Hello everyone,

I've just had another one of my "curry parties", where I cook for about 20 people. This time, I cooked Kris Dhillon's sauce, and used the recipe by Mark J (I think) for a chicken madras. I was quite pleased with the result.

Whilst I was cooking, I noticed that I'd produced that smoky smell that always comes from restaurants. I realised it was coming from the karahi. I didn't have time to clean it out between each dish that I cooked yesterday, and eventually, there developed a burnt, crusty deposit around the rim of the karahi where the sauce had burned in the flame. It occurred to me that in a restaurant that they probably wouldn't wash the karahi out between each dish, either, and that during an evening, and perhaps longer if it was particularly engrained, a substantial layer of "burn" could develop, especially with a much stronger flame. If it smelled the same, could it be that that is what is producing the smoky taste?

I didn't notice it affecting the taste of the 20 or so that I cooked, but with a more engrained karahi, perhaps it would?

Has anyone else noticed this?

Thanks,

Stephen