Quote from: jockomalay on March 07, 2012, 06:14 AM

I have found that using a domestic gas cooker still does the bizzo...

So curry fans please don?t go off on the tangent and starting detailed discussion threads about the Megawatt output of  burners etc?

Agreed!

Gary

Quote from: CardiffCurrylad on March 06, 2012, 10:52 PM
If I could for one minute get my head around how to upload pictures up to this site I would.

Please could you upload the photos to https://curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/

Then just insert the 'BB' code it gives you into your next post here.

Gary

Standard four ring gas hob here.

Electric grill & oven.

Gary

Here we are, from Camelia Panjabi's 50 Great Curries book:

"The sequence in which the spices are put into the pot is important...

...they may be fried or added to the boiling mixture. This is like the high or low tone of the note. Frying releases the flavour of the spice more strongly than plain cooking"

So we can see the spices in the typical BIR gravy are the low tone, while the spices that are fried much later on in the overall process  (i.e. in the last ten minutes or so of cooking a typical BIR dish) provide the high tone to the dish.

Gary

Quote from: ELW on March 05, 2012, 07:30 PM
Does anyone know if Asian chefs/homecooks, use the same method of cooking when at home?

--- If the method / process of frying spices is commonplace/second nature, as old as the hills as has been suggested, then where does the fused spice taste disappear to in the homestyle version  I've had homestyle in a Pakistani home ,cooking all day, meat on the bone, falling apart, great yes, bir no

To me the BIR taste is as much a result of process as it is of ingredients.

With homestyle curries (of which I'm a massive fan, and cook them regularly) the spices are cooked for a lot longer, usually being put in after the onions have been well caramelised and before the meat is added.

Sometimes they may not be fried at all but added to the simmering gravy, other times some may be fried then others added later.

I can't say I've ever come accross a big emphasis on singeing/burning spices in home cooking books or vids, though a good few really emphasise the browning of onions as the initial stage.

Gary

Hey Terramamba,
Did you neglect to add the tikka masala sauce on take 2? that could account for the difference in colour.

On the colour of the singed spices, I'd say brave, borderline, but still ok

Quick chefs' tip: pour rather than shake  seasonings in to the dish if you can, that way you can physically see how much you are putting in.

Nice post

Gary

What I've been doing with really good results:

1: Domestic gas hob, largest burner, gas fully open.

2: 23cm Alu pan on hob for 30 seconds, then 1 and a bit chefs' spoons of veg oil in pan, heat for another 30 seconds.

3: Pan off heat, in with a heaped teaspoon of G&G paste then back on heat - shake pan back and forth while keeping spoon static (pan usually flambes here)

4: When flames die down, pan back off heat, in with spice mix and chilli powder, then back on full heat, shaking and stirring for say ten fifteen secs.

There's a definate smell coming off here: almost like a bbq smell - metal, fire, food etc it has me sneezing and coughing.

5: Then in with the tom puree and at least a minute of full heat before adding a bit of base gravy

Slightlly different to the method we've seen in some vids, but this seems to be working for me trying to kep the heat at high levels with the domestic tools I have at my disposal.

It's more like battle than cooking, quite tiring really

Gary

Made this again tonight.

Another success

My technique is a little different though: hot oil, then in with G&G (usually flambes here - whole pan goes up!) till starting to brown then Mix powder/chilli powder  till starting to brown, then in with dilute tom puree - then on with method as per video.

It's near definitive now for me, and close to becoming a 'off by heart' thing.

Thanks again Chewy.

Gary

Quote from: michael.t on March 01, 2012, 07:57 PM
... even  tried putting wine in mine to add depth

In my early days on the forum I actually tried using leftover French onion soup (home made with lots of wine) to make a quick curry base.

Turned out really nice as I recall 

Gary

Wanted a quick (i.e. none of that browning onions for half an hour malarky), easy homestyle curry tonight (Mrs prefers homestyle curries), so I picked one of these up:

Shaheen Balti Masala Paste

It's turned out really quite nice.

What got my attention and made me post though was the instructions on using the paste.

Heat 2-4 Tablespoons of oil on full heat for 30 seconds

Add paste and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes


No mention of gently frying the spices, no instruction to turn the heat down, so it got fried for 2 minutes at full power.

After about 1 and 3/4 minutes it was browning and on the cusp of burning - it was getting singed

Just struck me that this method is on a product that is aimed at an asian market.

I think that spices can definately be taken quite a bit further than I tought previously, even in homestyle cooking.

I'm more convinced than ever now about the effect of properly cooking the spices has on flavour.

I've not been brave enough in the past.

Gary