Whole Spice Experiment Pays Off !

[emin-j]

Your rude comment (above) detracts from the rest of your post. Anyone who thinks European bay leaves are rubbish has a lot of learning to do.

Blimey George, you're a bit nitpicky aincha!

My interpretation of that comment was that European Bay Leaves are rubbish when used in Indian Cuisine and particularly the BIR variety, which I must agree with. But that doesn't mean I think European Bay Leaves are rubbish when used in Mediterranean cookery - because that's where they work best flavour wise.

I think it's a fairly common mistake that new cooks to Indian cuisine make to use the European variety when they should be using the Indian variety - but it's a mistake borne out of innocence and lack of knowledge than anything else.

Agreed on all counts there Spicey    :

[emin-j]

For a bit of fun, just had a quick go at making a small amount of GM.

Had a look at a few recipes and chose this one, as it didn't contain coriander seeds (which I'm out of anyway).

I did make a couple of changes/additions (in brackets) to suit my store cupboard.
Oh and I really like Panch Poran, and noticed some of its ingredients were used in some GM recipes I found, so added a some of that.


Garam Masala

Makes approx 3 Tbsp.

1.5 Tbs black peppercorns
3/4 Tbs black cumin seeds (1 heaped tsp normal cumin + 1 tsp panch poran)
1.5 tsp whole cloves
4 large brown caradmon pods (5 small green pods)
2 inch stick of cinnamon (cassia)
1/2 a whole nutmeg
2 star anise
(2 small bay leaves (fragrent Asian not the European errrr ones)).

Gently roast all spices in pan, break into small pieces, remove seed from pods and grind everything to a fine powder in a coffee or spice grinder. Sieve and store in a tightly lidded small jar.


Lovely aroma, and from a quick, finger dip, taste test, had much sweeter and smoother taste than the only GM I have left (Fiddes Payne).

Be interesting to have a go at cooking with it now.


As an afterthought on my Boiled whole spice idea.
I might make a small amount, as an experiment, probably using the same ingredients as the GM, and freeze it in ice cube trays. Then can add it to defrosted base or curries when required.

Not actually sure if this would be any different to just adding the GM, but whole spices would be more boiled in a base, rice and potato cooking.

Martin

Well done martin for going to the effort of making your own Garam Masala I'll bet it was excellent 
Since the success of my whole spice experiment my mind has been buzzing and although still unsure the best way (the BIR way) of achieving this savoury flavour which I have through the use of whole spices.
My next plan is to make my own base gravy which will be basically the curry2go base but with much less ground spices and I will add whole spices Asian Bay Leaves,Green Cardamom,Cloves,and Star Anise at the second simmer stage and either see if my spice ball will hold all the whole spices or I will pass the gravy through a sieve as this seems popular with some members on the forum. I have a good idea of the amount of whole spices to add and don't want too strong a flavour in the base but enough to bring out that delicious savoury flavour in the final curry   

[madstwatter]

I remember a base sauce I made a few times where whole spices were infused in water and added to the base sauce. I cannot remember whether it was from this site or RCR but it was pretty good and would love to try it again now that my cooking technique has improved.

I don't know why but I think it may have been posted by Mick (Curry Barking Mad) but I could be wrong.

Mick - If you read this and it was one of yours, please can you post it here or PM me the recipe.

Cheers

Nick

[George]

Your rude comment (above) detracts from the rest of your post. Anyone who thinks European bay leaves are rubbish has a lot of learning to do.

Blimey George, you're a bit nitpicky aincha!

My interpretation of that comment was that European Bay Leaves are rubbish when used in Indian Cuisine and particularly the BIR variety, which I must agree with. But that doesn't mean I think European Bay Leaves are rubbish when used in Mediterranean cookery - because that's where they work best flavour wise.

I think it's a fairly common mistake that new cooks to Indian cuisine make to use the European variety when they should be using the Indian variety - but it's a mistake borne out of innocence and lack of knowledge than anything else.

I agree 100% with what you say. Unfortunately, Emin didn't qualify or explain his statement, like you have. He simply said European Bay leaves are rubbish.

[martinvic]

I remember a base sauce I made a few times where whole spices were infused in water and added to the base sauce. I cannot remember whether it was from this site or RCR but it was pretty good and would love to try it again now that my cooking technique has improved.

I don't know why but I think it may have been posted by Mick (Curry Barking Mad) but I could be wrong.

Mick - If you read this and it was one of yours, please can you post it here or PM me the recipe.

Cheers

Nick

That's interesting Nick.
Would be cool if you could find out a little more info on that base.



Oh and thanks emin, I reckon the homemade GM will be really nice sprinkled on a curry at the end of cooking.
Something I don't usually do, but the difference between this and the bought GM was really pleasing, so I'm definitely going to try it next time.

Martin

[spiceyokooko]

I agree 100% with what you say. Unfortunately, Emin didn't qualify or explain his statement, like you have. He simply said European Bay leaves are rubbish.

Well George, it seems the forum inference levels are as variable as our tastebuds! 

[Curry Barking Mad]

I remember a base sauce I made a few times where whole spices were infused in water and added to the base sauce. I cannot remember whether it was from this site or RCR but it was pretty good and would love to try it again now that my cooking technique has improved.

I don't know why but I think it may have been posted by Mick (Curry Barking Mad) but I could be wrong.

Mick - If you read this and it was one of yours, please can you post it here or PM me the recipe.

Cheers

Nick

Hi Nick,
This recipe and use of the spiced akhni stock came from the Curry Mahal restaurant in Sidcup, Kent many years ago.

Base Garabi.

Ingredients 1

1 kilo of peeled onions (chopped)
2 medium sized carrots (sliced)
0.5 of a green pepper (capsicum)(chopped)
1 heaped teaspoon of garlic paste
1 teaspoon of ginger paste
0.5 of a pint of veg oil
1 heaped tablespoon of veg ghee
1 heaped teaspoon of salt
1 heaped tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander
2 heaped teaspoons of dry fenugreek leaves (methi)
2 and 0.25 pints of water

Ingredients 2
To add later

1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste
1 heaped teaspoon of coriander powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 heaped teaspoon of any mild curry powder
0.5 teaspoon of chilli powder

Spice water ingredients

4 x bay leaves
2 x 1 inch pieces of cassia bark
5 x cardamon pods
4 x cloves
3/4 pint of water

Method

Put all Ingredients 1 into a large pan,
Bring to the boil, and boil gently for 50 minutes,
Once your base is boiling bring the Spice water ingredients to a gentle boil and cook for 30 minutes.

After 50 minutes cooking of the onions, add Ingredients 2 (tomato paste etc)
Now add the strained Spice water,
Simmer for another 15 minutes,
Allow to cool for a while and blend until smooth,

The consistency should be that of thin soup.
You can double up on all ingredients to make a greater amount of base garabi.

Cheers,
Mick

[madstwatter]

Hi Mick,

Many thanks, that is the one. This one was quality from what I remember. I hope others will give it a go.

Thanks again

Nick

[martinvic]

Yep, cheers Mick.

Looks like my thinking wasn't too far off the mark.
Hadn't come across it before but after a quick google, it seems the akhni  stock/spiced water is is a well used method, and the freezing of it for later use.

Martin

[natterjak]

It's an interesting idea this spiced water. I typically dilute my curry base 1:1 with water at the time I defrost it which yields the correct "thin soup" consistency for cooking with. This is using the C2G base which is quite thick when cooked in the proprtions described by julian, which is fine by me as it's nice and space efficient in the freezer.

It would be easy and cheap to knock up a batch of spiced water and use that for diluting my garabi instead, thus testing the effect on the flavour of a finished curry.  It also seems like a way to get "whole spice flavour" into the garabi without the problems associated with having to find and fish out the whole spices prior to blending.

I think I'll give it a go next time I cook (all in the interests of science  )