Quote from: George on July 18, 2020, 10:11 PM... when I smelled kewra water before, the aroma was minimal ...

Well that's strange. My bottle of KTC kewra water is well over a year old and yet it is still very pungent. Also, do you get any familiar aroma from the meethi attar or is it entirely new to you?

Quote from: George on July 18, 2020, 06:57 PM
Secret Santa - where did you read that meetha attar is from screwpine oil?  I just found a youtube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMUm5149QVk

...where several ingredients are listed including kewra, rose, saffron and cardamons. If so, it's more like a blend based on someone's recipe, or perhaps various brands vary, somewhat like garam masala.

I think you may be right George. I can't find the sources I used when I first Googled but having another look around it seems there's no one answer and it may be that each manufacturer is slightly different. Kewra essence did seem to be a constant though. But what did seem to crop up many times was the rubbishing of most of the brands as being inauthentic. In particular one web site said stay away from Amazon! I am interested to see what you make of your comparison of it to actual kewra water.

Quote from: George on July 18, 2020, 01:17 PMI must compare it with kewra water. If they are based on the same source elements, maybe the Meetha Attar is somehow superior ...

My brief Googling suggested that the meetha attar is the concentrated screwpine oil from which kewra water is made. Really all it means is that instead of adding a glug of kewra water you would instead add a few drops of the meetha attar.

It will caramelise in any pan if you don't stir it. You just won't necessarily see it sticking, which is how most people would interpret it as having caramelised. Aluminium pans definitely not essential. They are used in BIRs for the reasons you state but also because they are cheap and because they are light.

Quote from: curryhell on June 28, 2020, 04:23 PM

Quote from: Secret Santa on June 23, 2020, 05:14 PM
I can't say that I've ever seen a BIR curry with whole garlic cloves in it.

Really Santa?

Really!

Out of interest when would you say they started using whole garlic cloves? Do you think it's a relatively recent thing?

Quote from: Robbo141 on June 28, 2020, 02:07 PM...I love an egg over certain rice dishes ... Just can

The easiest way to make some spiced oil is to add excess oil to a curry as you make it and spoon it off at the end. Et voil

Quote from: Unclefrank on June 26, 2020, 09:52 PMHere is an example Garlic Chicken video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8VpCC7TRZc

Blimey, they're not mean with the garlic are they! Between the whole cloves and the chopped there must be a whole head of garlic in that. Just my type of curry though so I must try it at some point.

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on June 26, 2020, 06:05 PM

Quote from: Secret Santa on June 26, 2020, 04:20 PM
I'd love to know if it's the missing aroma from pilau rice that I am still trying to obtain.

The "missing aroma" is not missing from Syed's pilau, Santa

Quote from: George on June 26, 2020, 03:20 PM... have now ordered some on amazon - expensive compared to kewra and rose waters.

You're not kidding!

I wonder though, at the price of