Sorry this is a long post . Why am I here writing this post at 6am you might ask. Last night , having bought fresh Coriander and Methi earlier in the day , I could resist no longer. It was about 10pm and I just had to make a curry. I asked my commanding officer if she wanted one but she said no, so it was still going to be made for 2 but one would go in the fridge or freezer and the other one to eat now. I quickly got to work with the pan, frying the usual ingredients ( no base this time ) . I used some pre-cooked chicken I had stored in the freezer so it was gonna be made as quick as I could. After 10 minutes I had the whole thing bubbling and was nearly to the end. In this time I had also made 2 Chapattis on my newly bought Chapatti pan. ( works a treat ). The only thing to do now was to HOT-UP the mix. It tasted very flavoursome but with NO Chilli in it yet, so I knew that once the red stuff was added it was going to be even tastier. I suddenly remembered that I had also bought earlier some "East End Green Chilli Sauce" ( see pic if I manage to attach it ). So, I decided to use that , then add chilli powder if needed. I put in 2 teaspoons of the "sauce" . Remember , this was a curry for 2 in the pan so you can guess approximate quantity. I did a small taste test and boy it was hot. I tried to calm it a little by cooking for a bit longer and adding more tomato puree and then decided to go with it so I dished it up. It all looked lovely. I put it on a tray complete with chapatti's and my usual glass of milk and presented the view to my wife as I entered the living room. Wow she said , that looks nice and it smells lovely.  On making a little scoop with a pulled off bit of Chapatti and sliding it into my mouth I knew there and then it was going to be a banger. It was lovely but very very very hot. Almost the hottest I have ever eaten ( but not quite ). because it was so flavoursome I carried on , thinking it might ease off as I got used to it. It didn't , but I kept eating and in between , needing to take larger and larger sips at my milk. I managed about half of it and didn't even get onto my second chapatti when I had to admit to myself I couldn't eat anymore. Jeeze it was hot.  ( yes it was tasty , so it's gone in the fridge to play with later ).
OK , now to THE KNOCK . What I'm asking is .... does anyone else get The Knock ? It's what me and the wife call it. Sometimes , when I manage to produce a cracking curry ( most are not, they're edible but average ). Some time after eating a "cracker" we get a sort of "bodily system earthquake". It's like all the spices in the curry have caused a shift in many bodily functions. My blood pressure may go up. Heart rate increase , Slight headache, feeling very hot ( not surprising that one ? ) uncontrolled sweating from top of head. Eyes feel like they're popping out a bit. Unable to focus properly. Stomach feels like it's a butter churn full of sloppy cement. After a while these symptoms subside and you're left with maybe a dull headache or a sort of hangover feeling. Now, this doesn't happen every time I cook a curry . I seem to suffer them more than my wife. The last one she had , she said she would never have a curry again ( but she has ) . Anyhow , this is what happened to me last night . I had a knock. Hence me being up from 5 am today and sitting here now typing this up.  What I want to know is ... does anyone else get "THE KNOCK" ?


If you use this sauce. ** WARNING ** ...... ITS HOT , use very sparingly.

Thanks , Unclebuck , All noted and read the whole of the link page. Very informative too.

I have been using mostly dried spices in my curry making exploits , all except ginger and garlic and of course the onions and meat which I buy and use fresh. A few months ago I discovered a smashing Asian supermarket in Rotherham and today I bought fresh Coriander and Methi . Megga cheap at 29p each for BIG bunch ( or 5 bunches for a quid ! ) . Now these single bunches are about the size of 2 normal lettuce so you can imagine how much there is ... far too much for me and the wife , that is unless we have curry every day for a fortnight.  ...... so, my question is , whats the best way to store these ?  in the fridge ? or in my cold cold workshop ?  or in a bucket of water ? or in ice ? and theres the question of in the dark or shade or light and even as with some fruits , with something else that helps preserve them. I don't want to dry them as I have loads of dried stuff anyway. All answers will be considered with due anticipation of a suitable recommendation.  oh yes , and also wondering where they get them from . Are they grown here in UK , outside or in greenhouses ?  Thanks all

Quote from: George on May 09, 2008, 04:42 PM
Mehernosh Mody, of London restaurant La Porte des Indes, demonstrates how to make Chicken Vindaloo:

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/broadband/vhub/index.html?channel=lifestyle&id=5329

I clicked the link but it shows .... " How to carve a Turkey " . Tried it several times at different times but thats what it shows.  Maybe the links bad ? Having said that , I tried using Turkey in a Curry a few times ... it was rubbish. Gobble Gobble .. Not !