Cory / Ray

When I look at the seed they used, it does look like a very slightly smaller seed to fennel. Characteristically, its tastes as the name suggests, as aniseed, but you get a slight hit of heat at the very back of your mouth after the taste has dissipated.

I have now Googled aniseed and have a better idea of what it looks like. Looking closer at the seed in the onion mix, it is not uniform at all. Most definitely, there is aniseed in it and but also look like fennel seed is in it too. I will study the hi-res image tonight when I get home and make a conclusion.

When all is said and done, they refer to it as aniseed, so I will change the ingredient in the initial recipe above.

Josh,

I have had a stab at breaking this down in the topic Ray mentions. You need to scroll down through it to post six. This should do it: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4396.msg40688#msg40688

Having been given an open invite to return, I hope to see the base made up from start to finish. I will endeavour to take pictures and post it up as I have done here.

Ray,

Its all good, your were right to point it out, twice!

Ray, just caught the second post, Ingredients updated, sorry for the confusion.

Ray,

The seeds in Pic#1 are actually Fennel Seeds. They do appear to be slightly smaller than the seeds I have in my cupboard. When I asked what they were, the answer was 'aniseed'. It may be possible there is another seed that they refer to as aniseed as opposed to Fennel, but for me at least, Fennel fits the bill. I have no reason to doubt them.

In the hi-res picture, you can clearly see the make up of the seed. If anyone wants to see this, I am happy to email it on or photobucket it.

It is a requirement in law that when asked to see the kitchen, a restaurant owner is obliged to do so.

That said, you should probably try a more friendly approach. There is no harm simply asking. Or try starting a conversation and drop in "i'd love to see a dish being cooked, would that be possible?".

Jerry, its all new to me i'm afraid. Until arriving here, I had no idea what might go on behind 'that' door.

They only use the tomato puree in dishes that require it of course, not all dishes. 

I would like to thank both the owners and staff of the Indian Garden in Burgess Hill, for making me feel welcome and for the opportunity to see this Kitchen Demonstration. They were very supportive and answered any questions I had for them. I was even invited to make a few Bhaji as well.

Onion Bhaji Kitchen Demo

The demo was for an entire market bag of onions 25kg, these were halved and sliced and split between to containers. One holding about 3/5 the other 2/5. They were prepared the evening before and stored overnight in the fridge. This is only to do with volume and time aspect but may have an effect on the onion.

The ingredient list below is based on the larger pot of onion as shown in the pictures below.

Hf = Handful

Ingredients

15 kg Onions
8 Eggs
2 kg Gram Flour
1.5 kg Potato
1 Corriander bunch
1 Hf Aniseed
1 Hf Hot Chilli Powder
1 Hf Spice Mix (here: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4442.msg40694#new)
1 Hf Salt
3/4 tsp Egg Yellow Colouring

Method

The handful of Fennel was added to the onions prior to being bought into the kitchen.




The Coriander was washed and chopped, I noted the stalks were included.




The potato (which were described as large baking) were sliced into match sticks.




Both were added to the pot. I have posted this image for you to get an idea of how much potato was used.



The two mixed through. This shot gives you an indication of how much onion there was.




Next they added a handful of spice mix. This was then also mixed through.




They were very insistent that each added spice was followed by a mix. This is after a handful of chilli powder was added.



Once the salt had been through which was after the mix and chilli, they added the colour and the 8 eggs. (you can see how little colour is used). Again, this was mixed through thoroughly.




The final ingredient was the Gram Flour. This was mixed through in two stages. The guy making the bhaji mix must have some serious arm muscle as you could see how hard it was to continually turn the mix.

They explained that it has to be done by hand to prevent the onion from giving too much liquid back into the mix.




Once the mix was ready, oil was heated. I asked how hot and they replied, just enough to make a potato matchstick bubble instantly. I later concluded that the temperature was around 160c.

With wet hands, a portion of mix was rounded over and over. He was careful not to squeeze the mixture but too form it into a ball the size of a tennis ball.




These were dropped into the oil one after the other until the pan was full. They remained in the pan for an estimated 8-10 mins, before being removed to drain and cool.




Here is a batch having been allowed to drain off the fat.




And again close up.




Surprisingly, I was offered one to try and they were cooked through. Though the final cook would set the inside a little firmer.




The centre was cooked with a little give, the bhaji was very tasty and quite spicy. Apparently when the cool and rest for a day, the spice mellows down. I assume as the onion and batter adsorbs it.




From the demo I have tried to conclude the measurements for making at home. I have posted these on my onion bhaji quest here: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4396.msg40688#msg40688

Please feel free to discuss the measurements.

I hope this provides the insight we have all been looking for.

Cheers,

Malc

Recipe for smaller portion moved to here by CA:

I have just returned from my local restaurant where as some of you know, I have been for a demo of how to make a BIR Onion Bhaji. Gob smacked is what I am now.

For those of you who said I had too many ingredients, you were right. I am now going to refine my recipe to something like:

This is a sneak preview of the Bhaji Demo I am going to right up with pictures, this evening.

IG Onion Bhaji (Broken down from Kitchen Demo)

Ingredients

4 Onions (size about 5cm diameter)
1 - 2 Cups Gram Flour
1 tbl Corriander Leaf
1/2 Sml Potato
1 Egg Beaten
1/2 tsp Aniseed
1/2 tsp Hot Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp IG Spice Mix (here: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4442.0)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Drop Yellow Food Colouring (Optional)

Method

Half and slice the onions, cut the potato into match sticks add the Fennel and Corriander and mix. Add the Chilli and Spice Mix and mix. Add the colouring if using and the egg and salt and mix. Add the

I have edited my post to show that the spiced water is added to the onion with the whole spices having been removed. Just incase this wasn't understood.

As was pointed out to me by the chef, whole spices can't be blended into the sauce.

Perhaps one of the most interesting comments that he made was when I asked him what it was that makes one restaurant set apart from another, is it the gravy, the spice mix?

His reply: "Gravy and spice mix is purely a choice of the individual chef. Some work for themselves and others do not. We take great care to make sure the gravy and spice mix is made to our standards as it is our business, not somebody else's". "You as the customer decide what you prefer".

He also went on to say that the methods and recipes they use, are an amalgamation of cuisine common to different areas of India. Or as he put it, "we have picked a little from each". Keeping in mind they are from Bangladesh.

He also commented on how he didn't want his various dishes to appear the same as some other restaurants do. Explaining along the way, that the base was perhaps less spiced than others to give him more control when creating the dish. "I do not add tomato as I can add a little puree when I create the sauce". This was the point he showed me the tomato puree today.

I managed to quiz the chef about the puree he has stored in an ice cream tub. It starts out from a tin of White Tower as has been identified. But from that point, they do the following.:

Firstly, they add a good quantity of oil to a pan and fry off sliced garlic until starting to brown. They then add the tomato paste and and stir through the oil. It wasn't made clear how long for i'm afraid. Afterwhich they then add water to bulk it out and dilute the paste to a puree.

This will explain why I saw a deep rich red oil gathering on the sides and why the puree seemed more like a sauce. When lifted with a teaspoon you could clearly identify as a puree rather than a sauce as it had that typically grainy appearance within.

I am to return for more demo's and this will be part of the many questions I ask.

I am now aware that the tomato puree is another pre-processed part of many others that combine to make the BIR menu.

My conversations with the chef have been a real eye opener. It is clear to me, or at least in his kitchen, that each type of dish should appear to be different from another. He does not substitute quality for quantity or ease of application.

In the fridge sat many pre-processed parts. Pre-cooked Chicken, Potato, Mushrooms, etc. and a host of other components all treated in more than one way. Interestingly, most of the vegetables were pre-cooked using Panch Puran, particularly the potatoes.

Having returned from the demo I am somewhat in ore of the way in which they wield their magic in the kitchen. Specifically there for the Bhaji demo I was also trying to keep tabs on everything else.

I can't stress how very happy they were for me to watch and have openly invited me back for anything I want to get involved with. To say I am chuffed is an understatement.

What I did learn is that if you want any accurate information about what is going on you don't talk the brother who runs the business generally, you ask the brother that runs the kitchen. It would seem that some of the info I had been given was not entirely accurate, like the spice mix which was supposed to have the Panch Puran in it, which didn't. (Se IG Spice Mix https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4442.0 )

Anyway, I am hoping to get back to watch them make the gravy but I can add the following comments on how it is generally done, in their kitchen:

They fry Ginger & Garlic until lightly browned adding in 1 green pepper, spice mix and 1 chopped potato. The onions are added as well as half a lemon as is. A little water is added to prevent anything burning while the onions are softened.

While this is happening they simmer 6 cinnamon sticks, 6 bay leaves, 10 green cardomans and 10 cloves, in water for about 45 mins to infuse the water. The infused water is strained of solids and added to the onions and topped with just enough water to cover the onion whilst it cooks for a further 2 hours or so. It is allowed to cool before it is then blended to a thin sauce like consistency.