According to Vedis book i have here; if your panir is too rubbery or breaks up too much then you have used too much lemon. I cant say i know much more than that, hope it helps.

Ashes

Quote from: Chilli Prawn on November 03, 2006, 11:21 PM
you s*ds   You have set this up to drag me in......

With respect CP this is open for any member to comment on.... This was not or is not (on my part) a plan to get you to reply ( i have too much respect for any member who wishes not to be apart, you know how i feel), there are plenty of qualified members here who can (if they want to ) interject. This is a serious subject; has the BIR curry garlic powder in it? Well i think i haven't had so much success with it, (as i said before, don't take members words as complete truth) a lot seem to reason that it has. As i also said, it makes sense to use it but i don't think its apart of the taste as a whole.
It goes to make a richer flavour although don't use too much of it. (don't take my word for it.. experiment)

Regards Ashes

Quote from: Mark J on November 04, 2006, 08:03 AM

Quote from: Ashes on November 03, 2006, 09:07 PM
i have also read that the day after eating a curry some people get very dehydrated

I always put this down to the copious amounts of salt and MSG in the BIR curries

Yes Mark this could be the answer!

I'm very sorry to hear this!

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Ashes

There are few reasons why i suspect you are right about the garlic powder, i have also read that the day after eating a curry some people get very dehydrated  (might be the amount of lager that accompanies the curry? ) some have said the amount of garlic powder they put in their curries..  But i suspect darth that garlic powder is added to some BIR but it isnt the secret, what ive seen, it seems to be a flavour filler, that's to say, something that adds to the over taste but not "the taste" or directly to "the taste" in itself, the fried garlic could very well be apart ( how big a part i dont know) of "the taste".

But as i said, try it out, experiment and post results. There are many members here, if only a few post their results we will have a better idea. But as i said; people must clarify how much of the taste they think it contributes. IE: non, some, quite a lot or all of "the taste"

Regards Ashes

I can only comment on how i have used powdered garlic, but i once thought it was a major part of the secret (because of others comments) but i haven't had that much success with it.

But as i said before, that doesn't mean that members shouldn't experiment. If i was to say, "absolutely NO" then there would be some who wouldn't even use it, not because "Ashes said it" but because we tend to accept what other members say without trying ourselves. After saying this, it makes plenty of sense that BIRs would use flavour enhancers and flavour fillers and if something works well i would imagine they would try and add it to the flavour.

So the jury is open on this one
Ashes

Yes Darth I have tried powdered garlic in Pat Chapmans curry powder recipe. Powdered garlic might be a fill out flavour in the taste.. but the taste is so much more than one ingredient. I suspect (as said) its garlic + technique? Garlic, other spices + technique.. ah the pot thickens 

Ashes

Yes Mark, "real Balti" (which is a British phenomenon) use dried fenugreek leaves (The fenugreek plant grows wild from the eastern Mediterranean area to China. Its cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop.The name fenugreek or foenum-graecum is from Latin ( ;)not saying a word) for "Greek hay"). Apparently the Romans used to feed their horses with it.

The BIR curry and real Balti are "British", meaning that although origins are Asian/Middle Eastern, the taste and techniques have been developed by the British Indian restaurant trade, yep, although you can get an BIR curry in europe, unless it is tradionally cooked or traditional "restaurant" cooked, it has originated in the U.K.

We have spent years (centuries) eating Indian food and quite a few years eating Indian restaurant food in the U.K (and proud of it we are  too!!!)! But the U.K scene has a specific flavour, so whether fenugreek is a part of that scene or not can?t be judged by anyone who hasnt tasted the U.K BIR food. I am talking about traditional BIR curry, not Tamarind or any other trad type food outlet.

Hope this helps 
Ashes

Darth it could be the way the garlic is added to the base, i know the French take about the core of the garlic as its usually bitter and it harder to digest., also garlic is  strange, when boiled it can retain a kind of flavour that you wont get when it is fried. hard to explain   
but mark says his local has the taste, so this could very well be the beginnings of a new search into the world of garlic? Garlic does fit a lot of criteria for the taste and its one of those Spices/vegetables/fruit?/herbs that gives a fuller a flavour. It also helps stink out the car/boat/tent/igloo or wherever you live. Also Mark wrote "add garlic and then when it is brown they add the tomato paste with a little water (no spice this time), he said its important to get it bubbling otherwise it wont keep for long.". Doesnt "the taste" keep for "too long"? i.e., it diminishes after a while?

I hope this is part of the taste, really do, then we are half way there!  ;D
regards Ashes

This sounds like it could be something!! Hope someone tries it out soon, i was wondering whether to ask if someone had made a curry with a ridiculous amount of garlic in, as there cant be too many smells that give off such a strong smell as garlic, and i suspect garlic is apart of "the taste" but i reasoned that loads and loads of garlic would be time consuming and uneconomic and also probably not taste that good (you ever over garliced a dish?).. but a technique using garlic might go a long way towards the "the taste"?

Thing that concerns me is; CP said that he hadnt discovered the "the taste" but im almost certain he knows all about tomato frito so maybe it isnt part of the taste?

Mark, the restaurant which you say makes this, does it have the taste?

Ashes