Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on November 14, 2012, 12:43 PM
I haven't watched the videos yet (lack of time) but do wonder whether the restaurant is really going to attract customers by portraying their kitchen in such an unfavourable light ?  The poster frame of the video in post #1, whilst undoubtedly realistic and perhaps even typical of such restaurants, will surely put off the more fastidious customer, will it not ?  I think if I were the owner of the Viceroy Brasserie I would get the kitchen staff to give those pots, pans, range and surrounding area a d@mn good scrub and then re-record.  Bob, you are currently in a commercial kitchen : how are its cleanliness standards compared to the Viceroy's ?

** Phil.

Just checked it out on the FSA site, and it scores a 'generally satisfactory' 3 rating (so better than many). http://ratings.food.gov.uk/search/en-GB?bn=viceroy+brasserie&ba=abbots+langley&sm=1&st=1&pi=0&sc=%2fsearch%2fen-GB

As you say, Phil, it's undoubtedly realistic and typical, and a bit of a pree video clean up wouldn't go amiss, but as Chewy says, at least they're genuine. I've certainly been in worse kitchens. (I remember one in the Wapping area where the kitchen was right next to the toilets, where I was surprised to find a 25kg sack of onions... Food was superb though.)

It may well put off the more fastidious diner, but I'm definitely not in that category!

(Edit: thanks for the heads-up, George. If I'm in the area I'll pop in to taste chef Imam's fare.)

Quote from: harley on November 13, 2012, 11:20 PM
Tried Mr Naga and while nice it wasn't for me or anything like I've tasted in Madras or Vindaloo. Seems more like something in side dishes or more new trendy orders. Interesting how even a quarter teaspoon had taken it in another direction. Didn't overpower thankfully but not the route I was looking for or been on eating curries. Perhaps some TA BIR do use this and its certainly distinctive so if they do you certainly need this.

Interestingly I was watching Julian from c2go, he's got video on it and many others but get the feeling he's on about a certain type of takeaway that I don't go to.

You're dead right, it does take a dish in a different direction - gorgeously so, in my view. You need to be careful though, as it's one of those things your tastebuds embrace with time and regular exposure, until the day comes when you realise that you can no longer live without your daily fix. 

In fact, over the past few years I've become hopelessly addicted to the stuff, adding it to pretty much everything I eat. It gives a lift to literally any dish. It's gorgeous in dhals, egg sarnies, salad dressings, soups, stews... To the horror of all in the household I even added some to a spag bol the other night - much to the benefit of the spag bol, I may add. (Though I can't see Spag Bol Naga ever becoming a restaurant staple somehow...  ;D)

It is the crack cocaine of the chilli world.

You have been warned!

Nice find there, GOTG - many thanks for sharing.

I love looking behind the scenes in BIRs, as you always come across new delights (I like the ingeniuous use of washing-up bowls to contain the pre-cooked meats in this kitchen. There's practical thinking for you!).

As always with these kitchen clips it made for interesting viewing (good to see a healthy amount of stock being spooned in from the pre-cooked chicken bowl. Something I like to do myself, but not all BIR chefs do this.)

The vindaloo looks good, but I've only had time to take a quick look at it, and was puzzled by a couple of things. First, apart from the addition of what he calls a 'naga' paste (which for some reason he attributes to the use of North African chillies), I didn't see any spices being added (unless they were in the chilli paste?). I may have missed it though, so will go back and have a closer look later.

And there are another 20 vids to check out, too.

Splendid.

Quote from: stevejet66 on November 11, 2012, 10:26 AM
All noted, i know its no big deal, however over the past 20 years ive got most of the books of how to cook bir's curries at home. kris dillion, pat chapman, the curry secret, the balti selection to name a few, non of them really come close to the taste, if you trawl the internet like i do i found no end of new websites all offering more or less the same recipes over and over again, tried them non of them again replicate the bir taste, its called jumping on the band wagon for publicity, promoting there product/business and so called knowledge, i'll stick by my guns! if the books/videos held the true secrets then forums like this wouldnt exist. i shall still bash my pan and share my bases with all, We will take victory ;D

Good on you!

It sounds very much like my own quest for the BIR taste, which began in earnest back in 1980-ish. (I too have all those books you mention, and more, as I reckon do many other forumites here.)

Quests for the BIR taste are highly individual, and are based on many disparate factors, and it's really difficult to appreciate or understand exactly what you or anyone else is searching for and trying to achieve (without meeting up and going for a BIR in your area that produces the taste you're after, of course). For what it's worth, for me, the taste I've been chasing I discovered in Glasgow in the early 80s (1981). Trying to explain it is impossible, but I know exactly what it is I'm after, in the same way that you know exactly what it is you're seeking.

The thing is, I don't come on this forum in search of the BIR taste any more, or in search of any 'secret'. In my humble opinion, I've been able to recreate BIR quality (or even, at times if I dare say it, better) at home for a good while (even, on occasion, to the standards of my holy grail of Glasgow circa 1981), and all my research has led me to the inescapable fact that there is almost certainly no 'secret'. Instead, I think that the difference between a great, good and indifferent curry is down to the skills of the chef - not some elusive, mythical missing secret ingredient or magic base.

While I'm more than happy with my BIR cookery results at home, I will say that there is NO WAY I'll ever be able to match the finest exponents of the art. I've been blown away by some BIR chefs and the amazingly intense, deep and flavoursome curries they can produce, but this is down to their skill and knowledge, not a 'secret' ingredient.
But that's just my take on it, and there's no saying that it's the right one. 

Unfortunately, these super skilled and knowledgeable chefs are few and far between these days...

Anyway, whatever the taste you're striving for, I wish all the very best and hope you find it - and of course share it with all of us here!

Quote from: stevejet66 on November 10, 2012, 07:43 PM
ive also watche julians clip again on youtube, again i listen and watch very carefully, again he showing you how to create a bir curry base at home, then in the next breath after hes added the spices tells you the spices are the most common added but they are basic! then says every chef adds his own secret. so why go on youtube showing you how to cook them then derails everyone!

I'm pretty sure this has been covered elsewhere on this forum, Steve.I emailed Julian about this when the video came out, as I noted an unidentified off-white powder amongst the spices he adds to the base, which I suspected it to be fenugreek powder (it was). This is the only 'secret' missing from that base video, and to be honest it's no major deal.

He said he didn't mention it as he regularly makes three different styles of base for C2G (Bangladeshi style/ Indian style and Pakistani style), and only one of them uses fenugreek powder. In the ten minute slot allocated by YouTube, his objective was to simply present the method to enable you to produce a good, all-round base, and then to cover everything (and the three different styles of base) more fully in his eBook.

Which I thought was fair enough.

The good thing is that, with Julian and all the curry warriors here, the answer to a query is only an email or post away...

I'm a sucker for a good bit of folded steel, so thought I'd check this out.

http://www.kinknives.com/gordon-ramsay-limited-edition-knife/gordon-ramsay-limited-edition-kin-knife-170mm-87.aspx

What a beautiful looking blade!

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on November 08, 2012, 11:01 AM

Quote from: Salvador Dhali on November 08, 2012, 10:30 AM
It's impossible to avoid scratching it, as the curry cooking technique involves much stirring and scraping with your chef's spoon.

With the greatest respect, it is not impossible !  All you have to do is to use the same soft utensils as you would use with a Teflon^(R)-coated pan : nylon or wood.  Even though I have now ceased to use Teflon^(R)-coated pans, I continue to use the same utensils as I always did.  The benefits are two-fold : far less clatter when cooking, and an unscratched pan

** Phil.

You are of course correct Phil. I should have clarified that it's impossible if you use a metal chef's spoon.

Personally, I love the clattering (though I accept that others in the house may not share this love), and while I'd obviously use a wood or nylon utensil if using non-stick, I find that nothing beats a stainless steel chef's spoon for scraping off all the glorious goo that adheres to the sides and base of the pan. (Though you don't get so much of this on the sides when cooking on an electric hob.)

Aesthetics aside, I don't think the scratching caused by spoon action mars the pan's performance in any way. I could be wrong, but it's not something that seems to trouble BIR chefs. Some of their pans look like they've taken direct mortar hits!

I guess it's a personal thing. I like cooking kit that's seen some service and has 'bedded in' nicely. (I've always secretly coveted Chewy's battered 12 year-old pan: Madras on Vimeo)

Unlike black iron / carbon steel woks and pans, which definitely do require seasoning, I've not found this to be the case with aluminium, and have found the best way to 'season' an aluminium pan is to put it on the hob, whack the heat on, get some oil in there and start cooking with it.

It's impossible to avoid scratching it, as the curry cooking technique involves much stirring and scraping with your chef's spoon.

Besides, you don't want it to be too non-stick. One of the advantages of the ali pan is that it helps you to achieve that 'roasting effect', whereby the curry sauce caramelises slightly, intensifying the flavour. (See this for more: The Curry Pan)

Quote from: stevejet66 on November 06, 2012, 04:53 PM
I find shan powders leave my mouth very dry, like ive just eaton a pack of talcum powder.

Thanks Steve. I'd hazard a guess that the salt could well be to blame for that then....

Quote from: stevejet66 on November 06, 2012, 12:23 PM
mangal chicken masala mix, sold in all asian supermarkets, you can google it and look at images, DO NOT BUY SHAN MASALA'S, they are not very good.

I just wondered why you don't rate Shan, Steve. For me it's the salt content, which is often number one or two in the ingredients list. I'm a salt lover, but even I find it too much. (Not over keen on artificial food colouring, either.)

They're not the only company guilty of piling the salt in. Laziza mixes are pretty salty, too.

Here's what goes into three readily available Chicken Masala/Curry mixes:

MANGAL
Turmeric, Cardamom, Roasted Cloves, Coriander, Cumin, Chillies, Black Pepper, Mace, Salt.

SHAN
Red Chilli, Salt, Papain, Turmeric, Star Aniseed, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cumin, Brown Cardamom, Carom, Black Pepper, Mace, Fenugreek Seed, Bay Leaf, Clove, Green Cardamom, Ginger, Citric Acid (E330), Garlic, Natural And Artificial Food Colours, Screw Pine.

LAZIZA
red chilli, coriander, salt, black pepper, cumin seeds, dried garlic, dried ginger, caraway seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek leaves, culebs, food colours Yellow E102 Yellow E110 (FD&C Yellow 5, Yellow 6) 

Personally, I prefer to make my own mixes, but if I was going for one of the above I know which one it would be...