Most supermarkets sell cinnamon sticks (usually three or four stuffed in to a jar). They're usually stocked in the herb/spice section. Occasionally the have them in the "Luxury Sections.

Perfect Pilau

After a lot of experimentation, I reckon this simple recipe/technique gives excellent results.

Take 2 cups of basmati rice and rinse thouroughly for a couple of minutes in cold water. Now soak in plenty of warm ? hot water for 2-3 hrs (this is important as it helps the grains become more elongated*). Strain and rinse under cold water.

Boil the rice in plenty of salted water to which you have added a few crushed cardamoms, some pieces of cassia bark and a couple of cloves (occasionally I?ll add a few coriander and cumin seeds, a bay leaf or two).

Once cooked (slightly al-dente), strain through a sieve and return to the pan. Add a couple of knobs of butter ghee and a drop of green and red food colouring. Cover with a dry/clean tea towel and leave for thirty minutes. Don?t peek. The residual heat will finish steaming the rice so it becomes perfectly light and separate.

Finally, fluff with a fork.

Some flaked almonds make a tasty addition.

* Try soaking in warm-hot water. I'm sure you'll notice the difference.
   Because it's been soaked for a long period it will cook much quicker than usual.

Ah, that may be where I've gone wrong.? When I said I put them in at the start, I meant right at the start, when there was only oil in the pan - this must be why they burnt so frequently.

Quote from: paast10 on August 23, 2005, 10:04 AM
I appreciate that response but if that could even be remotely true, then a vegetarian should never go there.? Honestly, I am frustrated here that I cant find "real" indian food.? The Derby place was good food - but not traditional.? Now I understand why the menus here have a list of ingredients and then you pick what curry you want with it.? I have never seen such thing in the US or malaysia or Singapore or Canada.? Those are the only other countries I have had indian food in.? I dont think people in england would even like traditional food because it doesnt have curries and no rich flavor like the BIR here.? I am waiting to try the Bombay palace in London just to see if it follows the same cookbook as the other ones across the world or if it has been adjusted to suit Brits.
Does anyone cook lentils at all?? Thay can be very very tasty and not at all heavy - thats where curry leaves come in handy oftentimes.

With regard to your question about lentils, I use them regularly in cooking (not just in curries but in soups and stuff too). If you have any recipes for daal ( authentic or otherwise) I would be appreciative.

Thanks, Dylan

This is the question: Is it best to fry powdered spices at the begginning of a dish (BIR), or add them half way through or so?
I have tried both ways and have not really noticed much difference (apart from having burned them now and again when adding them at the start!)

Your thoughts and advice please,

regards, Dylan

I think I used a base with a couple of carrots, a pepper, a tin of toms and celery in it. It would have been a ten onion batch, lightly spiced with with only one table spoon of curry powder + a few cardamom pods, a couple of star anise and a few broken pieces of cassia bark (these whole spices added after the vegs had been cooked for an hour or so and whizzed). Start  by frying a couple of chopped BULBs of garlic in 500ml of oil. When browned add the onions then the rest of the vegs. Just cover with water and simmer for an hour or so. Puree with a hand blender than add the whole spices. Simmer on until the oil un-emulsifies and floats on top.

The oil from this gravy is the "spiced oil"

Think I might have put a couple of knore chicken stock cubes in too.

True Cinnamon bark is a lot thinner. It's rolled up in cigar shaped quills.

Lidls is an ultra cheap, no frills  chain of German supermarkets which operate in the UK. I think there's a similar type chain called Aldi.

I've just looked up the respective flavor compounds of cassia and cinnamon - there's a lot of crossover between the two. They're really very similar.

Most BIRs use cassia bark (because it's a lot cheaper than true cinnamon). Personally I think the taste is very similar. I findCassia bark a bit more peppery and "treacle" like.