The obvious similarity is that they are both acidic (acetic and citric acids) and relatively tastless in small quantities. I would imagine that a pinch of powdered Citric Acid would have the same affect and this would be to do with pH adjustment of the water rather than flavouring.

Water chemistry variation can play a significant part in the final product of many things.  Consider beer and whiskey for example.  Perhaps cooking rice in low pH (ie acidic) water gives the desired texture and separation of grains.

Quote from: Secret Santa on May 26, 2023, 09:45 PM

Quote from: livo on May 18, 2023, 11:57 PM
The pickling spice blend I use Tempest is completely different. I always use Yellow Mustard Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Dill seeds, Allspice berries and European Bay Leaves.

That's European pickling spices livo. Tempest is talking about achari pickling spices which are, as he stated, essentially panch phoran.

Thanks Santa.  I had no idea.

I believe a large part of the issue with tomato is the skin and seeds.  My wife avoids nightshades as well and I seem to recall her talking about tomato skin and seeds.  Perhaps worth looking into.  Over here I can purchase tinned whole Roma's that are already skinned and removing the seed pulp isn't too difficult.  I've also made my own puree and Napolitana sauce in the past, which involves skinning and deseeding. It was a pretty easy process involving cutting the skin and boiling then chilling etc.

It started back in November last year when we catered for a crowd at my mother-in-law's 80th.  We served little slider buns with pulled chicken, beef and pork and these required a kraut, so I went about making it.  It turned out so well that I've now made 2 more batches.  If I see cheap cabbage, I buy it. There are plenty of instructional videos out there and I watched a few, but I found this guy to be really straight forward and a reliable and repeatable process.  I did exactly as he instructs, and it worked.  The most important thing is to keep everything clean.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Laj1-whtBs0

As for flavourings, I pretty much just copied the flavours that were in some ferments my wife had been buying from a business run by her work colleague, but you can have it plain or use whatever takes your fancy.

The pickling spice blend I use Tempest is completely different. I always use Yellow Mustard Seeds, Black Peppercorns, Dill seeds, Allspice berries and European Bay Leaves.  Sometimes I will add a few Coriander seeds.  I'll have to give the 4 spices you list a try.  My great grandmother (Mumma) used to do the best pickled onions using this blend and she would also stud the onions with whole cloves.  After a year in the jar with Cornwall's Malt Vinegar and a bit of brown sugar they were delicious.  Hmmm!  I think I need to go and see if I can buy some small pickling onions.

I've recently been experimenting with fermented foods, and I've turned out a few really nice Sauerkrauts. Green and red cabbage plus grated or julienned carrots are the base and then I add flavours such as dill weed and coriander seed or garlic, ginger and turmeric etc.  I work on a 2.5% - 3% brine solution and they are turning out really well.  No added water as you just allow the salt to draw the water out of the veggies for a few hours, tossing it over in a big bowl every hour before packing into the fermenting jar.  After a week or 2 depending on temperature and desired level of fermentation, you then transfer to sterile preserving jars and pop it away in the fridge.  Colder climate could go in the cupboard.  Really yummy and apparently very good for your gut as well.

Perhaps simply "I wish to make a British Indian restaurant style Chicken Dhansak".  I doubt you will find it would give a vastly different result.

Phil, if you haven't yet tried it, I highly rate Misty Ricardo's pre-cooked lamb method.  The flavour and texture is wonderful and it will lift any lamb dish.  I recently used the same method for beef (slow cook short rib beef taken off the bone) and it was just as good.  Give it a try next time and you won't be disappointed.  The leftover liquid from the cook is a delicious stock and adds wonderful flavour when added to the dishes.

https://mistyricardo.com/pre-cooked-lamb-recipe/

Looking at the Desi Style Mix Powder ingredients is quite intriguing, assuming they are listed in descending order of amount.  The other possibility is that the 5 main ingredients (or some of them) are used in equal quantity. I have just reviewed the list of mixed powders and find none that have Garam Masala in large amount.  Most have only a small amount or none at all and usually Madras Curry Powder (or just curry powder) are higher up the list.  Given this ingredient list, in comparison with other widely used powders, I'd be inclined to go with the latter and first try the 5 main ingredients used in equal parts.

*   Turmeric Powder
*   Ground Coriander Powder
*   Garam Masala
*   Cumin Powder
*   Madras Curry Powder

My first attempt would be to make a small batch using a standard GM and Madras Curry Powder.  Following up on this I'll try to work out possible ratios for the GM and Curry powders made by CBA.  Give me a few minutes and I'll be back.

Garam Masala:
After a quick search around I found one formula for a Garam Masala that pretty closely resembles the ingredient list with a few clear (expected) omissions.  Dagar Phool (Stone Flower) is pretty rare, and you wouldn't really expect it. Some say it is a missing flavour from Restaurant dishes.  I'm not convinced having bought and used it.  Triphala, I'm not surprised, is missing and it seems to be more Ayurvedic than flavour.  No chilli but you could add as desired, no Caraway and no salt.  Listed as the last ingredient it is probably only trace anyway and not really required.  Salt to taste at any time in cooking process.  I guess it could have some preservative effect on the mixed masala.  Cumin powder is well out of proportion, so I've changed it to reflect the order of ingredients as listed.

Coriander,  2 TBSP
Black Pepper, 1 TBSP
Bay Leaf, 4-5
Cloves, 2 tsp
Cinnamon, 6-8 pieces (size unknown but I'd be going on ordered volume so say 2 tsp of ground)
Cumin, 2 tsp (formula I found says 5 TBSP making it the highest amount)
Black Cardamom, 2 pieces or 2 tsp ground
Chilli, not used
Dagar Phool, not used
Nutmeg, 2 tsp
Triphala, not used
Star Aniseeds (sic), 6 pieces ground
Long Pepper, 8 - 10 pieces
Ginger, 10 grams (2 tsp)
Caraway, not used
Javitri, 10 g
Salt not used.

So based on these amounts, 2 tsp of most everything added to the top listed coriander and pepper should get pretty close.

Or, you could modify and use Natco Garam Masala, which contains most listed ingredients including Stoneflower and Triphala.   

Curry Powder next but it'll be later on.

I may be a sceptic, but I find it extraordinary that the exact ingredient list, in order, is to be found on the Natco Madras Curry Powder.

https://shop.natcofoods.com/products/curry-powder

I can't buy it over here, so I'd be looking at proportions to recreate my own using the same ingredient list.

Further information and nothing too difficult.  You may not get exactly the same, but it would be quite easy to get very close.

I would think the reference to Ha Ha Haldi (Turmeric) Mix Powder is a mistake and it is simply Turmeric.  He sells no Haldi Mix Powder.

Desi Style Mix Powder contains (in order of quantity you'd assume):

*   Turmeric Powder
*   Ground Coriander Powder
*   Garam Masala (Coriander, Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cumin, Black Cardamom, Chilli, Dagar Phool, Nutmeg, Triphala, Star Aniseeds (sic),
     Long Pepper, Ginger, Caraway, Javitri, Salt)
*   Cumin Powder
*   Madras Curry Powder

This is the same ingredient for the Garam Masala as the blend sold separately and the only spice I don't have is the Triphala.  I'd probably consider it optional anyway.

Cosy Curry  ( Is this the Madras Curry Powder used in the Desi Style Mixed Powder?  Probably.)

*   Coriander
*   Turmeric
*   Cumin
*   Salt
*   Gram Flour
*   Chilli
*   Mustard
*   Fenugreek  (I'd assume seed)
*   Fennel
*   Garlic
*   Black Pepper
*   Star Anise

Rather than derail the other thread I'll answer here Phil.

I've only ever cooked saag aloo once and as I recall, it was good.  Whether it was Chef Faz's recipe or not, I can't remember, but it looks familiar and it was around the right time. * ^{see below}.  We had a garden loaded with lush silver beet.

I asked him about the naming / contents of his spices in the comments on a different video.  I'll try to find it.  I remember searching for desi style anything and ended up concluding that it simply means from India.  Chef Faz is not likely going to say what's in his mixed powder and I would have used whatever I had made up already at that time.  It may have been my own "lowest common denominator" blend or quite possibly Syed's roasted one at that time.

Edit:  "desi is our own blend of mixed powder".  July 2021 Chef Faz.

Phil, if your transcribed Saag Aloo recipe is from a more recent Chef Faz video, then it wasn't the one I cooked and was well pleased with.  I'll look through my box of printed recipes for a Saag Aloo as this will be the one I used 2 years ago.  I would still dare to say that you could give that version a go anyway.  His recipes are pretty good.