How is everyones plants doing?

My Jalapeno, Numex and Habernero are still infants... I really hope the summer picks up a little so I can get a crop from these some time



I had to give some of my cayennes away as I had way too many for my house - dont have a green house. I have kept a few for myself. Anyone know why the wee one is not growing as well as the big one? lol.... ?



Here is how my coriander and methi is doing

Hi.

I came down today to find a few of my plants limp looking. The bottom of the stems are all knobbly and rooty... does this maybe mean they are outgrowing their pots and the roots are pushing the plant out the soil?

what is the safest and best way for me to repot them at this stage.#

thanks very much

Out all my pots I have only got something from the mustard seeds.

Coriander - nothing
Basil - nothing
Fennel - nothing
Fenugreek - nothing
Cayenne Chili - nothing

Even the mustard seedlings are struggling.... when in my boiler cupboard
it is really hot and moist and they are shooting well, but I think they are
begging for some light on their leaves now, but when I bring them out into
the Grey Glasgow sunlight they just start to shrivel up so they go back into
the boiler cupboard where they are growing ok again but the leaves are looking
small and tired.

This is still in fine tuning.

Chris303's Garlic Chile Chicken - Serves 1

Ingredients

1 x Chicken Breast - Cubed
10 x Birdseye Red Chiles - Chopped (I partially deseeded them first)
1/2 x Red Bell Pepper - Chopped Finely.
2 x Spring Onions - Chopped from top to bottom.
3tbsp x Onion - Chopped Finely
1 x Garlic Clove - Finely Minced
6 x Garlic Cloves - Sliced
1tsp x Fresh Ginger - Finely Minced
3 tsp x Garlic Chile Chicken Masala
250ml x Base Sauce (I am using the very mild Kris Dhilon Base for this)
1tbsp x Butter Ghee
2tbsp x Rice Bran Oil
2tbsp x Sun Dried Tomato Paste (Mixed with 1tbsp water)

Garlic Chile Chicken Masala Ingredients

2tsp x Coriander Seeds
1tsp x Cumin seeds
5cm x Cinnamon
1/2tsp x Ajawain Seeds
1/2tsp x Fennel seeds
1tsp x Chile Powder
1tsp x Tumeric Powder
1tsp x Paprika Powder

You know the drill... roast each individually and grind.

Method

1. Heat Oil on high heat.
2. Add Minced Garlic and Ginger and fry for about 20/30 seconds or until browning.
3. Add The tomato paste and fry for about 30 seconds again - mix through the oil.
4. Add the finely chopped Onion and fry for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the chopped Chiles, Bell Pepper and Spring Onion and keep frying for another minute.
6. Add the Masala in it's dry form and fry for about 30 seconds - dont let it stick.
7. Add all the sliced Garlic.
8. Add the chicken and seal.
9. Add a little water to free up anything that has stuck to the pan.
10. Add the base sauce (preheated) a little at a time.
11. Once all the base has been added - cook until chicken is cooked through - add a little water if it dries up too much.
12. Garnish with a little coriander
13. Serve

Today I went to one of my favourite Curry houses in Glasgow - "The Wee Curry Shop" on Byres Road and ordered a Garlic Chile Chicken. Well this is some serious garlic - a full large bulb of Garlic in the one single serving as well as about a hundred chopped green chiles  ;D

I thought they wouldnt let me back in the office after that bad boy  ;D

well???

my vote is bread.... A balti dish, bread and fingers

This is the establishment that holds the original and oldest claim to being the first "Balti" house in birmingham.

http://www.adilbalti.co.uk/

Can I first say - coming from Glasgow I live on curry either in restaurants of my own creations so I know what to expect from one.

Well first walking in - time warp - flock wallpaper, varnished wood walls.

Food is absolutely tremendous.

I had the Balti Garlic Chilli Chicken - the consistancy of the sauce was so good. Smell delicious and taste out of this world.

Amazing.

Any questions just ask.

[Vindaloo Marinade]

This is enough for 4 individual dishes.

1 tsp x Cumin Seeds
8 x Cloves
6cm x Cinnamon stick
12 x Peppercorns
10 x Dry Curry Leaves
2 tsp x Paprika
1 tsp x Tumeric
100ml White Wine Vinegar
20 x Dried Red Chiles
2 tsp x Concentrated Tamirind Paste
2 tsp x Light Brown Sugar
10 x Garlic Cloves
3" x Fresh Ginger

1. Roast the whole spices individually, grind them up and mix with the powdered spices
2. Soak the spice mix in enough water to form a paste
3. Blend the chiles with the Garlic, Ginger, Vinegar.
4. Mix this with the spice paste, Tamirind and Light Brown Sugar.

[Vindaloo] - Serves 1

1 x Portion of Vindaloo Marinade (1/4 of above)
1 x Main Ingredient (lamb, chicken, pork, or beef) - Not precooked.
1 x 250ml Preheated portion of base sauce (Any mild base sauce will do - Kris Dhilon or Pat Chapman bases work fine)
1/4 x Onion Sliced into rings
1/4 x Sweet Bell Pepper (sliced)
2 tbsp x Tomato Paste (I use sundried) - Mixed with 2 tbsp x water to thin it out a little
2 tbsp x Chopped Coriander
1/2 tsp x Cumin seeds
3 tbsp x Oil (I use 2 tbsp Rice Bran Oil and 1 tbsp Butter Ghee)

1. Cube the chicken and mix with marinade - cover and refridgerate as long as possible - at least 4 hours - 24/48 hours is best
2. Heat Oil in pan.
3. Add cumin seeds and wait till they start popping
4. Add tomato paste.
5. Add Onion and Pepper slices and fry for 30 seconds.
6. Add marinaded chicken - with all the paste and cook until tender
7. Add heated base sauce a little at a time - watching for oil rising and adding more.
8. Once all the base has added, and oil has risen and base has thickened up a little add the Coriander
9. Serve.

Was down at KRK on Woodlands Road picking up meat, spices and a new tava and noticed an Indian Restaurant I never knew existed - said est 1966 on the door so I thought must know what they are doing if they have been open that long. I was meeting my brother for lunch and we were going down to the Wee Curry Shop on Byres Road for a delicious curry, but it was pissing down big time and we thought **** it, let's try in here.

Very busy - good start.

Well it was a 2 course meal for about 7 bucks.

Firstly seen people eating spiced onions and popadoms, but we had not been offered any so asked for some. The spiced onions were dry and tasteless.

Had a chicken pakora. Enjoyable but tasted like a run of the mill chicken pakora from a kebab shop. Nothing special. My brother had some tandoori chicken on the bone. Not much meat - Less than expected. Again tasted ok, but nothing to write home about.

Main meals. I had a chicken saag karahi and my bro had lamb karahi.

Came out and I was very unimpressed. If you are bringing out a iron karahi it really means something special if it comes out sizzling to you. On touching the karahi it was warm and that was it - either made like that or has been sitting on a hot plate for ten minutes. The sauce was dry, cold, lifeless and stodgy. Had that taste of Indian food from years and years ago - curry has evolved in Glasgow way beyond this. My bros lamb karahi - again it was cold, tasteless and they had destroyed the sauce with red food colouring - not a vibrant looking red, but a dark browny red. Very dry and stodgy again.

Didnt stay for a desert. Both unhappy. Neither of us finished the meal. Bill came out and they had charged us ?5 for two cokes, and had the cheek to charge ?3 for the spiced onions and popadoms --- I didnt know that there was even a curry house in Glasgow that charged for that anymore... obviously I am wrong.

Needless to say wont be back.

Serves 1
--------


[Ingredients]

1 tbsp x Rice Bran Oil
1 tbsp x Butter Ghee
1 tbsp x Rogan Josh Masala
1 tsp x Chile Powder
1 tsp x Paprika Powder
1 x Chicken Breast (diced)
1 x 250ml Balti base sauce (preheated)
1 tbsp x Tomato Paste (mixed with 1 tbsp water)
4 tbsp x Chopped Tomatoes
2 tbsp x Finely chopped onions
1 x Garlic Clove (finely chopped)
1" x Fresh Ginger Root (finely chopped)
2 tbsp x Fresh Chopped Coriander
50ml x Fresh Yougurt

[Method]

Nb: At all steps use the chef's spoon and press everything into the pan in a circular motion,
making sure nothing sticks at any point.

1. Heat the Oil and Ghee in the pan.

2. Add the Garlic and Ginger and fry until it starts to brown.

3. Add the chopped Onion and fry for about 30 seconds.

4. Add the tomato paste and stir through. 

5. Add the chicken and continue cooking for about 5 minutes

6. Add and fry the spices for about a 30 seconds, again making sure that nothing burns or sticks.

7. Add a little base. And keep adding more as it starts to cook off and oil rises, until it has all been added

8. Once it starts to thicken a little check the chicken is ready, add the Yougurt and Coriander for 30 seconds.

Done.

4 x Large Black Cardamom
8 x Green Cardamom
8 x Cloves
4 x Bay Leaves
2 x tsp Coriander Seeds
2 x tsp Fennel Seeds
2 x tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 x tsp Tumeric Powder
4 x tsp Chile Powder
2 x tsp Paprika Powder

Roast everything seperately and then grind.

This is used for a proper authentic Rogan Josh dish 

This is the Madras recipe I follow. If I have missed anything out then let me know, or fire any questions at me. Delicious

Madras Recipe

Serves 1

4 tbsp x Chile Paste (seperate recipe)
4 x Red Chiles (heads cut off) (half for extra heat)
3 x Garlic Cloves
3" x Fresh Ginger
2 tbsp x Finely Chopped Onion
20g Fresh Coconut
250ml x heated Balti Base Sauce (Any other base should do)
1 x Tomato precooked Chicken Breast (recipe seperate)
2 tbsp x Sun Dried Tomato Paste (thin out with some water)
1 x Tomato (chopped)
2 tbsp x Rice Bran Oil
1 tbsp x Butter Ghee
2 tbsp x Coriander Leaves


[Spices]

2 tbsp x Madras masala paste (seperate recipe)
1 tbsp x Balti Masala paste (Pat Chapman recipe)

Grind Garlic and Ginger into a paste with a little water
Add coconut with the spices.

Heat all oil on highest heat.

Fry garlic/ginger paste till brown.

Fry onion, and whole chiles for 30 seconds

Add tomato paste

Fry Coconut / spice mix for a minute.

Add precooked chicken breast (let some of the tomatoes come in as well)

Add base sauce bit by bit to keep temp high, only adding more once oil
is seperating. Keep doing till all base has been added.

Add chopped coriander, and chopped tomato.

Heat balti till it starts smoking, and put the hot curry in straight away and serve
while it is smoking and sizzling.

Chile Paste

50 x Dried Red Chiles.

Soak in warm water for 30 mins.

Put all the soaked chiles in blender, and blend enough of the water
to get a medium paste consistancy.

Regridgerate.

Tomato precooked chicken

2 x Chicken Breasts - cut into bite sized pieces
1 x Tin of chopped tomato (blended)
1 tbsp x Balti Masala paste
2 tsp x Paprika
1 tsp x Tumeric
2 tsp x Chile Paste (as above)
1 x Garlic Clove
1 tsp x Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp x Oil

Add powdered spices with Chile paste (add some more water if needed)


Heat oil on highest heat

Add Cumin seeds

Add garlic and fry till brown

Add spice paste and fry for a minute

Add Chicken and seal.

Add blended tomatos. Bring to boil and simmer until chicken is tender.

Madras Masala

6 tsp x Paprika Powder
6 tsp x Coriander Powder
8 x Peppercorns
4 x Bay Leaves
20cm Cinnamon (Not cassia)
12 x Cloves
2 tsp x Cumin Powder
2 tsp x Poppy Seeds
1 tsp x Fennel Seeds

Roast each as nessessary, grind all together, and store in airtight container.

Going to brum next month on business and was wondering where is the best Balti Houses there?

I am going a few days so a list of recommendations would be good

thanks