Hi PaulP

I use hing in dahl and think it is a vital ingredient, if used properly. You need the hard resin, the powdered stuff is as you say adulterated and frankly useless. The hing should be melted gradually in some ghee or butter and added to the dahl at the end of cooking, tarka style, the resulting aroma is amazing and yes this is BIR style, at least it's as done in the better establishments, IME.

Cheers
CoR

Quote from: Secret Santa on November 12, 2009, 09:19 AM


I looked for one but can only find 'cranberry and caramelised onion'! Not exactly BIR, but would add a seasonal touch to the curries.   

Indeed it would, lol, by chance I was in M&S yesterday checking out their Xmas fayre and they have a caremelised red onion chutney on BOGOF and very nice it is too, had a dollop (tech term) in last nights' lamb rogan josh, worked a treat.
Even if you don't like it in curry you get two jars of posh Marks' chutney for 80p each to have with your cheese crackers or, get this, the worlds' best toasty, red onion chutney, black pudding and (hot) English mustard.

Cheers
CoR

Quote from: CurryCrazy on November 12, 2009, 11:55 PM

They are what I would consider a "proper" bir. Been there for decades, same family cooking the whole time. Never changes.....fantastic food!


It was a shame to see the others win. I think it goes to show the traditional/old school  bir will soon be lost to those who think this food needs to be fiery hot and heavily spiced rather than balanced.

Why Do chefs think they need to innovate and try to be flash,  rather than producing what everyone already enjoys? 

It's what the producers think makes for the best telly, it's got sod all to do with the best food, IMHO.

You can bet the food whipped up by celeb chefs for the TV audience will be heavily researched and targeted at the TV spin off market, this years' new cook book etc, I very much doubt you'll find any of these dishes on offer in their restaurants, not that any of them actually do any cooking anyway.




Cheers
CoR

Quote from: joshallen2k on November 12, 2009, 04:34 PM
That looks pretty good. Kind of a BIR / Kebab shop fusion cuisine!

No question the traditional TA cuisine is changing... but is it for the better? I shudder to think of a day when all BIRs go the way of the Ashoka/Authentic/Fusion... and you can't get a Madras or CTM anymore.

That, I'm afraid is exactly what is happening. The BIRs T/As seems to be rapidly becoming an endangered species as they all transmogrify into kebab/pizza shops, you have to know the local area to be able to find a curry house these days and those that are worth patronising are even thinner on the ground, and don't get me started on the proliferation of the fried 'chicken' joints...yuk.

There's not just Clayton-le-Moors, don't forget Clayton-le-Woods and its near neighbour Clayton-le-Dale! Good to hear the Balti Stan is keeping up the high standards, must go back it must be more than 10 years since I last went (it was called the Sagar then, I think).
Padiham, heck of a place, but whatever you do be very wary of entering the Bermuda Triangle at the beginning of t'top 'o town, you may never be the same again, lol.

BTW, those from Padiham are Padihamers, those from Blackburn are Blackburners and those poor unfortunates from Burnley are, Dingles!!

Cheers
CoR

Quote from: Secret Santa on November 12, 2009, 03:11 PM




So what's this 'kobedi', never come across that before?

Oh, and is there any chance of a photo next time you get it? I've never seen one of these and I'm interested.

Kobedi or kobeda (loads of different spellings) is a middle eastern kind of overgrown shami kebab (the sausage shaped minced lamb things) and all the kebab houses do them up here, they vary in how they are made and level of spiciness but are cooked sometimes on a charcoal grill sometimes in a tandoor.
Don't know about taking a photo, if you took a camera into a T/A round they would probably think you were an 'elf 'n safety spy or something, but HERE is a link to a photo.
HTH

Cheers
CoR

Quote from: Panpot on November 12, 2009, 11:29 AM
Guys in some of the TAs in Glasgow you can order a thing called a hoagy or some similar name. They take a freshly cooked nan pile on top Shish Kabab, wait for it Donar kebab and in some places for a wee drop more pennies vegetable pakora and top with sauce and then they roll it up and serve it in a paper wrap.

The nans in Glasgow are huge compared to many I have found elsewhere in my travels and so this big all in one meal is something to see and taste. By the time the remnants of the nan is soaked in all the sauce and fatty residue it is probably a killer but tastes amazing. PP

That is a Kebab Roll or Naan Kebab round here, don't normally do them with pakora though. You can get Kobedi, which is a sort of overgrown shami kebab and 'salad' which is usually shredded white cabbage. Had a Special (lamb sheesh, chiken tikka, kobedi, donner, salad drenched in yoghurt/garlic and chilli sauce) on Naan, with fries last night for 8 quid, did me & 'er indoors for suppa with a pile of donner left over, great stuff.

Cheers
CoR

Not tried this particular recipe as I'm no big fan of CTM but do use mustard oil in a lot of 'side dishes' particularly dahls,  saag dishes, aloo gobhi, bombay spud and so on, and find it works very well. I wouldn't use it in a 'main' dish as it could clash with the spice mix and overpower the whole thing. Even in veggie dishes it has to be used properly, that is the oil should be heated to almost smoking when it changes from orange to an almost clear straw colour and then allowed to cool a little, as it has a high smoke point, before using as normal.
That said, I can't see 1/2 tsp in a marinade being enough to ruin a dish though.

Regards
CoR

Hello Dave

I lived in Padiham for about six months 20 or so years ago, given the number of T/As there I'm surprised anyone has a cooker let alone remembers how to use it, lol. Welcome to crO.

Regards
CoR.

BB and Joshs' experiences roughly reflect mine but I've had some success with the bunjarra, the only problem with it being the time it takes to make the stuff and it's so easy to burn it as well, not good.
There are lots of jars of onion chutneys/relishes in the shops which seem to do the job just as well, try Baxters and add a pinch of cinnamon and deggi mirch (if Delia can cheat, so can we!).

Regards
CoR.