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Messages - flavorjunkie

#21
I just found this link to Ashoka's menu for Chasni...
Click on "A Taster"
Each time you refresh using F5 (that's the function key 5) you get a different
recipe.
You may need to use F5 a few times to get Chasni.
http://www.ashokacookbook.com

#22
BIR Main Dishes Chat / Re: Ashoka Recipes
January 02, 2009, 06:04 PM
I have just used the Ashoka kit to enjoy a Chicken Jalfrazi which I adapted from my usual recipe. Most enjoyable.

Here is the recipe...

Chicken Jalfrazi Ashoka
=======================
In this recipe I used my cut down version of the base sauce, onion/garlic paste and bunjara - Making no claims - it's simply what I previously made and it worked well with the Bhuna..
Variation: If you prefer your pepper cooked more add it at the same time as the chicken.

1 marinated cubed chicken breast - Ashoka style
1 tbspn oil
150 ml Ashoka base
1 tspn Ashoka garlic/ginger paste
1 tbspn Ashoka bunjara
0.5 green pepper
2 tspn green chilli
2 tspn fresh ginger
1 tspn medium curry powder
0.5 tspn coriander seeds
0.5 tspn ground cumin
0.25 tspn hot chilli powder
0.25 tspn salt
1 tspn tomato puree

Preparation
===========
Cube the chicken and marinate Ashoka style.
Grind the coriander seeds to a powder in a pestle and mortar. (freshly ground is much better)
Deseed the pepper and slice thinly.
Finely chop the ginger and green chilli.
Make a curry paste by mixing the curry powder, chilli powder, ground coriander and ground cumin with 3 tspn water.
Mix the salt and tomato puree into the curry paste and add another tspn of water to make a fairly thick paste.

Cooking
=======
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the Ashoka garlic/ginger paste and cook, stirring, for 30 secs. (it will spit)
Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 30 secs.
Add half of the Ashoka base, green chilli and chicken and cook for 4 min, stirring as is usual.
(probably not necessary but add a little water if needed to prevent drying out)
Add bunjara and cook, stirring for 1 min.
Add rest of the base, ginger and green pepper and cook for 4 min - ensure chicken is thoroughly cooked.
(again probably not necessary but add a little water if needed to prevent drying out)

Pics as follows are...
(1) Ingredients
(2) The onion paste, curry paste and bunjara
(3) The finished dish

#23
BIR Main Dishes Chat / Re: Ashoka Recipes
January 01, 2009, 07:33 PM
I used dried just because that's all I had. :-[ It should really be fresh, but dry herbs are often ok when cooked in a dish although the quantities need to be adjusted as the potency is different. I would never use dried coriander as a late addition or a garnish.
#24
BIR Main Dishes Chat / Re: Ashoka Recipes
January 01, 2009, 06:15 PM
Have no concern I respect the confidence in your receiving the information and would never violate that.
I wiull endeavour to add the pics now.
The first one in the ingredients for the bhuna chicken, the second is the bhuna dish and the last are some of the ingredients I used which were different from that specified. I am waiting for a delivery from 'Spices of India' so will use these asap.
I will modify some of my curry recipes to use this base and post the results. I have about 24 different curries many of which I'm sure will be suitable for this kit.
Now hopefully for the pics...
#25
BIR Main Dishes Chat / Re: Ashoka Recipes
January 01, 2009, 04:04 PM
I understand individual portions are typically BIR style but I came at it from the cook book direction, so started off having to cut down ingredients. This is an issue as ingredients do not scale proportionally and even different ingredients must be scaled separately. Someone somewhere could do a doctorate on this subject I think.
However I will post here just what I did as a first try - was very pleased with the results. A cut down version can't be the same as a full version, but it might encouraged some to pursue things further after a gradual start.
I commend you for your efforts, it is certainly much better that other published stuff I have tried. My own base sauce is on my web site and it is interesting that 'your' base sauce combined with the bunjara produces a similar result to my 'fried' base.

Here's what I did...
Some of the wording is taken directly from your original posting.
I didn't have some of the specific ingredient so I used what I had.

Garlic/Ginger Paste
====================
60 gm     Garlic
40 gm     Ginger
0.5 tspn  Turmeric
50 ml     Oil

Chop ginger and blend all ingredients.
Heat until beginning to fry and flavours are released.
Allow to cool.
Keep covered with oil.

Bunjara (Onion Paste)
=====================
125 gm     Onions
60 ml      Oil
1 inch     Cinnamon stick
1          Bay leaf
0.75 tspn  Cumin seeds
1 tbspn    Garlic/ginger paste
0.75 tspn  Turmeric
0.25 tspn  Salt (heaped)
0.25 tspn  Garam masala (heaped)
0.75 tspn  Chilli powder
0.75 tspn  Tomato puree
2 tbspn    Passata

Finely chop the onions.
Heat the oil then add cinnamon stick and bay leaves, stirring until flavour is released.
Add cumin ceeds and once crackling immediately add the onion.
Continue to stir, scrapping down from the sides of the pan. The onion should be cooked dark and caramelised but never burned.
Remove the cinnamon and bay leaf.
Add the garlic/ginger paste and stir round before adding the spices, salt and tomato puree.
Continue to stir and then add the passata and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Take off the cooker and cool adding more oil to cover it. Keep under oil.

Base Sauce (600 ml)
===================
300 gm    Onions               
5 gm      Ground cumin         
6 gm      Salt                 
To cover  Water           
10 gm     Tomato puree
10 gm     Garlic/ginger paste 
1 gm      Chilli powder
1.5 gm    curry powder
2 gm      Turmeric
20 gm     Coconut block
25 gm     Vegetable margarine
25 gm     Oil

Chop the onions.
Add onions, cumin, salt and water (to cover) to a pan and bring to a boil.
Cook until the onions are tender, adding water as needed to prevent drying out.
Add the rest of the ingredients, blend and simmer for 1 hour adding water as necessary.
Add water to make 600 ml and mix well. (can blend some more if needed)

Chicken Marinade
================
1          Chicken breast     
1 tspn     Garlic/Ginger Paste
0.25 tspn  Salt               
0.25 tspn  Turmeric           
0.25 tspn  Chilli powder
1 tspn     Tomato Puree

Cube the chicken breast and mix everything by hand, then add a little oil and gently mix again.
Marinade for 2 to 4 hours.

Chicken Bhuna
=============
1 portion  Marinated Chicken
1 tbspn    Oil
1 tspn     Garlic/Ginger Paste
1 tbspn    Tomato Puree
1 tspn     Dried Methi
1 tspn     Dried Coriander
0.25 tspn  Garam Masala
1 tbspn    Bunjara
150 ml     Base Curry Sauce
0.5        Green Pepper (optional)

Deseed and chop the green pepper into chunks (if using).
Heat oil, add garlic/ginger paste and tomato puree and stir round pressing into pan and stirring with the back of the chef's spoon for 30 seconds.
Add methi, coriander and garam masala stirring and scraping constantly down from sides. (can optionally add green pepper at this stage)
Add marinated chicken, stir round until browned (about 4 min but depends on heat)
Add 1 tspn of bunjara. and keep stirring for 1 minute.
Add rest of bunjara keep stirring for a minute.
Add a little curry sauce, stirring continuously as you slowly add more and more, stirring as you go until correct consistency constantly scraping sides till chicken is cooked through.
(At this point add hot water as needed to keep from drying and to get the desired consttuency of the sauce.)

I can post pics if there is any interest.
#26
BIR Main Dishes Chat / Re: Ashoka Recipes
January 01, 2009, 12:32 PM
I have been cooking seriously for several years and as I cook for just one person I had an immediate problem - how to cut down recipes that are usually for 4 persons.
As I gained experience and confidence I realised that I had never cooked a curry and didn't know where to begin. As is my nature I began to research and started with a book "best ever curry cookbook" by Mridula Baljekar. It was on offer at 4.99 at a garden centre.
I was very pleased with some dishes (reduced to single portions) but disappointed with others. So I asked myself how do high street restaurants do it? So, more research during which I stumbled upon recipes that included base sauces which I duly made with average results. Cooking for one, the process of making loads of base sauce with average results was just too much trouble so I devised my own method that was more suitable for me.
This used a frying method rather than boiling. The results were excellent and I have stuck with this ever since. To share this information I have had a web site devoted to cooking for one person since the beginning of 2008 and this has a largish curry section.
I can give you the address if you wish but am not seeking to promote this, it
is just my results from independant research. (you can actually see this in my profile)
It was during this research that I found my way to this site and have been a member since August 2008 but have never posted as my approach seemed in some conflict to yours.
I regularly read the posts and have been especially interested in the Ashoka forums.
I just couldn't resist trying this method and have done so albeit in a very cut down version, making just 600 ml of base along with reduced gailic/ginger paste and reduced bunjara and I have just enjoyed the Chicken Bhuna.
I will cut this short now but can post my cut down versions and pics of the results if anyone is interested.
I will curry on regardless  ;).