Spicey,

Quote from: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:59 PM
Seems like you did then!

Sorry, I thought that you meant whole or even dried but yes, Kashmiri mirch, MDH brand.  I know that it shouldn't make a difference but I only use MDH as I believe it to be the best.  I tried another brand recently and it was utter junk and got binned after 1 outing.

Ray

Hi Spicey,

Quote from: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:32 PM
And my understanding of the 'toffee smell' or smokey flavour that I define it as, comes from 'caramelisation' and not the correct cooking of the spices!

And that theory may well be correct my friend.  I would add though, that there is also garlic and in some cases tomato puree in the oil at the same time as the spices, which will both no doubt release sugars but to what extent, I wouldn't like to guess.

Ray

Hi Spicey,

Quote from: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:33 PM
Out of curiosity, did you use Kashmiri chillies in your Rogan Josh?

I didn't, is that what you know to be in an RJ?

I do add a few standard thin green chillies towards the end and I have replaced my chilli powder with kashmiri mirch, but that is my personal preference.

Ray

Arrr, the 'toffee' note, I get you now.  Well, my understanding of the 'toffee' note is, when the spice hit the oil, a good indication of when they are cooked properly, is an apparent aroma of toffee ascending up the old hooter.

I'll be honest again, it doesn't actually smell like toffee to me but come to think about, I probably could describe it is a 'smokey' aroma.

Ray

Spicey,

I totally understand mate.  My recent post on Rogan Josh demonstrates what you mention.  I'd not had an RJ for the best part of 20 years, and it's not a dish that I usually order to be honest but, I had friends over that asked me if I could make them one, and not one to shy away from a challenge, I gave it my best shot.

I ordered 4 different RJ's from 4 different TA/BIR's in my area to get an understanding of the flavours.  Each had a slightly different taste, 1 being not very good at all really, but they all had whole spices in them, more to the point, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay.  I'll be honest with you, I did think that the flavour was initially coming from Garam Masala (let's not go there eh? ) until I started to bite down on a cardamom or two.  Anyway, understanding what the common denominators were, I felt suitably armed to proceed with creating my own recipe.  Judging by the kind comments received here on cr0, I believe that it was a success.

Recognising flavours of individual ingredients in any dish, and knowing how to get the best flavour out of 'said' ingredients is a very useful skill to have.  I still wouldn't describe it as 'science' but either way, it should result in you being able to create a wonderful curry.

Ray

Hi Spicey,

Quote from: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 12:18 PM
Yes. How do you get the smokey flavour in a BIR style curry on a standard kitchen gas hob and without resorting to high flame burners in the garden.

I'm not sure that I get "smokey" in my curries?  Certainly not from my favourite TA and BIR's, and I've eaten in many!

Sweet, yes.  Savoury, yes. Creamy, yes in certain dishes but I can't really say that I get smokey?  Unless our idea of smokey is something different.  Just checked through 8 menus that I have in my kitchen cupboard and the only item that one of them describes as smokey is their chicken/lamb tikka starter.

I assume when you say smokey, you don't mean like smokey bacon or smoked haddock, or even smoked paprika?

Ray

Hi BMB,

Not a CTM fan myself but that aside, it looks like you have done a great job there, well done and sorry for a delayed response to your pictures and videos.

Ray (not pretending to be friendly, I am friendly...........most of the time!!!!)

Hi Chewy,

Quote from: chewytikka on December 24, 2011, 01:01 AM
A good Bengali expression, there are five fingers on your hand - All different.

How very true my friend, infact, one of my fingers even looks like a thumb??

Ray ;D

Hi CH,

I'm so sorry mate, I still haven't had a chance to try this one but if this is your final cut, then I guess hanging back was no bad thing, especially now you believe that you have cracked it.

It does remind me very much of a good Jal Frezi in parts, then the addition of mango and pakora dipping sauce takes it further on.  I'm guessing that this dish is going to be rich, sweet and spicey?

It looks really good, and it should be because I know how much effort that you have put in to crack this one.

Very well done my friend

The tandoori masala, is it your own or a branded variety?  I ask because your dish looks quite a deep red, something similar I would say to my rogan josh but I do use colouring in that and you have no mention of it in your list of ingredients?  I know some TM's do have red food colouring in them, hence the question.

Ray

Hi Pete and Chris, hope you're enjoying the festivities

I do understand Spiceyokookos position even if our beliefs are somewhat different.  My understanding is, he wants to cook the best BIR food that he can, and possibly better his favourite restaurant.  To do that, he needs to understand the science.  He strikes me as a very meticulous person, which is no bad thing.

My own view is this; I love cooking, I love curry, I love this forum, I love the chase, I love the learning but most of all, I love the fun aspect of it.  If I was to adopt a scientific approach to my cooking then, I don't know, it would kind of take the fun out of it, for me at least.

The hints and tips that I glean from this forum have taken me from being a frustrated home cook, to a quite "accomplished" home cook (if I say so myself) producing very tasty food, enjoyed very much by my family and friends.

I have gone from a "Jack the lad" type character, who went on the piss nearly every Friday and Saturday night (Friday with the lads, Saturday with the missus) to an amateur chef/cook, enjoying very much this curry malarkey.  Now, my house may smell more like the 'Gates of India' (local eatery) these days and I know that pisses her off no end, but I've saved an absolute fortune (not on curry stuff BTW) on beer and expensive nights out.

I wish spiceyokooko all the best in his quest and I'm confident that he is determined enough to find what it is that he requires to realise his expectations.  I feel like I'm almost there, certainly 100% with some dishes, maybe 95% with others, which I suspect is the case for a lot of you guys too, and, if we're being honest, I bet that is the case for a hell of a lot of TA's and BIR's...!

Have a great day tomorrow guys, and wishing you all a very happy new year,

Ray