Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on January 08, 2025, 04:45 PM
Oh yes, now you mention it, I do remember Vencats.  But the fact that it was "by Sharwoods" is little in the way of recommendation ... !

I had no idea Sharwoods had been around for so long. I like the recipe in the Vencat advertisment. Not often you see one where the curry is cooked in an oven. Expect the great Ronnie Barker researched this for his Indian chef sketch. So (paraphrasing) where he adds, ... Or, you can cook it for 350 hours at 2 degrees F.

Rob

Quote from: bhamcurry on January 08, 2025, 02:44 PM
Bob, thank you so much for posting your mum's curry recipe. It brings back fond childhood memories of comfort food.

Reckon we were well fed back then. Unlike the current chicken nugget generation. Even the kids' menu at the TAs now just have nuggets, and more nuggets, or similar. I was pleased see, however, that after tracking down a TA that I used to go to many years back in the North West, they have a half portion of chicken korma (and chips) available, as an alternative to the nuggets, so there is still some hope for future generations.

Rob

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on January 08, 2025, 03:08 PM

Quote from: Kashmiri Bob on January 07, 2025, 11:24 AM
My mum's curry recipe from the early '70's.

And in exchange, my late mother's transcription of her late mother's recipe for Christmas Pudding — the truncated part would have read "Barley wine" before it was partially obscured by parcel tape ...  Better (IMHO) than any of today's commercial offerings, good tho' some are ...


--
** Phil.

That's one seriously rich Christmas pud recipe Phil. How it should be. Think I have another cooking notebook somewhere with mum's Christmas cake recipe. May be lost though. Could have been in the loft. Don't go there often these days. Not that long ago I could hear something scratching about. My neighbour insisted it was just house sparrows, so I ignored it, for several months.Turned out to be a scurry of squirrels. Loads of them. Absolutely trashed everything that was stored up there beyond recognition.

Rob

Distributed in the UK from 1893, apparently. Old India (Amazon) do a Vencat, but with not so many ingredients. Bhamcurry may be right though. I can just hear my mum saying, we'll try this cheap one first. It'll be just as good.



Rob

Found it. 12 inches long.



Rob

Oh yes, that's it all right livo! Right down to the Vesta inspired rice presentation. We didn't get step 10. Chutney instead of sugar. It was invariably a chicken curry. Would love to see your photos from the book. I recall now mum going to evening cookery classes at a nearby school. She will have almost certainly got the recipe from there. The home menu got much more adventurous thereafter. The norm was liver and onions, with mash and peas, Fray Bentos, also with mash and peas (and gravy). Fish & chips (sometimes from the chippy). Dad would also have tripe and onions, once a week. I never understood how he could eat the stuff, not sure mum did either. Suet pudding, chips and peas, served with several rounds of white bread and butter, was a regular delicacy. All leading up to the obligatory Sunday roast. Didn't change much, except for special days, like pancake Tuesday (always with sugar and Zif lemon juice).

Then the fancy dishes started. The sweet & sour pork, with rice. The spaghetti bolognese served over hot buttered toast. The curry! Large oval plates for this. When I started making my own curry (from recipes here) I bought two such plates, with the intention of making mum's, but never got around to it. Remember breaking one. May still have the other, will have a look for it.

I still use Onion's suggestion for posting photos (imgbb). It's free and works a treat for me. A few clicks and it's done. Resizing not needed. If the photo is uploaded with the wrong orientation it sorts this out too. I think just a username and email address is all that is needed for registration. Don't get any pop-ups or ads with it.

I wonder what curry powder was used. Can't have been that much choice back then.

Rob

Keto diet life.

Kashmiri lamb chop starter with garlic mayonnaise.




Kashmiri chicken masala. No rice or crinkle cuts.



A side of Saag bhaji would have been an ideal accompaniment.

Rob

My mum's curry recipe from the early '70's. Reckon I will have a go at making this at some point. Sweet  & Sour Pork too. A pickled onion. Hmm.



Rob

I remember the breast meat premium, but much later in the North West and Yorkshire. Could be just demographic differences. Or, perhaps I wasn't really paying that much attention to curry houses and dish names at the time.  All I recall from the 70's was my mum's homemade curry, which included dripping and sultanas. It was very nice. The only other option was Vesta. My parents opted for a Chinese restaurant mostly. For dessert we always had banana fritters. They were seen as real treat back then.

Rob

Quote from: livo on January 04, 2025, 09:08 PM
Rob, are you aware that cooked rice which has been cooled and refrigerated for 16 to 24 hours, a then lightly reheated, contains less carbohydrates and has a lower glycaemic index than it does freshly cooked?  It develops resistant starch in the cooling process which is not digested and your gut treats it more like fibre. It still has carbs,. though less than freshly cooked.  Or so they say.

Thanks livo. Good to know. I freeze my rice in TA containers. My resolution has unfortunately not got underway yet. Jus one more portion to go though. There is a low carb bread over here called Livlive. It's OK, full of nuts and seeds. Only place I have been able to get it from is Waitrose. It's not exactly cheap as far as bread goes.

Rob