Chicken Vindaloo demo 2012

[haldi]

Chicken Vindaloo

After all the excitement of the Zaal demo, I was keen to see more cooking myself.
I called into a takeaway that I have been visiting for 5 years and was taken into the kitchen for a chat
They had just bought pizza making equipment, so there was quite a buzz of excitement, even though it was a quiet evening
I saw a chicken vindaloo cooked
Vindaloo round here, is not a hot curry

A chef 10 years back, was puzzled by my ?takeaway?curiousity
He showed me a vindaloo, being cooked by him
A slightly different recipe, but essentially the same
Anyhow, here I was 10 years on, still not mastering this ?simple? recipe
Still mesmerised by each ingredient & technique
In my heart I now know, that if tried at home, it will be met with disappointment and wonder
But that doesn't stop me

Tonight the chef had precooked chicken
This had been made, in a very similar way to Zaal
Too close, to bother re writing the recipe
I?ve posted it before, somewhere on this site, anyhow
The gravy is made with boiled onion, a little garam masala, salt and chip/bhajee oil.
After an hour and a half, a chef spoon of spice mix is added, it?s brought back to the boil then pureed.
It?s used for the next few days and improves in flavour
I?m sure you get the picture
It?s nothing new
Ok so chef heated a chef spoon of oil from the chip pan
He added half a teaspoon of garlic ginger puree and fried until just turning brown.
He whisked the pan away from the heat, and added half a chef spoon of spice mix and a chef?s spoon of tomato puree (white tower and straight from the can)
Then he added half a cup full of cold water
Back on the heat and he reduced this down until you could see the oil coming through.
In goes the precooked chicken, with a quick stir.
Then in goes a couple of ladles, of curry gravy
Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes
Serve
Ridiculously simple & ridiculously tasty
I think a demo such as this highlights the different methods used by different places.
There is no right or wrong
But if it tastes good??.buy some more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[natterjak]

It is incredible how simple some of these recipes can be and yet the results taste great when cooked by a professional chef. Maybe they use magic flavoured gas in their hobs?!  ;D

Was there any chilli powder in his recipe? You didn't mention it above but a vindaloo with no chilli powder really would be a departure from the norm.

[solarsplace]

Hi haldi

Great report, thanks for posting it.

I remember you mentioning the use of chip / bhaji oil in a previous thread somewhere, and it would seem there is no chance of you replicating that taste without using some similar reclaimed oil yourself.

I asked Az @ Zaal his thoughts on recycled / special what ever you want to call it oil. He basically said, indeed some places do indeed do that. Some re-use the stock like mix that the chicken was pre-cooked in apparently and some indeed do use bhaji oil etc. It was his preference not to do any of those as it has not been practised in any restaurant where he has worked. However as you just said, there is no right or wrong way, just variations.

Bit of a long shot this question, but do you have any idea of the age of the oil? it sounds like it would actually be quite fresh and on a kind of continuous use and top up cycle?

Thanks

[Salvador Dhali]

Ok so chef heated a chef spoon of oil from the chip pan. He added half a teaspoon of garlic ginger puree and fried until just turning brown. He whisked the pan away from the heat, and added half a chef spoon of spice mix and a chef?s spoon of tomato puree (white tower and straight from the can) Then he added half a cup full of cold water. Back on the heat and he reduced this down until you could see the oil coming through. In goes the precooked chicken, with a quick stir. Then in goes a couple of ladles, of curry gravy Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Serve
Ridiculously simple & ridiculously tasty. I think a demo such as this highlights the different methods used by different places. There is no right or wrong
But if it tastes good??.buy some more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for taking the time to do that and post it, Haldi.

I must admit that I've never seen a BIR chef adding cold water to the curry pan without frying the spices over a high heat first, but if he then reduces down, Taz style, I can see how it could work. As you say, there's no right and no wrong, and the proof of any method is in the taste.

It's alchemy, I tell you. ALCHEMY!!!   

[chewytikka]

Hi Haldi
Thanks for Posting your report.
This Chef's style, Pretty obvious to me. 

The water is correct, as its to dilute the Tomato Puree (White Tower)
Just another way of doing the same thing.

Strange no Chilli Powder, but as you said "Vindaloo round here, is not a hot curry"
Plus it is a Take-Away, selling Pizza

Fundamental Singe = 1. Hot Oil 2. Ginger&Garlic Paste. 3. Tomato Puree Dilute. 4. Powdered Spices. 5. Chilli Cough.
Please follow this sequence in the correct order and your cough will get better. ;D

cheers Chewy

[haldi]

You didn't mention it above but a vindaloo with no chilli powder really would be a departure from the norm.

Crazy isn't it?
No chilli powder
I grew up with vindaloos being hot, but in Nottingham they aren't

Bit of a long shot this question, but do you have any idea of the age of the oil? it sounds like it would actually be quite fresh and on a kind of continuous use and top up cycle?

Thanks

It's about a week old , maybe less
It's not digusting rancid stuff, but does have a chippy aroma

Fundamental Singe = 1. Hot Oil 2. Ginger&Garlic Paste. 3. Tomato Puree Dilute. 4. Powdered Spices. 5. Chilli Cough.
Please follow this sequence in the correct order and your cough will get better. ;D

cheers Chewy

I will try that when I have a stab at this recipe
Thanks Chewy

[JerryM]

Haldi,

the big question for me is why you can't produce the same taste at home on your burner.

i know we've collectively tried before to pin point what's "wrong" /cause.

the only thing i can think of is to use your post to document what we individually do that we feel makes a "BIR" difference. a sort of closing doors approach. that way members just might be able to see a better way in their own approach.

if you are specifically seeking comment on the chip oil. my efforts found it made the curry too potent - i sort of got a x2 effect. i use reclaimed oil from the base but this is totally different from chip oil and i can't really fathom why the chip oil sent me well passed BIR.

[JerryM]

i like to close off doors as much as open them. this leg ie chip or bhaji oil is one i've not covered enough to understand it ie there are still too many conflicting pieces that i can't reconcile.

1st when i tried it previously i new (with hindsight) the oil i used was far too strong (old).

2nd curry2go has it as his done thing albeit i think just bhaji oil.

3rd TA's do smell of a sort of cardboard but i feel this is more down to the bag. i've never had the same thought in a restaurant.

going forward given the new book is in the offing i feel i need to travel north across the boarder to check out the actual taste of curry2go. i have a "yellow sticky" recipe in my KD1 book of his kashmiri vindaloo so it must be very good. obviously for me not completely to spec - i used different base & oil, mix powder and left out the garam pinch and even added in some bunjarra on the last make.

in short could there be something in it ie only a proportion of the total oil, weaker oil or specific recipe. i don't see this as a replacement purely a fine tune.

has anyone made the curry2go bhaji oil.