole family is eating
That way, everyone can have some
When I used to buy curries in Croydon, Farnham, Derby, Sheffield and Helston the vindaloo was a very hot curry
It was only one step down from a phall

[raygraham]

When I used to buy curries in Croydon, Farnham, Derby, Sheffield and Helston the vindaloo was a very hot curry

Blimey Pete, You are prepared to drive a long way in search of your favourite dish aren't you!

[pete]

Just places I've lived (as I'm sure you knew!)
But wherever I've had a curry, the general taste, has been very similar
The only place where I was disappointed was Cornwall
It was a restaurant called "the indian cottage"
I thought it tasted a bit home made
I used to frequent a restaurant in Farnham on South Street
It closed ages ago
I really loved the food
I sometimes called in at 5.30 in the afternoon on a Sunday
I was the only customer (not surprising) and it was quite strange to be see your meal in daylight.
It was normally low light or candles.
Apparently, when the place was taken over, there were rats and everything there.
The food was great though!

[DARTHPHALL]

Here in the depths of rural Cornwall (OOOAAARR!!!) the hottest is the Phall ,&/or the Tindalloo, followed by the Vindalloo then Madras etc...etc...
I must admit i`ve not come across a BIR that makes their Madras hotter than a Vindalloo, nice twist, you want a Madras cos its not as hot...NOT !!!... GOT YAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! .
Don't like someone who eats Korma a lot ? Make it as hot as a PHALL , hehehehe (this is a joke i wouldn't do it really..mmmm)
Like i`ve said there is variation across this little island ?.

[DARTHPHALL]

Indian Cottage.....(Never heard of it). .
There is a new one in Newquay (shame the town itself is a dump  ) that is also meant to be as good as my fave BIR.