Quote from: fourmations on October 08, 2005, 02:22 PMheat two or three tblsps of veg oil (tesco cheapo variety)

Niall

I think your very first step is spot-on for a start, and the rest looks very promising too. I went round the back of another Indian restaurant the other day. There were 3 or 4 empty (I assume) huge tins of Pride 'vegetable oil' and another 3 or 4 huge tins of 'economy cooking oil'. This restaurant is quite a good BIR, but I don't think they waste money on any special oil or very much ghee.

Regards
George

On a second read of the Grace Young article, I can't help wondering if "The Breath of a Wok" and 'wok hay' is some sort of wind-up. Books like this will stand out from a crowd and will be bought by people clutching at straws, like Feng Shui for rooms and over-priced loudspeaker cables which contain (or is it omit) a certain type of oxygen molecule for your hi-fi system.

Regards
George

I love BIR curries in the same sort of way I like Big Macs and KFC. It's pretty low quality and unhealthy but I enjoy this food from time to time. My love affair with BIR curries started many years before I had the privilege to taste Indian food at a couple of 5 star hotels in Delhi, and subsequently at other 5 star hotels in the Middle East; and at places like the Red Fort and Bombay Brasserie in London. Wow! The quality and delicacy of flavour is in a different league to the BIR style. I think we'll have to agree to differ on this one. Also, I don't like hot curries. I'm more intererested in fine flavours than the number of chillies which have been added.

Regards
George

Nessa

That's very interesting, thank you. I've always thought we should keep the flame on full blast, like the BIR kitchens do, for a start.

Regards
George

Quote from: Curry King on October 07, 2005, 07:31 PM
George you should have tried searching the forum before you bought the book:

No, I didn't buy the book, I'm pleased to confirm. The text in the middle of my message, inside quotes, is a review by someone at amazon. I had forgotten forum topic 277, though, despite being a contributor!

Regards
George

Or could he be a pen name for PC by any chance?

Also, I saw a fairly recent book by PC in a book shop yesterday called "The Modern Indian Restaurant Cookbook". It looked like a very minor update of "Favourite Restaurant Curries" as the following review also points out at www.amazon.co.uk

"I bought this as I have a few of Pat Chapmans books already, modern it said in the title so I bought the book to update my collection only to discover it is word for word as Favourite Restaurant Curries first published 1988. I feel the printers are wrong to give the impression this is a new book. I have given the book three stars based on the original book."
Source: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1843581345/qid=1128707959/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl/202-8345801-3220669

Will PC and his publishers stop at nothing? This 'modern' book was first published it says, in 2004 or was it 2005. Anyway, very recently. But it says this is an update from Pat's first curry book, 5 years ago! More like 25 years ago! Looking at this latest version, it remains the case that 99% of browsers would be almost 100% certain that it discloses 100% of the restaurant secret. If only they knew!

Regards
George

Quote from: paast10 on October 07, 2005, 03:28 PM
I have tried 5 restaurants in the Derby area and have only found 1 to have decent food.  I wouldnt dream of going to the other 4 ever again!!

Payal

I fear you may come to the conclusion that BIR style food is not all that many people crack it up to be. Last night I went to what I've long-considered the best local curry house around here. I'm sure the food was as good as normal but, somehow, I couldn't help wondering why I have such a fascination with this BIR stuff. Authentic Indian cuisine is so much better - perhaps all my time would be better spent learning more about authentic cooking, rather than pursuing this almost fruitless search (so far) for the BIR taste.

Regards
George

Great - I've had a pack of Kitchen King for about 2 years. I'll have to renew it and start experimenting!

George

Payal

I don't mean the specifics but, in general terms, do you know if they are using a powder or a paste or could it be anything that they describe as a masala?

Regards
George

Payal

Here are some more suggestions taken from the 1995 'Taj Good Curry Restaurant Guide' by Pat Chapman

Now before you all laugh:
- these places were voted into the 'Top 100' UK curry houses by club members, not by PC himself, and
- although the guide is 10 years old, I bet most of the establishments still exist. I know my local curry houses haven't changed much in the last 10 years.

The 'Top 100 UK' places listed for Leicester are:
- Curry Fever, 139 Belgrave Road, and
- Friends Tandoori, 41-45 Belgrave Road

Others which look promising include:
Akash, 159 London Road
Curry House, 63 London Road

So it lools like Belgrave Road and/or London Road might be a good starting point.

Regards
George