Hi Guys

I have recently had a number of meetings with Parvez (owner) and Latif (head chef) of my local takeaway here in Lincoln (1 mile from the city centre).

Latif, used to run cookery courses (NE Lincs) for traditional Indian cooking. Both Latif and Parfez speak perfect English.

He has now confirmed that he is prepared to offer an 'advanced BIR cookery course' in the take away kitchens.

The course will be for 6 hours on a Tuesday (date to be confirmed next week) for BIR style cooking only, and will take place BEFORE Christmas.

Price will be no more than 100.00 (tbc) and will be for 8 people maximum.

He will require a non-refundable deposit at time of booking (how much I don't know yet).

I have provisionally reserved 2 places for Admin and Curry King .. so there are now only 5 places left.

I now putting this out to invitation on first come - first served basis to fill the remaining 5 places.

I can help to arrange B & B if required.

I will confirm details next week but let me know if you're genuinely interested.

SnS  ;D

A few days - maybe a week Bobby.

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on September 27, 2008, 06:45 PM

Quote from: SnS on September 26, 2008, 10:45 AM
I now wonder whether potatoes are really necessary and if the the SnS Base (or Saffron) could be improved by NOT using potatoes.

I've been leaving them out since the first time ;D

Why did you not mention this when you first 'endorsed' this base Bobby. Are you now saying that the base is better without the potatoes in - or have you never used them at all - so nothing to compare with. 

Regards
SnS

I guess from the response regarding the spuds, a few here appear to totally disagree with adding them to the base in the first place.

Maybe this is just a Saffron chef thing.

My local takeaway doesn't use them in their curry base - although having shown the chef the base recipies (both Saffron & SnS 2008), he wasn't surprised at any of the ingredients and didn't say that spuds should not be used.

SnS 

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on August 31, 2008, 12:24 PM
Hey Ast, good to see you back! This base really does it for me too! It really is fantastic, not like most other home made base recipes atall. Possibly my favourite, although now the B.E. is very much up there. I would like to try this base again blending the garlic and ginger in water first and see what difference it makes.

Did you ever get round to doing this Bobby? Did it make any difference?

Cooking your own smoked food at home is easier than you may think. You can smoke food indoors or outdoors, experiment with different wood flavours, and add your own spice blends to create something completely unique. In parts of America, this is the ONLY way to barbecue. So why not get yourself a bag of oak chips and a joint of venison, and have yourself a South American shindig this summer!

Smoking for Flavour
Hardwoods, like oak, beech, hickory and maple, are normally used for smoked food. The meat, fish, or cheese is placed over smouldering wood chips so that the smoke penetrates it and deepens the flavour. These woods contain sugar molecules that produce a caramel flavour, although these molecules don't typically penetrate much deeper than the surface. But they also contain antioxidant compounds, which help to preserve the food. Foods that are smoked for a long time - dry cured - are even better preserved, since they're too dry to accommodate bacterial growth.

Equipment for Cooking Smoked Food
Building your own fire pit is a traditional method of smoking food. It's more laborious than using a ready-made kit, of course! Essentially, you're digging a pit in the ground that will be filled with hardwood. When it's smouldering nicely, add a layer of 'flavouring' woodchips 'like oak, then suspend your food items from a hook in the underside of a cover (which could be a metal bin lid). In the deep South of America, smoked food is rubbed with spices before being put into the fire pit. The food can take hours to smoke fully, depending on its size.

Choosing and Using Woodchips
There are several British websites specialising in the American art of barbecuing. Look out for BBQ packs of wood chips, which are available from some supermarkets and larger shops or online smoked food specialists. You can choose from oak, maple, or unusual woods like cherry and plum. Discerning smokers can pick up different flavours from each. Whatever wood you choose, make sure that you soak it in water for an hour before throwing it onto the fire.

Cooking Smoked Food at Home
Once you're hooked on smoked food, you'll have to invest in a stovetop smoker. These stainless steel cookers sit on the hob, filled with a layer of woodchips, and you simply put your food onto a rack and cover with the lid. It's safer than a firepit - provided it's not left unattended - and you can use it over any heat source (simply to keep the wood gently smoking).

If you'd prefer to connect with nature while you're smoking - the way they do it in the deep South (USA) - then try a BBQ smoker. It's just like an ordinary kettle barbecue, but the lid has an airtight lock, and an exterior temperature gauge that enables you to keep a steady smoking temperature. It doesn't cost much more than an ordinary family barbecue, and you can grill burgers as usual too.

Having just read BB's report on the purchased take-away base, Bobby mentions that the base was too thick and that he had to add water when cooking the Madras.

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2991.msg26490#msg26490

Both the Saffron and SnS 2008 Curry Base recipes use potatoes (albeit a small amount). Potatoes act as a thickening agent and probably have little affect on taste. Due to the viscosity of the base (particularly the SnS Base), adding some water during the curry cooking stage may then necessary - not a good thing perhaps?

Despite what the Saffron chefs recommend, I now wonder whether potatoes are really necessary and if the the SnS Base (or Saffron) could be improved by NOT using potatoes.

I will be trying this next time on the SnS 2008 base. In the meanwhile has anyone made the SnS base as per the recipe but omitting the potatoes? What were the Results, etc ..)

SnS 

I have a number of new (boxed) stainless steel Brinkmann Smokers for sale ;D ;D.

These would normally retail at 199.99

see here http://www.thebbq.co.uk/item/smoke___q__n__q___grill_stainless_steel/

If anyone would like to buy one of these at a special members price of 85.00 + 15.00 delivery (UK mainland only), please mail me.

For each smoker purchased through the forum, I will donate 5.00 to Admin's forum fund.

If you haven't tried this new healthy method of cooking, I can highly recommend it (smoked chicken is bootiful).

I also have a number of large 1/4 inch steel Brinkmann smokers for sale. As they are very heavy this would be on collection basis only.

SnS  ;D

What curry (recipe) are you using to cook with it tonight Bobby.

Look forward to seeing the results.

SnS 

Wecome to the forum FTF.
Another chile grower! ;D

SnS