Topic: Chicken Bhuna - Zaal - Az - Cooking Lessions

[jb]

Anyone catch what went in 1st from the spice deck, after the onions/chicken were done?

I believe that was methi leaves followed by what looked like a couple of tsp of mix powder ( "bit more for bhuna" said Az) followed up by a dab 1/2 tsp of chilli powder.  Salt had already gone in earlier.  Just garlic went in at the start

That's pretty much it.A chef's spoon of oil followed by a spoon of garlic,not sure why it wasn't ginger/garlic.Loads of onions and a dab of salt.Then add methi leaves,mix powder and a touch of chilli.Give it 'a blast' as Az called it and then put in some watered down tomato puree.Cook that out and add gravy.At the end he did actually add some chopped green peppers and quartered tomato,I think he forgot to put the peppers in at the beginning.Notice the way he shows me how he shakes the pan and scrapes it.He judges the mix powder by eye,I guess that although different dishes contain more or less the same ingredients the amount added impacts the final flavour.

[Masala Mark]

Hi guys,

Just wondering who was the cook on this video, as I picked up something when watching and have a question about a question he asked Az.

At the start the oil is heated then the garlic paste is added in, then the onions, and then the cook asks about the ginger and garlic paste going brown.

At 00:39s into the clip "The garlic and ginger paste, do you always have to let it brown like that?" Az then says "Yeah...bhuna..." but I can't work out what else he says and just wondering if you can remember.

I've seen in one kitchen I was in where the garlic and ginger when added to the oil pretty much went straight away to a brown colour and the chef said it wasn't burnt but cooked properly and it was his big thing about not having the undertones of under cooked ginger and garlic in either the dishes or base.

That too might be one of the techniques that is missed easily, most are worried about the ginger and garlic burning, like worrying about the spices burning, that it is not being cooked well enough to give that correct taste. I know it was a very different color from what I did at home, much darker and pretty much instant change.

He did the same with methi too, although he dry roasts his methi leaves and then grinds that to a powder. He then chucked that into the hot oil and the aroma was incredible.

Cheers,
Mark

[ELW]

Good point MM, I missed that completely. I think it's JB, cooking the bhuna. It's a point in the cooking where I am prone to flinch a bit, but may explain partly why a bhuna has a fairly powerful flavour

regards
ELW

[jb]

It was me cooking but I don't actually think it's me asking the question.I can't make out what he says sorry.