Sorry lads, i've let the team down somewhat 
I did half the tests (3 recipes) and took photos but didnt get round to finishing it. Now i think i need to start again as my comments wont be so accurate any more as i didnt write notes.
Sorry, i had quite a lot of bad news going on at home all at that point and i havent been in the kitchen much. I will endeavour to sort this out and get my results in!

Quote from: jb on November 02, 2010, 11:35 AM
The best method I found for cooking chicken tikka is under a low grill,this blackens the outside a little whilst keeping the inside moist.

I find i need a v hot grill when i cook it this way. With metal skewers the chicken cooks so quickly that i find by the time it's coloured on 2 sides it's cooked through. It seems to take less than 10 mins i suppose.
I want to let it colour more but then it overcooks so i have to restrain myself.

Really good effort there on the meal, that's champion stuff!  ;D

Quote from: Razor on October 31, 2010, 05:12 PM
Hi Chinios,

Deggi Mirch, as you say is very vibrant and better than most other chilli powders but I think I'm right in saying that it's actually 'Kashmiri Mirch' that is used in place of paprika, not Deggi?

Both are available from the MDH brand,

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-MDH-Kashmiri-Mirch.html

Both Deggi and Kashmiri are quality products either way, far superior than most of the usual suspects.

Ray

Hehe, i was wondering if anyone would pick me up on that! Man you're quick!  ;D
Well, i have both the MDH ones and i find them very similar so i came to the conclusion that deggi mirch has a fair amount of kashmiri chilli in it. I know they say it's a secret blend of chillies though.

These two chilli powders were a revelation to me and made me understand how i'd seen indians using what looked like a dangerous amount of chilli in their cooking.
It seems to me that in india chilli powder made from the kashmiri chilli is far more common than in england.

Quote from: Unclebuck on October 31, 2010, 02:14 PM
Hows it going chinois? cooked any testicles lately?

;D I'm doing very well sir, i'm cooking vegetarian tonight would you believe it! ()
I'm doing the first part of my bhaji test so i've got to work my way through 3 batches of bhajis... oh the hardship. I've got my italian housemate in on the testing - he doesnt know indian food at all so his opinion is from a different angle, which is refreshing.

My butcher (well, the guy in the turkish 24 hour cornershop who mans the meat counter) gave me a sheep's heart for free the other day - he said he wanted to show me the love! I didnt get round to cooking it and it went off Oops, i didnt show that sheep any gratitute did i?

It smells nice in here tonight! My kitchen that is, not this website!
Got 3 of the offerings on the go today and the first one's nearly ready. I'm hungry!

I've made up some dipuraja mint sauce to go with them and it's seems he's on the money there. Worry not, i am not letting that influence my opinion, it is a separate recipe.
I am testing them how i would normally eat bhajis and they will all be eaten with the same accompaniments each other.

Quote from: Unclebuck on October 31, 2010, 12:40 PM
My Curry's tend to turn out darker as I'm probably heavy handed with my tea spoon levels I also use deggi mirch mostly because of the colour it gives.

This stuff is brilliant! It was a big revelation after using supermarket chilli powder. It's kashmiri chilli powder so it's got decent colour, good flavour and not too much heat. This makes it perfect so that you can get that chilli influence in there without blowing everyone's heads off.
You'll realize why paprika is listed so often as a substitute for chilli powder.
Best 79p i've spent!

Good work solarspace, they look really good!
I shall try to make mine this weekend - i'll be eating bhajis all week by the looks of It!

Your spice mix looks to be on the money Ray - i like the addition of salt.
Every component should be seasoned, so why not the spice mix? That's the same conclusion i came to.
Chefs in BIRs and in india have told me the importance of adding salt early so that you are cooking with the salt. Gordon ramsay stresses the importance too.
This is why i wrote my earlier post today on another of your threads about cooking rice.

That sauce with the mint in it doesnt seem like a waste at all Jerry. I've noticed a few places use some kind of mint sauce in some mains as well as tandooris and it works well. I've used a tiny bit of english mint sauce in mains with good results. It's now always in my tikkas.

Making your own chilli sauce is really easy too. Buy the chillies from an asian shop and it'll cost about 50p for a couple of handfulls. Why not make a variety and give them as presents too! I've been meaning to put up my photo-recipe but googling a simple one is a good option.
You'll at least know that you're not adding flour/starch to your curries but more importantly it's fun and dead easy.

Why would you want to freeze the sauce though? It's handier in the cupboard/fridge isnt it?
If it really doesnt have much sugar/vinegar/salt in it then you could pour a thin layer of oil on the top to stop it going off.

Quote from: Razor on October 16, 2010, 05:16 PM
I've never tried boiled or Pilau rice without washing the rice so I wouldn't know what the difference are. 

Does anyone here on the forum not wash their rice?

Ray

I dont wash mine Ray. I think it tastes more if you dont and i prefer it to be a bit sticky like chinese rice.
For 2 people i add about the following:

-Whole spices such as 1 asian bay leaf, 5 cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2 inch cassia,1 star anise and 5 cloves to some warmed ghee.
-When crackling add a measure of rice (i use a small glass, maybe 150ml) and about 2tsp salt. Mix well on the heat so all the grains are mixed with the spiced and seasoned fat.
-Add 1.5 times the amount of water and stir. Bring to simmer slowly. After 5 mins or when there's about 0.5cm water covering the rice cover with clingfilm and lid and take off heat.
-Leave for 10 mins, occasionally shaking and putting back on the lowest heat to make sure steam is created.
-If the rice looks plumper remove cling film and rest for a few mins. Dont stir. Indian spiced rice, easy.

Salt being added at the beginning is crucial. The rice needs to absorb it through the water (as well as the spice infused oil/ghee). Adding it after cooking doesnt work the same. It either physically bounces off or sticks to the rice so you get bland rice+salt which isnt the same as seasoned rice.

This thread's not really about cooking rice though so dont mind me! Carry on