Quote from: Jeera on January 22, 2007, 06:25 PM
I've seen a BIR adding a red paste to their curries and I'd assumed it was some type of chilli sauce. Do you reckon this  kashmiri  paste is what some BIRs use to differentiate between say a Madras and a Vindaloo ?

The red paste is a mixture of tandoori masala,ground almonds,coconut powder (or dessicated),sugar and red colouring
I was given some
They said it goes into CTM and a couple of other curries to give them extra flavour
It tastes quite nice on it's own

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on January 16, 2007, 08:04 PM
Hi haldi,

I've only just noticed your photo and you're right they do look a bit anaemic don't they. If you haven't tried the beetroot powder and annatto seed they are both available quite cheaply at this site:

http://www.spiceworld.uk.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=beetroot&x=0&y=0

http://www.spiceworld.uk.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=annatto&x=0&y=0

hope this helps

YF

Thanks YF
I think I'll get some from this site

It's the most common used paste in my local takeaways
They also use tikka paste and tandoori paste
It's the unmissable ingredient for chicken tikka
The other pastes are sometimes substituted with cummin and coriander
I can buy kashmiri masala in a 295 gramme jar
Asda doesn't stock it, but all the Asian supermarkets have it
It's about ?1.50

I was going to the takeaway one evening, last year, and there was this wonderful aroma.
So I asked what they were doing
They were frying garlic (in curry gravy oil) and preparing another curry too
They regularly cook several dishes at the  same time
I have seen them fry the garlic before and the pan is always flambeeing (from time to time)
Funny thing is, you aren't so aware of it, if you are in the kitchen.
Whenever I am cooking, and my wife is coming home from work, she says you can smell it from at the top of the road!
That really surprises me because it doesn't seem that strong

Well, this took a long time to cook
About three hours
I shall freeze this, in the hope we get a few recipes to go with it
It smelt fantastic as it cooked
It seemed hard to stop the paste catching, even though it was on the lowest gas
In the end I had to add some extra oil
Anyone else made it?
Is it the right colour?

Quote from: zzikester on January 15, 2007, 01:02 PM
Ok , I have tried countless chicken tikka recipes over the years in an attempt tnot only to get the taste but to to get the marinade or colour to penetrate the meat.  All my local take aways etc seem to get the colour to sink 4-5mm into the meat, but when I make it the marinade oinly coats the outside with little or no penetration.  It doesnt matter how long I marinade it for it doesnt seem to make any difference.  How is this done?

It's the amount of food colouring used
They use a lot, probably not a good thing
Either East End or KTC brand

Quote from: King Prawn on January 14, 2007, 11:29 AM
Haldi,

How about trying some natural cououring like beetroot powder, tomato powder or paprika?

KP(V)

Hi KP
        I've seen this beetroot powder on the internet, but you've got to buy loads
Have you ever tried it?
I would have thought it would added flavour too

What is tomato powder?
That is a new one on me
Asians sometimes call paprika "tomato powder"

I cooked the best chicken tikka I have ever made, but didn't use food colouring.
I find myself finally taking heed of the warnings
I don't know if they are true, but doesn't it look dull without the red and yellow colour?
The first bite is always with the eye

Quote from: andy2295 on January 11, 2007, 01:25 PM

   At approximately 5 minutes a teaspoon of pre-made cooked paste is added (recipe to follow) and stirred in immediately followed by a chefs pinch of chopped coriander leaves(cilantro) and stirred again.

Andy

Unless I am mistaken, this is the bit we are missing
The special tomato/garlic paste (or something similar) that Mark J mentioned and was described by "M" as the secret paste
It's what I am most curious about

Thanks Andy for fantastic posts

I've seen these cooked
They are frozen but raw
I don't know what make they are, but it's not a large "catering" bag used
They go in the deep pan fryer for two/three minutes then are added to the curry
Totally different flavour to ordinairy prawns, aren't they?