Quote from: Curry King on December 15, 2005, 02:59 PM
Spanish Onions

Spanish onions are a large yellow storage onion, as round as a globe.? They usually have a slightly higher water content and so generally are less hot, sweeter, somewhat crisper and more perishable then the storage onion.?

Hi CK
? ? ? ?you have more or less said what the chef said
He said there was too much water
The onions they buy are in these large knee high red netted bags
You can get a bag for around ?1.50 or ?2.00 from my local asian supermarket
I bet the restaurants get a big discount on that too

Quote from: Mark J on December 15, 2005, 02:10 PM
Pete you forgot the chilli powder ;D
Your account of the base sounds very similar to the guy I talked to, again there was very little spicing in the base for 30+ onions.

Hi Mark
I haven't tried to duplicate the spice mix yet
But the chef was insistant on only the five spices I mentioned
He held up his hand when he said "five" so I am sure there was no misunderstanding
I have seen him use chilli powder in cooked curries so I guess he just adds chilli powder later
I also asked about using dried methi leaves in the base and he said no
Again, he uses it, but when a only when curry requires it
What really surprised me this time was how watery the curry gravy seemed.
It had about the same liquid consistancy as a cup of tea
There was also this lovely red oil floating on top too

I think your 30 onion curry base recipe is the exact real thing
I will never be able to make it though
It's too large for me to cook
I also think that you do need to make it in bulk to get the "magic" happening

Quote from: naga dave on December 15, 2005, 04:58 PM
Hi Pete,
Did the pre cooked mixed veg's look as though they had been cooked with spices, were they coloured / crusted / coated , or did they look as though they had just been boiled ?The same goes for the meat when you have seen it done with that, spiced or just boiled?
I'm asking because it is my belief that the main ingredient is responsible for a lot of the flavour,the curry gravy providing the background.
Dave.

Hi Dave
? ? ? ? ? I wondered about the main ingredients carrying a large part of the flavour too.
Indeed the vegetables had been precooked in oil, salt and spice and a little water
The veg end up, really quite dry
The veg were a bit oily and yellow with a very small amount of the mixture it was cooked in.
They hadn't just been boiled with spices and water
It's more intense than that
As I understand, it is very similar to the precook methods in the Kushi book
But having said that
Prawns are not precooked with spices are they?
I have seen them cooked and they just thawed them out
They were used at my prawn madras demo the other month
That curry was very tasty and not lacking in any flavour

I conclude all the flavour we love comes from the
curry gravy
curry gravy oil
garlic ginger puree
and the spice mix (which is mainly aroma)


And the most important part is the curry gravy
Someone else, try and buy some when you next buy a curry
It can't hurt to ask
Just say you want to cook with it, they will probably be amused and give you some
All these chefs seem to be really nice people and once, they know you are not a threat, will love to talk about cooking
Call in when it's quiet
Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday nights are good

I also wonder if covering the curry at the end, and making it really hot, has an effect too
We need more demos

Hi Ck
        that's one thing I would really like to see
I think it's the most important part of the curry
The trouble is that it takes so long to make
It's a small kitchen too, so you get in the way very easily
Maybe I will get to see parts of it being cooked, but I doubt I will ever see the whole thing
Someone said they might be getting a demo (for a price), didn't they?
Was it Gary (woodpecker)?

Veg Vindaloo

I know most of you probably don?t have Vegetable Vindaloo very often, but it?s a goal of mine to make it.
I had another demo with this dish
The fact is that weather it?s a veg, prawn or chicken vindaloo, they still have the taste of the amazing sauce with them
In truth, I think that?s the best part

Ingredients

3 ladles Curry gravy
Curry Gravy oil
1 desert spoon sliced fresh mushrooms
1 precooked small potato
1 desert spoon  garlic ginger puree (looked like a yellowy thin horse radish)
1 desert spoon tomato puree (thick paste)
1 desert spoon restaurant spice mix
1 teaspoon coriander/cumin mix
1 ladle precooked mixed veg
1 desert spoon canned chick peas

Heat ? a ladle of oily curry gravy in a pan
Cook for a minute
Add the mushrooms and garlic ginger puree and fry for a couple of minutes
Add the tomato puree and restaurant spice mix
Stir until it dries almost out
Add the potato
Then add a ladle of the curry gravy
Stir another minute and add the mixed veg and chick peas
Stir a couple of minutes and reduce down
Then add the last of the curry gravy along with the coriander/cumin mix
Stir and add a large spoon of Curry Gravy oil

I have seen this done a couple of times now:-
The chef covers the pan with an upturned frying pan and lets it fiercely boil for a couple of minutes
When he took the frying pan, off the top, the aroma was fantastic
As always this was a superb curry

I asked for some of the spice mix and, they are such nice people, they gave me some
It?s a ?darker than turmeric? colour
It was explained that it?s made of five spices
Turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika and curry powder
I have compared it to the Bruce Edwards spice mix.
It?s very similar but has slightly more paprika
It tastes and smells almost the same

The spices don?t add any real flavour to the curry, when cooked for such a short time
They really just add aroma
I have asked on several occasions for extra sauce with my curry
They serve this in a side order carton
This extra sauce is made up from just the curry gravy, curry gravy oil, garlic ginger puree and spice mix
The only thing that has to be right, to make this succeed, is the curry gravy
However we are making the curry gravy, it has to be good enough to eat on it?s own
I was given a large sample of that too
And I did eat it on it?s own
It?s very,very nice
It has that ?eat the lot of it? flavour with a taste of  oily, boiled, fried onions with a slight spiceyness
The curry gravy is the only area where there is still some element of doubt
The closest , on this site, is probably Mark J?s full sized base
I was told, to make up the large pot on the stove, you need a lot of onions
The chef gestured to a large washing up basin
He said he fills  that with the peeled onions
It probably would hold about 30 onions (same as Mark J too)
He said never use Spanish onions
They are far too watery
There isn?t much spice in the gravy either
For this base only about 6 desert spoons of spice mix

Hi Darth
? ? ? ? ? ? I am sure we are trying for two different flavours here
Sometimes though I can make a curry, twice in an evening, and get a different quality
Who knows?
I'm glad you tried it though, sorry it didn't work out
Did you use the curry gravy oil, though?
That gives avery strong flavour & aroma to it

Hi Darth
            I have just eaten a sample of curry gravy that I was given, from a restaurant.
I never meant to
It was just so nice
I was intending to cook with it instead
You know, when people can cook as well as these chefs do, it makes me wonder why I bother.
They are brilliant every time and you don't stink out the house.
I get no end of complaints

       

Looks fantastic Darth (even at 9 o' clock Sunday morning)
Is this the place that has helped you with recipes?

Strange as it seems, all the recipes I have include egg except the ones by Pat Chapman.
The ones without egg can an end up like a biscuit, and the ones with egg can end up like a cake.
I've just bought two packs of naan from my local asian shop.
They are really nice if you microwave them
They are soft and very tasty
A real comfort food in this weather
The ingredients are:-
wheat flour, water, milk, yoghurt, oil, raising agents, egg, salt, veg fat, yeast, onion seeds and sugar.
I don't put yeast in mine.
You can cook naans using a "tava"
This is a flat metal frying pan which has no sides
You always cook without oil
You superheat the tava on your cooker, and cook one side of the naan
You then transfer the naan to your preheated grill, to do the top
I've had some very good results

Sorry Mark
               I just had to say something
The dough can be kept happily in the fridge covered by cling film or a plastic bag
I don't know how long for though
Before cooking, you must let it warm up a little first
See?
I never mentioned tandoor once!

Quote from: raygraham on December 09, 2005, 09:12 AM
I know of many Asian's who love BIR curries

I was told when Asians buy a takeaway curry, they are not served the same dish as we are.
The spicing is changed
One thing, I remember from the conversation, was that they are far more heavy handed with the cummin.
When you ask for these curries, they also have a special name
It may still be a Rhogan Josh or a Madras, but it has an added title, and does not taste the same.

Hi Stew
? ? ? ? ?I just tried again uploading the old way
No Joy!