Topic: Problems - tomatoes or old spices?

[Warren]

Hello all.  My name's Warren.  I'm fond of Indian cooking (or I wouldn't be here! ) and I've been trying it for a few years, though I'm definitely no expert.  I can follow recipes in the books I have, which turn out well, but otherwise... well, that's also why I'm here, to find out what I'm doing wrong.

My usual problem happened today, when I tried whipping up a basic curry for the family's tea.  I fried off some cold beef, freshly-ground roasted spices, plenty of garlic and onion, and loads of ginger.  Great.  Lovely smells.
Then I blended up a couple of tins of tomatoes and poured them in, and that was that.  Killed the curry stone dead.  I could only get a taste of slightly bitter dishwater.  Tablespoons of sugar and garam masala couldn't do much to change it, and I ended up going down to the chip shop.

I have a couple of ideas what went wrong, but I don't know for certain.  I've heard warnings about cooking chickpeas in tomato-based sauces because of the acidity and bitterness.  Is that the problem?  I also know about old spices losing their flavour, but I don't know how much that applies between ground and whole.  Like I said, I used whole spices and they weren't too bad frying off, but they are starting to get a bit past it.  Time for a restock?
Or is there something else?  I'm eager to hear any suggestions and tips.  Thanks!

[976bar]

What instantly comes to mind is that you have saturated the spices you originally added by adding 2 tins of tomatoes which has weakened the whole dish.

Why not start from scratch?

Make a simple base sauce, buy the right spices etc and start building your curries up in layers by following simple easy recipes on this forum?

Before long you will be impressing everyone around you

[Unclebuck]

see here warren

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1848.0

[Peripatetic Phil]

Also, if I may, I would query the "cold beef".  Do I interpret this correctly as meaning beef that had already been roast ?  If so, I would respectfully suggest you are on a loser from the start : there is no way you can convert roast beef into a curry.  If you want a beef curry, then buy yourself some good beef (i.e., beef that can be cooked quickly -- filet steak, if the pocket will run to it) and then following one of the many recipes on here for (say) chicken Madras, but substituting the beef for the chicken.  If filet steak is out of the question, and you buy beef that requires longer cooking, then try one of the many recipes on here for lamb or mutton, again substituting the fresh beef for the lamb or mutton.  And of course, if I have misunderstood "cold beef", then please just ignore my ramblings !

** Phil.

[PaulP]

Hi Warren, I can just imagine 2 tins of tomatoes killing your curry.
Here at cr0 we are mainly trying to cook curries like you get in a British Indian Restaurant (hence the term BIR).

The main ingredient of the sauce is undoubtedly onions, not tomatoes.
I agree with Phil about the beef but I'd buy something like a silverside joint, cut it up and slow cook it like the lamb recipes on this site.

You could do a lot worse than starting with the excellent recipes from Cory Ander. We can post links if you can't find them.

Paul

[JerryM]

Warren,

sounds like your using what i would call the traditional method ie not BIR that most of us crave for.

i can't really believe it's the date stamp on the whole spice - it lasts for ages - certainly 12 months. once it's ground then it's a few weeks at best even in air tight container but it never goes bad so to speak just loose it's intensity. powdered general spice lasts much longer (~6 months) ie turmeric, cumin, chilli etc

i'd look at tasting the curry at the various stages so you can pin down when the taste goes pear shaped.

i make pizza sauce a lot and always strain out the tin tomato seeds - they have a harshness that could be it. you don't see the harshness in BIR as they are cooked for a few hrs.

also when i started out on curry i used your method but only ever used 1 off tin of toms.

i would not add any cooked meat at the start - add it right at the end.