This recipe was posted in "BIR Recipe Requests", so I thought it might be helpful to move it to here.  It works a treat (with bhajis, papadoms, etc) and is based on the recipe found in Pat Chapman's Curry Bible:

-  225g yoghurt (Greek is good)
-  1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
-  1/2 tsp garam masala
-  1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
-  1 teaspoon bottled mint jelly (or sauce)
-  1/4 tsp mango powder (amchoor)
-  1 tbsp fresh coriander (finely chopped)
-  pinch of salt (or to taste)
-  couple of drops of green or yellow (or other colour) food colouring (optional)
-  1 clove finely chopped garlic (optional)

Simply blend all of the ingredients together.

Here is a photo of the Mint Raita (with a couple of drops of green food colouring) with Onion Bhajis (made to my recipe):

Just for completeness, I checked the energy consumption of my (bog standard) domestic gas cooker (natural gas), as follows:

• Smallest burner = 4 MJ/h (1.1 kW)
• Medium burner = 7 MJ/h (1.9 kW)
• Largest burner = 12 MJ/h (3.3 kW)

I think I read somewhere that Mark J thinks that a typical restaurant burner is about 4.5 kW?

So, thereafter:

• Typical barbecue wok burner = 18 MJ/h (5.0 kW)
• Darth's "Hot Wok" = 25 MJ/h (7 kW)
• My "soon-to-be toy" = 59 MJ/h (16 kW)
  

To try to put things into some perspective, I notice that those large, outdoor, free-standing, propane driven, patio heaters typically consume about 18 to 40 MJ/h

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on October 07, 2006, 01:19 PM
...I have contacted the actual Manufactures & they have replied & confirm that this is a 7kw Gas Burner (i had my doubts & still do, I'm sure some of you peeps here will be able to clarify).
It is supposed to be an equivalent to a 7000 Watt Cooker, does this necessarily mean it is 7kw in Gas terms.

Hi Darthphall,

I presume 7 kW (ie 7000 watts) is the power consumption of the burner using propane gas.  This equates to an energy consumption of approximately 25 megajoules per hour (ie 25 MJ/h), by my reckoning.

I know that the wok burner on my barbecue has an energy consumption of about 18MJ/h??so I?d say that a power consumption of about 7kW (ie 25 MJ/h) sounds about right for this burner.

Anyway, who cares, as long as it gets bloody hot and the curry catches alight!  ;D

?..I?m going for a 59 MJ/h (approximately 16 kW) burner!!!!!!!!!! ??..whoooooooooooooooooooooosh!  

Hi Jock,

Looks like fun Jock!   ;D

Do you know the input energy consumption of your burner? (in Mega Joules per hour.....MJ/h?)......there should be a sticker on the burner somewhere?

I'm just about to buy a similar burner but I'm not sure whether to go for a 32 MJ/h (three valve) burner or a 59MJ/h (4 valve) burner......

......awwww.....what the hell!  I think I'll go with the 59 MJ/h one...I can always turn off one valve if I'm having too much fun! 

Hi Marc,

I generally add 2 tbsp (or so) of almond powder ('meal") to my Tikka Masalas (see here:  https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1182.0) and Kormas (see here:  https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1183.0)

Simply add it towards the end of cooking (together with any coconut, etc)

I sometimes also use it my hotter curries......if my fancy takes me 

It is particularly useful for thickening up a curry that is otherwise too runny. 

Although I've never tried it, I guess you could also try a drop or two of almond essence, for a stronger almond flavour, but be very careful not to overdo it! 

Hope this helps?

Sorry guys, maybe I?ve lost (or am losing) the plot! 

I appreciate all that you say about the importance of techniques in replicating ?that BIR taste?.  However, it seems to me that the ingredients simply MUST play an equally important role, and that the secret to unlocking ?that BIR taste? requires using both the right ingredients AND the right techniques (the right techniques will require the right equipment, of course).

For example, I went through a spell of roasting and grinding whole spices to make my own garam masala, curry powders and curry pastes.  My friends were well and truly impressed!?. :

BUT!?the curries, that I then produced, were simply too overpowering (and the flavours were not sufficiently diffuse).....compared to BIR curries, that is.

AND!...I thought that I?m damned sure that your ?run-of-the-mill, decent, high-street, (Bangladeshi), BIR? would not do this because it?s too time consuming and therefore expensive!

SO!....it was out with the roasted and ground whole spices and in with the commercially produced, off-the-shelf, garam masala, curry powders, curry pastes and powdered spices!

As I stated in another thread, my ?simple? (ha, ha) aim is to recreate  BIR (i.e. run-of-the-mill, decent, high-street, Bangladeshi) curries (with ?that taste?) at home.  To do so, I try to use the ingredients and techniques that I believe these restaurants use.  For me, the ingredients include the following:

• The cheapest possible (but decent) oil (as well as limited use of ghee)
• Bottled curry pastes and commercially prepared curry powders (as well as use of some fresh whole spices)
• Commercially ground spices (seldom roasted and ground fresh whole spices)
• Bottled garlic and ginger purees (as well as copious amounts of fresh)
• Tinned tomatoes, purees and pastes (as well as limited use of fresh)
• Tinned lentils (as well as dried)
• Bottled and dried mint (seldom, if ever, fresh)
• Bottle lemon and lime juices (seldom fresh)
• Dried and powdered fenugreek (seldom, if ever, fresh)
• Desiccated, tinned and creamed coconut (seldom, if ever, fresh)
• Powdered chilli (as well as fresh)
• Artificial food colours??
• etc?

I was hoping that this thread might solicit "eye witness accounts" of these types of ingredients being used (or otherwise, of course!)

By the way, I'm certainly not saying that other varieties of curry are in anyway inferior, or less desirable; it's just that it is not my personal aim to produce these other types of curry.

Maybe I?m being anything BUT purist CP? 

Thanks for you inputs!  A great debate with very valid and interesting points of view....as always! 

So, Chris has spotted big tubs of vegetable ghee and is pretty sure that BIRs use this.......thanks Chris 

.....but what are you saying, CP and Ashes?......That you've rummaged through the waste bins of run-of-the-mill high-street BIRs and seen (or observed in  their kitchens) that they use Garam Masala? 

For me, I am interested in Bangladeshi BIR ingredients and techniques because they, as far as I understand it (and as you rightly point out CP) consitute the vast majority of BIRs in Britain.  And, as you also rightly point out CP, "the dishes are almost identical in every one of them, so if you crack one you have got the basics for them all"....I totally agree! 

So, any advances on vegetable ghee anyone?.........

 

Hi Chris,

Love your website!  Brilliant!  Made me laugh for sure!  ;D

.....that "activeX control" kept crashing my Internet Explorer though 

Welcome to this site 

Quote from: Chilli Prawn on October 04, 2006, 10:50 AM
...So are we chasing what in fact Indian restaurants use, what is used in traditional/ethnic curries, or what we need to use in our homes to recreate those flavours and aromas?

Perplexed for a bit

Please don't be perplexed CP!   

It is very clear to me what I am after.....

.....what, in fact , run-of-the-mill high-street (i.e. good), British Indian Restaurants use as ingredients (and techniques of course).  The taste, aroma and appearance, that they thereby create, is what I wish to recreate at home!  I am absolutely certain that I will only be able to recreate these using similar ingredients and techniques to those used by BIRs!

To this end, I am interested in what members here have observed.....as fact....regarding the ingredients that BIRs use.

I hope this clarifies the intent of my question?

Happy cooking! 

PS:  You see....it's......."THAT ELUSIVE BIR TASTE" that I'm after! 

PPS:  Thank you for your posts CP!  They are very interesting and informative 

Hi All,

Has anyone ever been despicable enough to rummage through the waste bins of Indian restaurants (you know, the big bins, out the back)?  ;D  If so, what have you found regarding the ingredients and brands that they use?

Failing that (for the less despicable amongst us!) what have you observed in their kitchens?

In particular, I'm thinking of confirmation of the types of ingredients that they use?  For example:

• Oil or ghee?
• Bottled curry pastes or curry powders?
• Commercially prepared curry powders or individual spice powders?
• Commercially supplied spice powders or freshly gound whole spices?
• Individual whole spices of commercially supplied mixtures?
• Commercially prepared (eg bottled purees or pre-peeled) or fresh garlic and ginger?
• Tinned tomatoes or purees/pastes or fresh?
• Tinned or dried lentils?
• Bottled or dried or fresh mint?
• Bottle or fresh lemon and lime juices?
• Dried (ie leaves) or powdered  or fresh fenugreek?
• Desiccated or creamed or tinned or fresh coconut ?
• Artificial or natural food colours?
• etc

Unfortunatley, I am not currently in the UK......otherwise I'd definately be doing it myself ('cause I'm truly despicable!).   

I'd imagine you'd find lots of evidence of the ingredients and brands that they use......

Despicable, I know, but just a thought!.....  :