Topic: Cooking Lessons with Az

[Whandsy]

I think if you are cooking at home you just need to be brave with how how you let the oil get before adding in the spices. Az usually leaves the veg ghee to heat up for at least 30 seconds on maximum heat before starting cooking. At home, you might need to wait 2 or more minutes depending on your hob. The magic seems to happen in the first minute of frying, singing and quenching so the fact he has industrial burners won't make much of a difference apart from how long it takes for the pan to get up to frying temperature.

For the record, after cooking Roshney's in Zaal and Chutneys a few times I can now honestly claim to be able to reproduce a 100% clone at home (including 2 ft flames for the tarka). I think you'd struggle a little with an electric hob as you wouldn't be able to get the flames started without a gas torch. I think when Az cooked the non-vindaloo strength one there was no flambee and it still tasted good - just not as exciting

Hi Chriswg

The above comments give me great hope, I'd never have thought of leaving the oil to heat up to super high temperature, hot yes but wow, definately need to use homemade G/G paste now as the jarred stuff would spit right out of the pan cooking at that temperature hehe ;D ;D

W

[natterjak]

...snip

I think someone video'd my Roshney didn't they? Would be good to watch back when you get round to uploading them all.

Hi Chris

I have your monster flamb

[solarsplace]

Hi

I (think) have your standard Roshney & JB's Bhuna on video. Unfortunately missed ChrisWG's extra hot Roshney although maybe JB has that? - Will endeavour to upload over the next day or so.

Thanks

[natterjak]

Great stuff, thanks Russ. This will aid me in trying to recreate the roshney at home and if I can manage that I'll be happy as larry.

[curryhell]

I'll be heading out shortly for fresh garlic and ginger and in search of vege ghee too.  I will endeavour to recreate the phall of Sunday tomorrow eve :   With added Mr Naga of course .  It will be interesting to see the results coming in from us lot and others after our "baptism of fire" or should i say "singeing" at Az's

[jb]

Hi

I (think) have your standard Roshney & JB's Bhuna on video. Unfortunately missed ChrisWG's extra hot Roshney although maybe JB has that? - Will endeavour to upload over the next day or so.

Thanks

Hi Guys,I have all of Chriswg's Roshney(apart from the huge flame I wasn't expecting that to be honest!!)  I'll have a look at what else I have(I remember the sag bhaji and someone kindly videoed me doing my bhuna).

So it was veg ghee then,I take it Az uses butter ghee for something then?? Maybe brushing naan breads???  Was it veg ghee that went into the massla paste and gravy then???  To be honest my head was spinning after concentrating trying to focus on the note taking,I wanted everything to be spot on.

[ELW]

Hi

I (think) have your standard Roshney & JB's Bhuna on video. Unfortunately missed ChrisWG's extra hot Roshney although maybe JB has that? - Will endeavour to upload over the next day or so.

Thanks

Hi Guys,I have all of Chriswg's Roshney(apart from the huge flame I wasn't expecting that to be honest!!)  I'll have a look at what else I have(I remember the sag bhaji and someone kindly videoed me doing my bhuna).

So it was veg ghee then,I take it Az uses butter ghee for something then?? Maybe brushing naan breads???  Was it veg ghee that went into the massla paste and gravy then???  To be honest my head was spinning after concentrating trying to focus on the note taking,I wanted everything to be spot on.

Hi jb, that was Khanums vegetable ghee (yellow tub)in the masala sauce video.. veg ghee seems to be sold in similiar yellow tubs(i see khyber veg tubs here all in the t/a's here)..Butter ghee seems to be in metal tins with the cow on it regardless of brans (ktc heera)
ELW

[curryhell]

Hi Guys,I have all of Chriswg's Roshney(apart from the huge flame I wasn't expecting that to be honest!!)  I'll have a look at what else I have(I remember the sag bhaji and someone kindly videoed me doing my bhuna).

So it was veg ghee then,I take it Az uses butter ghee for something then?? Maybe brushing naan breads???  Was it veg ghee that went into the massla paste and gravy then???  To be honest my head was spinning after concentrating trying to focus on the note taking,I wanted everything to be spot on.

Was definitely vege ghee into the masala paste. Natterjak's vid show that  and his other video shows veg oil going into the base.  Thank god for the vids.  So much going on.  Talk about information overload.  Overall, i think we did bloody well to actually capture/ record so much information in what really was such a short space of time.  And cook our lunch : ;D ;D.  Must admit the tikka marinade is a bit of a blur though .  But i can live with that

[natterjak]

Do you feel this "singeing" of spices should happen in all the curries or just some of the ones you made today

I'm not sure this question was answered, so I'll have a go. My honest answer is I'm not sure. Certainly in the Roshney, Vindaloo and Phall the spices were slightly burned and it seems this is important to the flavour of the final dish. I didn't observe the Bhuna closely enough to know if it was cooked in the same way, maybe JB can advise...?

Without seeing a greater range of Az's dishes it's guesswork whether he always takes the initial spices to such an advanced state of cooking but I suspect there is some variance which contributes to the differing flavours of different curries. Maybe one to add to the list of questions for Az for next time we manage to get a group of forum members into his kitchen?

[CardiffCurrylad]

Well done to all the lads who put time aside to produce these vid's etc. Looks as though it was money/time well spent  Count me in on the next one for sure