I stayed overnight in Ellesmere Port last Wednesday so had to try the best Indian Restaurant I was recommended. I went to 'Holdi' in Little Sutton. Amongst many other dishes, I had the best Lamb Curry I've had in years!!  It wasn't on the menu so had no name because I asked for the best of the best the Chef can cook.  Ol boy!  Superb.....   I got pissed and bothered them so much they finally told me what sauce they'd used to create that flavour.   The answer was 'Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce'.   Has anyone else cooked with this sauce??  What result did you get??

Like all my Curry cooking techniques, it needs to be quick and simple because it's not me that loves the end result, it's MY GUESTS!!!

STAGE 1. INGREDIENTS;

4  Kilo's Onions
1  Bell Pepper
1  Large Carrot
3  Sticks of Celery
2  Sticks of Leeks
1/2 of average size bunch of fresh Coriander
1/2 to 2/3rds Litre of Rapseed oil
Water.  Enough to cover the ingredients generously.

METHOD :  Roughly chop and boil these ingredients for maximum 1 hour or until the veg is good and soft (your call!).  Don't hold back on the heat but also don't let the bottom burn and DONT COOK THE LIFE OUT OF THEM!!

STAGE 2 INGREDIENTS;

2  Tins of CIRO Plumb Tomatoes
4  TBSP of Garlic & Ginger paste (very finely pasted)
4  TSP Turmeric powder (heaped)
3  TSP Coriander Powder (heaped)
3  TSP Cumin Powder (heaped)
2 1/2  TSP Deggie Mirch (heaped)
1  Hand sized Palm full of Table Salt
2  TSP of Boullion (heaped). (Vegetable seasoning)
1  very good sized squirt of Tomatoe Sauce
2  TSP Sugar (heaped)

METHOD : Add everything and bring back to a good boil for 15-30 minutes until oil comes to the top.  Remove and throw the oil if you wish, or save it to use as "Spiced Oil" to finish your final dishes, or just leave it in there as I often do and blend the whole lot together!
Taste and season if necessary.

Now blend with your hand blender, after which allow to cool a little more.  After which I always find it necessary to strain using a colender to remove the big pieces of Leek.

Now blend again with a very fine blender.  ie.  I use a NUTRi-bullet.

The very fine blending gives the sauce a very nice flavour,  just like if you mash your spuds very well, the taste changes for the better!

The Boullion gives the sauce a nice taste rather than just of 'boiled vegetables'!  After all, it's a week soupy like flavour we are after to achieve the perfect final dish!!

I find it best to store the Gravy while still quite thick to save on freezer space.

Good luck & I hope this helps some of you.

Don't over complicate it:

Just;

2 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilli powder (Deggi Mirch)


That's it.

The smell we get when pasing by our favourite restaurants in the afternoon when they're most probably cooking their base gravy, may almost certainly NOT be the smell we THINK our base gravy SHOULD END UP SMELLING AND TASTING OF. !!!

REASON:  The extracting ducting from my kitchen to the garden is coated in "OLD OILS etc"'.

This gives out a combined smell of "The base gravy; Whole spices; Garam Masala and largely from general cooking of the restaurant/takeaway dishes" which is I've discovered is "THE BIR SMELL" which we all love and want to replicate?

Realising this, I proceeded with many experiments which I've got good results:

All you need to do to prove this is; cook your normal base gravy, smell the extractor exhaust outside.  IT WONT BE GOOD!  Then cook your normal curry. Again, smell the exhaust but it probably won't be quite right! Then in oil cook some Garam Masala whole spices; Ie. A little Cinammon, Cloves, Green Cardamon, Star Anise & Mace.   Then give it a day or two, turn the extractor on, pop outside and smell what comes out and I guarantee you'll be amazed !!!!!!!!!!!!

It's BIR...  Not only the smell is BIR but also the taste of your curries.

I'll report more when I have time

Cheers
Stupot

https://www.youtube.com/embed/aNz5e951mho]

I've just been in the BBQ pit at a Morrocan restaurant in Marrekech!  I learnt something I thought I'd share as nothing else to do while sitting by the pool avoiding the sun at 41C... Ouch, not nice!

They have their coals deep and very hot.  Their grill is very close to the coals, no further than 3 inches away.  For me, both these facts have always mean't disaster & cremation.  But not hear!!!   They put a sheet of aluminium foil over the top of the grill which reduces airflow/oxygen and stops flames!  The result is: High heat, lots of smoke, no flames, quickly cooked food, meat remains juicy & tender, has fantastic BBQ flavour and taste.   

I can't wait to try this out when I'm back home.

Would like to hear any other experiences.

If we want a BIR restaurant flavour, should we use Pataks?
If the restaurants use them, should we ignore them and say they are sheet or use them ourselves?

I found a great quote from back in 2009 by GEORGE...   and George, you are so right:

"I think I look at it in a completely different way! If BIRs which produce top flight BIR dishes use ready mixed pastes and other bought-in ingredients, then I suggest we need to. It seems highly likely they do - I've seen several commercial products in every BIR kitchen I've ever viewed. A key challenge must be to figure out exactly when and where these products are used, and to follow suit, even if it's unhealthy and the products contain loads of salt and horrible chemicals. Nobody said BIR food is good for you!
Report to Moderator     Logged"

I've even seen the 3 Pataks in 50% of kitchens I've been to in India!   Lol.... 

What's the problem with using them. Do we think we are "better than that" ? 

Is it possible to over cook your base? 
Can the aroma change from nice BIR to horrible?
Boiling/simmering for an hour seems good but onions aren't at 'melting point'.
Thereafter smell and flavour changes to undesirable.
Dies this sound familiar?

Has anyone out there found themselves unhappy with the recommended

If there are any left-overs, they can be used in most curries!

Lunch... Practicing BIR.

He reluctantly said "light your Tandoor using a single piece of coal, coat it in Chaffing fuel and wrap it in a tissue"....  Brilliant tip and only cost me a shot of JD!

Used a Thai Satay marinade recipe

For many years I've wanted to recreate that yellow chicken satay we all know from Thailand while walking thru the streets and villages. Every time I visit Asia I promise myself I will make and perfect this for friends & family back home.  Today is the day I start that. journey and I appreciate any contributions from those who've travelled the same road in search of the authentic Thai chicken satay.  From my experience of cooking the Indian version: Chicken Tikka, I take forward 3 important points: (1) The Marinade. (2) The infusion of the vapour from the juices being zapped by hitting something very hot.  (3) The very hot & dry temperature produced by the Tandoor.  BUT the Thai's use a Char Grill BBQ so I'll take  out number (3) and concentrate on (1) & (2).  The Marinade. My shopping list consists of the following:  Mae Ploy Thai Yellow Paste.  Fresh lemon grass.  G.G. Paste.  Fish Sauce.  Turmeric & yellow colouring.  Coconut milk.  Condensed milk.  Lemon and blend together then marinate the chicken over night. Any contributions PLS bring em on...  I will post results tomorrow. 

Hi all.   Just want to say Yo and I sympathise with anyone with an outdoor Tandoor during these snowy, wet, cold winter months!  Your tongue must be hanging out begging for those juicy Tikka's that are better than a BIR's ?  Here's a reminder of what we could have this summer coming.....


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