Thanks very much for the reply, Curryhell.

It looks like I need to experiment with the high speed high heat technique.
It does seem that some chefs use quite chunky chopped garlic and others use a virtual puree of g/g. I would have thought it would be easier to burn g/g when it is finely pureed.

Cheers,

Paul

Just a few questions guys while it is still fresh in your minds if you don't mind:

1 Garlic/Ginger paste. Was this smooth like a puree or chunky i.e. not fully blended.

2 I guess the g/g went straight into the hot oil first. Could you tell whether it was browned before any other ingredients were added?

3 Were the powdered spices next i.e. mix powder and chilli powder?

4 When did the first quench with the watered tom puree take place? And was this cooked hard before the first base?

If it's on any of the videos then I'll take a look there but I was following the thread at work and can't see the videos there.

Cheers,

Paul

Lol, just seen my last post above martinvic's from over 2 years ago. The 17 litre pot was a mistake really as I don't need more than about 9 litres, ever, and the big pot takes up a lot of space. I'll buy aluminium next time.

Paul

Hi CH,

There is 100% evidence that hydrogenated veg oil and trans fats are really bad for you.
Governments in the western world are trying to eliminate them from fast food and ready meals by legislation if necessary. I think McDonalds and KFC have managed to eliminate them.

You're right about everything in moderation but cooking and eating an oily curry 3 times a week using this stuff is far from being moderate. Basically any vegetable oil that is solid/waxy at room temperature has been hydrogenated unless it is a tropical plant oil like coconut or palm oil.

I don't want so say anymore as the information is all out there and it sounds negative in light of what you guys have just experienced and I think there will be a leap forward for cr0 in what information you have and will be posting.

For example I've never got that chilli cooking experience whereby you feel like coughing so I now know I have to get to grips with cooking (singeing) my spices better.

I don't think the use of veg ghee will be the deal breaker on what you have learnt.

I would say CH, don't throw away your recent purchase but experiment with that and also with butter ghee and normal veg oil and see how much difference it makes to the final taste.

Cheers,

Paul

I have to agree with George regarding vegetable ghee. It really is nasty stuff due to the hydrogenated and trans fats which are far worse than saturated fat for your heart and arteries.

If you like the ghee taste I would mix a couple of teaspoons of quality butter ghee with whatever vegetable oil you normally use. I do this myself sometimes and for some dishes I use pure butter ghee.

http://begumskitchen.com/GoodGhee.aspx

I don't mean to be a party pooper but there is really no question that veg ghee is bad news.

Cheers,

Paul

Thanks for the post jb. Interesting the 60:40 ginger/garlic ratio as the base posted by Terry (ifindforu) from his TA also used more ginger i.e. 2:1 ginger/garlic. When the final curries are cooked the g/g paste used is then 3:1 garlic/ginger. You wouldn't think they would bother to make up 2 different g/g pastes.

Cheers,

Paul

Hi Chewy,

Is the 1 tablespoon of salt correct? I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that as I'm now on a low salt diet due to elevated blood pressure.  The curry only looks like enough for 1-2 people.

I still fancy trying this out but with less salt.

Cheers,

Paul

I also thought this base was a bit hot on it's own due to inclusion of fresh chillis. It wasn't a problem for me as I don't make kormas or anything else really mild. Just an observation. The curries I made with this base were very tasty.

Paul

Noble Ox, can you give us any credible links that show that cooking (not storing) even acidic foodstuff causes an aluminium overdose in humans? If you ever eat in any restaurant you will probably find that nearly all the pots in the kitchen are made from aluminium.

Paul

I have the book too but for a beginner in particular it may prove frustrating as the recipes are not very precise and all this talk about "dipping" here and there is a bit vague, especially to a newcomer to BIR cooking.

I would recommend Cory Ander's recipes for somebody new because he has done a great job of documenting all the recipes he has produced. If you need help with the links to find these recipes just let us know.

Cheers,

Paul