Topic: Spiced Oil & the Curry2Go Ebook

[markh3565]

Hi Razor

Yeah came up with idea about 9 months ago - working well for me and believe its another 5% closer

Although only first post here I've been on RCR for 4 odd years now and been on the same quest as you guys here on CRO - cooking curries for 20 + years 

Funny when I joined RCR and started with some of there standard reciepes - its wierd as I'm now getting closer to that BIR taste - but the reciepes have not change - as far as I concerned its all down to the first 2 minutes in the pan and technique !!!

Thanks for the welcome

Back on thread will be cooking Curry 2 Go base from ebook tomorrow!!!!!

[markh3565]

Been trying to upload piccy of spiced oil - getting this message not sure if its my end!!!


An Error Has Occurred! The upload folder is full. Please try a smaller file and/or contact an administrator.

Admin - can you help?

[curryhell]

Welcome to CR0 Mark.  Not sure how i missed your post.  I see the logic behind how you are creating your seasoned oil and can't really fault it other than not having the pleasure of munching on all those onion bhajis ;D.  I think the main question has to be does using seasoned oil make that much of a difference to the end result?  Some on here say yes and advocate it, some say it's not worth the effort  and the rest of us are undecided and yet to be convinced.  We are a funny lot on here, aren't we  .  And so critical, but not as critical as we are self critical if that makes sense :

Re upload error, use the CR0 image host found here.  If you need any help shout

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/

[markh3565]

Thanks curryhell

Yeah your right - you are a funny lot

I'm convinced its all down to layers - but understanding how those layers are made up is key - which I still dont fully understand on my quest for example:-

I've cooked 30 bases

used 25 different spice mixes

10 cooking methods

However going back to basics I've got competley messed up results

So back to basics and best to date is the Zeera Restaurant Madras with the RCR 'Mild Takeaway Base Gravy' and spiced oil

[curryhell]

Oh dear.  You've obviously been around the block a few times like many of us on here.  Not sure what advice to give other than sticking to a tried and tested base.  As for mix powder, i'm not going to enter the minefield of "it needs to matched to the base".  but the technique is very much key.  Bottom line, no matter how good your base and mix powder, if the person with the pan and chef's spoon doesn't know what to do with it, the results will be crap.  I can only suggest you read the Zaal lesson threads.  The findings of the visit may prove helpful or at least provoke some thought.  One bonus here, it rarely goes quiet unless somebody releases an e- book ;D

[Stephen Lindsay]

Hi Markh,

So, this oil that you have made, have you tried it in your curries and if so, do you believe that it has made a difference to the taste of your curries?

And congratulations on your first post, and welcome to cr0

Ray

Good post and Ray's comment for me is the acid test. Alternatively I could ask - does it really matter? If you think it makes for a better curry then carry on using it and you will remain satisfied with your results.

[emin-j]

Spiced oil or spiced water the oil or water is the carrier of the spices/flavour and only once or twice have I had the right ratio of whole spices in my base that produced the most savoury flavoursome curry's I have ever had  no joking I could have licked the plate  ;D and my Mrs who can never finish her Saturday madras and saves some for sunday supper scoffed the lot saying it was the tastiest curry she's ever had  I only need to work out what ratio of whole spices are needed in a 6ltr base to give this wonderful flavour and I'll be sorted.I do believe it's quite a lot of whole spices needed in a base to be able to give this level of flavour in the finished dish and I have tried what I thought would be enough but the base fell short on flavour,when you do get it right the aroma is fabulous.
Just to add,the times I did get it right was when I added whole spices to the 600ml of base I had in a saucepan for the nights curry's and that was left for a few hours (infusing the base  ) while I was preparing the rest of the meal.

[curryhell]

Spiced oil or spiced water the oil or water is the carrier of the spices/flavour

You don't say  ;D Touche I think. 
I totally agree.  Yesterday whilst i was cooking Julian's base i prepared some chicken using Ifindforu's method.  The chicken was excellent as per the last time i cooked it.  But what was left in the pan afterwards was the dog's bollocks.  I added no water during the cooking process, working on the assumption that enough water would come out of the meat.  The smell and the taste of the melting onions flavoured with cardamon, cassia and asian bay was not just BIR, it had the smell and the taste to the extent i just couldn't stop myself from tasting it.  I just could not stop myself from having several teaspoons and saying YES, this is it.  This needs to be replicated in the base sauce.  It was all i could do to stop myself from throwing it in Julian's base.  But i resisted and have now frozen it.  This little pot is a gem.  All i need now to do is get the flavour in the same proportion into my base, and i will have cracked it.  Six cardamons, 4 asian bay and 2 x 2 inch cassia sticks per 50 ml of oil by my reckoning.  Hope this helps.  Between the two of us maybe we can come up with just the right balance.  What a breakthrough that would be.  The "ackni" stock at Zaal was good, but being stock the intensity of the flavour was lost in the base.  By using Julian's method of frying the oninon plus the correct proportion of whole spice, i think we may be onto something big emin-j??

[emin-j]

Spiced oil or spiced water the oil or water is the carrier of the spices/flavour

You don't say  ;D Touche I think.

 
Ya got me there CH 

I totally agree.  Yesterday whilst i was cooking Julian's base i prepared some chicken using Ifindforu's method.  The chicken was excellent as per the last time i cooked it.  But what was left in the pan afterwards was the dog's bollocks.  I added no water during the cooking process, working on the assumption that enough water would come out of the meat.  The smell and the taste of the melting onions flavoured with cardamon, cassia and asian bay was not just BIR, it had the smell and the taste to the extent i just couldn't stop myself from tasting it.  I just could not stop myself from having several teaspoons and saying YES, this is it.  This needs to be replicated in the base sauce.  It was all i could do to stop myself from throwing it in Julian's base.  But i resisted and have now frozen it.  This little pot is a gem.  All i need now to do is get the flavour in the same proportion into my base, and i will have cracked it.  Six cardamons, 4 asian bay and 2 x 2 inch cassia sticks per 50 ml of oil by my reckoning.  Hope this helps.  Between the two of us maybe we can come up with just the right balance.  What a breakthrough that would be.  The "ackni" stock at Zaal was good, but being stock the intensity of the flavour was lost in the base.  By using Julian's method of frying the oninon plus the correct proportion of whole spice, i think we may be onto something big emin-j??

CH,as you say, the flavour from the whole spice is amazing ,from memory in my 600ml of base (c2go) it was 6 cardamom,4Asian bay,2cloves,2"cinnamon,1star anice and some how Ive got to work out a starting point for 6ltrs  If I pro-rata it it's gonna be loads 
Just to make you smile I bought a coffee machine yesterday and had a couple of brews to try it out,last one was about 11.30pm and now I cant sleep  typing this at 02.33 am and wide awake  ) atb.

[jb]

The residue left from precooking chicken is delicious,I remember on my takeaway lesson I saw a huge tub of the stuff on the side from which the chef was spooning out the remains of the precooked chicken.I can't believe for one minute they would chuck this stuff away,it's far too flavoursome.Do some places throw this back in the gravy?? I honestly don't know.It would seriously upset the vegetarians,but is this why they're so secretive??

Julian's smaller base is next on my list,I know it's not going to be as per his spec completely but I may do two versions,one with some pre cooked chicken residue added and one without to see what the difference is.