Topic: What do we know about oil in BIR's

[ELW]

Everything & everyone in a bir kitchen stinks of "curry" 

Edit- But they don't know they do

[ELW]

Hi

There may be a chance that reclaimed oil adds something to a curry but i am not a believer.

It CANNOT be the missing ingredient because as we have seen from micks videos, chewy videos, etc the restaurants they use do not use reclaimed oil.  Other takeaways may use it but as there are some who do, some who don't, both producing very good curries I assume (from micks feedback), then this cannot be the missing ingredient.  Possibly only an improvement for some people which may be what their t/a uses!

Regards

Barry

Hi Barry, that's exactly what I meant in my previous post, the evidence on here points to fresh oil. Of the people who are/have been/in & around the business, I can only think of c2g who has stated old bhajioil as important. We'd have to call it pakora oil in Glasgow!

Regards
ELW

[Stephen Lindsay]

After more than 25 years trying to replicate the taste of a mushroom bhaji from what was then my local T/A in Sunderland from the 1980s, I finally made it.

I would love it if you posted your recipe for this!

[curryhell]

After more than 25 years trying to replicate the taste of a mushroom bhaji from what was then my local T/A in Sunderland from the 1980s, I finally made it.

I would love it if you posted your recipe for this!

I most definitely second that 

[colin grigson]

I'll third that request ... please alarmist   

[JerryM]

i'll add a 4th. until last night i thought it was like onion bhajis. how wrong i was.

just loved it. mushrooms now twice in a month. 1 in curry shop the other in UB's pasta bake - both brill.

[haldi]

I'd 5th it!!
Anyone for a 6th?

[Ian S.]

Sixthded. 

[Masala Mark]

Hi Folks,

When I come home from working in the restaurant, or even at the cooking classes we run which is a good 6-7 hours of prep and cooking. I reek of curry, now I can't even smell it, but my wife can.

The next morning though, I can smell it in my clothes or even in my backpack that I take.

In fact, I could even smell it in the plastic bag that I had the extension cord packed in!

The aroma gets everywhere and it is just due to those things being in the kitchen where things are being fried, boiled, and the subsequent particles being absorbed into whatever is around. So yes, brown paper bags that have been in the restaurant will absorb some of those particles and will smell.

People walking in to the restaurant will smell it, but those who have been in the cooking classes all day won't as they have been in there all day. But they will smell it the next day on things.

Cheers,
Mark

[alarmist10]

Thanks for the expressions of interest, gents!  Incidentally, I ate the remainder of the bhaji the following night just to make sure I hadn't deceived myself.....and it was superb.  Here's the recipe:

MUSHROOM BHAJI

Ingredients:

3 tbsp oil
1 heaped tbsp onion, coarsely chopped
1 birds eye chilli, chopped
? large green capsicum coarsely chopped
1 fresh tomato, quartered
1 heaped tsp tomato puree diluted with 4 tsp water
1 tbsp garlic/ginger paste ? I use 3 large garlic cloves + ?" ginger
1 desert spoon (dsp) spice mix
1 tsp chilli powder
? tsp salt
? pint basic curry sauce
Small can mushrooms (drained and washed to remove salt)

Method:

1.   In a separate pan, heat curry base to a gentle simmer
2.   Heat 3tbsp oil in wok on high heat
3.   Add onion, tomato, green capsicum & salt and fry for a couple of minutes or so stirring continuously
4.   Add garlic/ginger & fry for about a minute, stirring all the time
5.   Remove from heat & add chilli powder and spice mix.  Stir and return to heat. 
6.   Fry for about 30 seconds using the Zeera Restaurant technique, then  add tomato puree & fry for a     further 30 seconds or so on high heat stirring continuously
7.   Add 2tbsp basic curry sauce, stir for 1 minute & add rest of base gravy 2 tbsp at a time ? make sure first two are ?absorbed? before adding more
8.   Add small can mushrooms
9.   Cook on high heat for 3 minutes ? add water if it starts to dry out
10.     Reduce heat & simmer gently for 3 minutes
11.    Turn off the gas and let it ?rest?.

As usual to my mind, the 'Zeera Technique' is the key at step 6.  Timing does need care, but just when you think you can't go on any longer, that's the time to keep stirring!

Hope you enjoy the results as much as I did.

al.