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Author Topic: All spices matter!  (read 2,697 times)

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The original post discusses the author's experience of cooking Butter Chicken without essential spices like turmeric and cumin, leading to a disappointing result despite attempts to salvage the dish with a different ingredient. The replies include a conversation about the importance of understanding the reasons behind each ingredient in recipes, with some expressing a willingness to read more detailed cookbooks for better cooking results. There is no clear consensus reached among the participants.

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Offline Robbo141

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All spices matter!
« on: February 17, 2022, 12:49 AM »
I recently cooked the fool-proof Instant Pot electric pressure cooker Butter Chicken curry I've done a number of times. When I came to add the spices I found the missis had helpfully stolen the turmeric and cumin jars to make sure they fit the new spice rack we're putting in the new house.  I pressed on, unperturbed- it's just a teaspoon of each, how bad can it be if they're missing?
Answer: bad.
Even just missing those 2 spices made a huge difference. I tried rescuing a little by adding a good tablespoon of some Nam Pla Prik I had in the fridge (heresy and know, mixing Thai and Indian) and while it added good heat, it was in vain.  I ate the lot of course, but grudgingly to say the least.
We are in the new house now and converting a downstairs bathroom into a walk in pantry so will be fully up and running spice-wise in the next week or so and making my first batch of Taz base in the frozen north of Illinois (where we are getting 7" snow overnight).

Robbo
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: All spices matter!
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2022, 08:46 AM »
See my other post on recipes with explanations — if only recipe books stated why one needs to add each ingredient, why it needs to be added at a particular stage, why it needs to be cooked for the stated period of time and at the stated temperature, think how much better informed (and potentially better cooks) we might be ...
--
** Phil.
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Offline Secret Santa

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Re: All spices matter!
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2022, 09:00 PM »
Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on February 17, 2022, 08:46 AMthink how much better informed (and potentially better cooks) we might be ...

On the other hand, think how bloated each book would be if they all had to explain every recipe's motives.
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Offline Robbo141

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Re: All spices matter!
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2022, 12:37 AM »
I'd read a bloated cookbook if it'd get me to BIR results! 

Robbo
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: All spices matter!
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2022, 09:07 AM »
Quote from: Robbo141 on February 18, 2022, 12:37 AM
I'd read a bloated cookbook if it'd get me to BIR results! 

That was also my thinking !
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