Hi all... havent logged on for a few days. New job so left the internet well alone for the time being!

The message was signed from the head chef - I forget the name...

Cool Pete.

I dropped them a message as well about the possibility of doing lessons there. This is what he said...

Many thanks for your enquiry about the possibility of cookery lessons.

I have done cookery lessons in the past, but they really need a reasonable number of people to make it work well (although the maximum number is ten).

If you could get such a group together, then it may be possible.

At the moment, much of my time is being devoted to putting the finishing touches to the book, but I will look into the possibility of such a course once it's finished.  If I do hold a cookery course, I will of course, get in touch and let you know.


Maybe a few people from this forum would be up for attending together?

Hi Mark,

I'm pleased that the course is worthwhile. I had a look but couldn't really afford to take the risk. I may well now...

Did you mention this site to him at all? I wonder if he knows it exists or even frequents it...?

From what you saw/heard would you say Pat has nailed the restaurant taste himself?

cheers

nice one - give it a go Mark. I might struggle for the next few weeks so it would be cool if someone could do it sooner

I stumbled across an article on the net from an online newspaper for Stroud. It was a reporter who went for a curry lesson at somewhere called the Balti Nailsworth. I'm not sure of the age of the report though. Checking out the BIR's website it does appear they still do lessons, but charge 40 quid a go.

It's only just up the M5 for me so I've emailed them to check the details and am awaiting a reply. If any of you live close enough to Gloucestershire you might want to give it a go?

I'll reply back  if I get any news.

www.baltinailsworth.com

There is a conundrum for me when it comes to chefs being unwilling to give away trade secrets. How do any new curry houses ever open?

I hope this doesn't cause anyone any offence but I've only ever seen one "caucasean" waiter in a BIR (that I can remember) and certainly no owners have been of that ethnicity. BIR's are still on the increase in the UK I believe so it stands to reason that someone is training people somewhere so that the demand for chefs can be met - do they all come through the course mentioned in an earlier thread I wonder? If I were ever in a position to consider opening a BIR I also wonder? how difficult it would be to learn the trade secrets needed to crack the taste, and wonder if it something of a closed shop along ethnic grounds - hence the make up of most BIR staff. Is it true the vast majority of BIR owners/staffs are from a particular region of Bangladesh?

I don't mean any racist implications, I'm just trying to reflect my experience of all the BIR's I've been in - you would think that at least a few "caucasean" entrepeneurs would have entered the market by now, given how popular curry is, and has been for years now. Please excuse any ignorance..

Brilliant Mark. I am sure there will be a few of us trying this!

Now where to find a pot big enough...

Could someone ask their local BIR to give the recipe in terms of the quanitities as they would cook it?? ?If one of us could have a go at it, that would be a test worth doing.

Unfortunately the two BIR's nearest me aren't overly talkative/friendly, and with the new one we've started going to I think we need to get to know a bit better before the questions start rolling. It's being worked on though!

good stuff Mark - I'm very interested to see how this one pans out. Is there any chance he might let you go in and watch him prepare it?

I was in an airport lounge the other day and I had a plateful of chinese food. I'm not sure what the dish was but it was chicken in a midly spiced sauce with noodles - something similar to a Sezchuan (excuse spelling).

Now while it looked and tasted totally different to a curry, there was an underlying element to the taste that I think was very similar to 'the taste' in a BIR curyy.? As chinese food of this type is loaded with MSG I wonder if this is something that should be looked into? It kind of makes sense if the missing ingredient used? by the trade but not by joe public is a flavour enhancer as opposed to something thats a natural ingredient, and would also explain why it is not readily divulged by BIR chefs as an ingredient. I also wonder if the use of chicken stock jelly is a more natual means to a similar end result?

I plan to experiment with this next week sometime, but if anyone tries it some more first then please give me/us a shout with your results.