Topic: Trial and Error, but slowly getting there....

[976bar]

Working back up at the Hub (where the Olympic village was set up) at the Uni, is giving me many more chances to experiment as they love curry so much up there, compared to working at the Founders Kitchen, (but not knocking the Founders Kitchen at all, great team of people, but different menu's based upon demand for the days). Yesterday I made a Lamb Rogan Josh, a Tofu Korma, but also am getting to make base sauce on a much larger scale. Today I made a Chicken Jalfrezzi.

Just to give you an idea of size, the meat content can range from 40kg to 100kg. So trying to equate not only the amount of base sauce required for that amount of meat, but also trying to consider the amount of spice mix, curry powder, chilli powder, fresh garlic/ginger etc etc is a mammoth task in itself trying to get the balance right. Cutting up over 50 large onions, 15 green peppers, 15 red peppers alone for the base sauce itself is all new to me, and very tiring on the hands lol...

It is harder than normal due to the spices they buy which are largely commercial spices, so not only trying to get the mix right, along with the fresh ingredients, onions, peppers, garlic, ginger etc which are fresh, but made a breakthrough yesterday when talking with the head chef there. She has now given me permission to go and buy whatever I need spice wise to be able to create Chicken Tikka, base sauce, and the sauces I would normally make for BIR.

Going shopping tomorrow after work, but am also thinking that this will now set me back to stage 1, having the right spices in terms of manufacturer, but now re-creating the base sauce in large quantities, plus the curries themselves in large quantities.

A step in the right direction for the Uni, creating mouth watering curries within budget with the right spices, (the curries are good now but can be vastly improved), but also still a major learning curb for me, trying to get nearer to a BIR curry on a large scale. It's going to be a headache, but fun at the same time

A few pictures of the curries of yesterday and today. The trouble with doing curries on a large scale like this is that you have to please everyone, so all the curries are made to a mild/medium strength. However, with today's Chicken Jalfrezzi, I was determined to do something more to suit the Chili heads there, so made the Jalfrezzi with some extra oil, which I reclaimed as the curry was nearly done and poured some into a pan, added some whole Chili's (pricked with a fork), some caramalised onions and some chili flakes in the oil to give a chili head's paradise of something they could drizzle over the top of the curry and add some chili's and onions if desired

[Peripatetic Phil]

What can I say, Bob ?  I am simply full of admiration.  I was over your way yesterday, but sadly the whole day was booked out (didn't get home until 00:30), so no time to call in.  I will need to make at least one more trip (had to order a USB to Centronix cable, so will have to return to fit it) and will try to liaise with you in advance in the hopes of meeting up and perhaps trying one of your curries.  What would be the best time to meet, from your perspective ?

** Phil.

[curryhell]

Bob, it's great to hear of your exploits at the Uni.  Those curries look quality mate.  I bet those eating them have only tasted something as good from their local BIR ;D.  And we thought we had problems scaling down   Nothing compared to you having to scale up and get the same results : . 
As you're making base now on a commercial (or bigger) scale, are your results similar, better or not as good as you're accustomed to at home?  Have you taken any base home and used it to cook with yet?  If so, how do the results compare.  Look forward to your next update.  Top dollar mate.  Well done.  Continue to enjoy it.  I'm off to warm up my NIS i cooked last night with a nice plate of keema rice and some saag bhaji (test dish)  .

[976bar]

What can I say, Bob ?  I am simply full of admiration.  I was over your way yesterday, but sadly the whole day was booked out (didn't get home until 00:30), so no time to call in.  I will need to make at least one more trip (had to order a USB to Centronix cable, so will have to return to fit it) and will try to liaise with you in advance in the hopes of meeting up and perhaps trying one of your curries.  What would be the best time to meet, from your perspective ?

** Phil.

Hi Phil, It's a shame you couldn't be there yesterday or today. Next Curry will be Saturday, when all the 1st year students arrive. I have to make either a Lamb or Beef Dhansak (lentils arrive tomorrow  : and also a Vegetarian Madras, so will be making a Massur Dhal and base sauce on Friday ready for Saturday.

Next one I think will be on Tuesday evening, (apparently curry night), I've asked for some chicken breast and am going to attempt my first large batch of Chicken Tikka on Monday (to marinade all day and cook on Tuesday), with a view to making my first large scale Chicken Tikka Masala Tuesday night, should be challenging

Not sure about shifts for next week, but no point you really turning up until there is a curry day and I am on early shift to prepare it, but will let you know when head chef is back from a short break on Saturday and produces the rota

I'll be in touch..

Rgds,

Bob

[976bar]

Bob, it's great to hear of your exploits at the Uni.  Those curries look quality mate.  I bet those eating them have only tasted something as good from their local BIR ;D.  And we thought we had problems scaling down   Nothing compared to you having to scale up and get the same results : . 
As you're making base now on a commercial (or bigger) scale, are your results similar, better or not as good as you're accustomed to at home?  Have you taken any base home and used it to cook with yet?  If so, how do the results compare.  Look forward to your next update.  Top dollar mate.  Well done.  Continue to enjoy it.  I'm off to warm up my NIS i cooked last night with a nice plate of keema rice and some saag bhaji (test dish)  .

Hi Dave,

The results from scaling up at the moment is the lack of BIR spices compared to commercial spices, which I have yet to replace and trial, but one of the other problems I have encountered is blending the base sauce using a large commercial hand held blender. I cannot for some reason no matter how long I blend for, get the base as smooth as I can at home on a much smaller scale. Maybe Chewy can help here having made base on a large scale for his restaurant?

Also the garlic puree they buy is pretty rank and a brownish colour compared to that I buy or make. But trying to make garlic puree on that scale unless they buy pre-peeled garlic cloves is going to be an impossible task right now..

For those reasons alone I have not yet taken any base home to experiment with but will hopefully be in a position to do so soon

[curryhell]

Sounds like they need to invest in a gravy gun mate.  That garlic don't sound too clever .  How about getting them to order dried garlic flakes?  Rehydrate with water and blend.  Instant garlic puree and better than what you have currently.  Get it while you're doing your spice shopping .  Good luck anyway with the vat of tikka and tikka masala.  Keep us posted on the results and the feedback.

[976bar]

Sounds like they need to invest in a gravy gun mate.  That garlic don't sound too clever .  How about getting them to order dried garlic flakes?  Rehydrate with water and blend.  Instant garlic puree and better than what you have currently.  Get it while you're doing your spice shopping .  Good luck anyway with the vat of tikka and tikka masala.  Keep us posted on the results and the feedback.

Will do Dave, and let us see the results of that Saag Bhaji please

[curryhell]

You just made the request in time before i started to tackle the saag along with the rest of the meal.
Not worthy of its own thread yet Bob.  Still work in progress but it is getting closer to the desired result.  CBM's vids helped along with Salvadordahli's recipe.  It's now dry enough but still need to get more spice flavour into it.  Maybe more turmeric

[Secret Santa]

one of the other problems I have encountered is blending the base sauce using a large commercial hand held blender. I cannot for some reason no matter how long I blend for, get the base as smooth as I can at home on a much smaller scale.

I think this is why some BIRs use that hand rotated mouli type thing (sorry I can't think of the name for it - is it mouli?) after they have used the industrial stick blender.

[artistpaul]

Bob, it's great to hear of your exploits at the Uni.  Those curries look quality mate.  I bet those eating them have only tasted something as good from their local BIR ;D.  And we thought we had problems scaling down   Nothing compared to you having to scale up and get the same results : . 
As you're making base now on a commercial (or bigger) scale, are your results similar, better or not as good as you're accustomed to at home?  Have you taken any base home and used it to cook with yet?  If so, how do the results compare.  Look forward to your next update.  Top dollar mate.  Well done.  Continue to enjoy it.  I'm off to warm up my NIS i cooked last night with a nice plate of keema rice and some saag bhaji (test dish)  .

Hi Dave,

The results from scaling up at the moment is the lack of BIR spices compared to commercial spices, which I have yet to replace and trial, but one of the other problems I have encountered is blending the base sauce using a large commercial hand held blender. I cannot for some reason no matter how long I blend for, get the base as smooth as I can at home on a much smaller scale. Maybe Chewy can help here having made base on a large scale for his restaurant?

Also the garlic puree they buy is pretty rank and a brownish colour compared to that I buy or make. But trying to make garlic puree on that scale unless they buy pre-peeled garlic cloves is going to be an impossible task right now..

For those reasons alone I have not yet taken any base home to experiment with but will hopefully be in a position to do so soon

Hii Bob

very interesting post.

have you tried splitting the finished but unblended base into two pots, should result in a better and more consistent blending thereafter?

regards

Paul