Hi CurryCanuck,
I understand what you (and others) are saying about "fresh is best" and that you never use pre-prepared garlic or ginger purees. In many ways I agree....BUT..
....if the goal (here) is to replicate BIR curries, surely the question should rather be (for the purposes of this site, at least) "what do BIRs use and do"?
In this context, I think it is somewhat misleading to suggest that "those BIRs not using fresh ingredients must be considered inferior for taste and customer satisfaction". Surely, most high-street BIRs are more akin to "fast food" outlets than "haute cuisine"? (or, more akin to a MacDonalds than a high-class restaurant, if you like?).
I remember that a friend of mine (this was in the late eighties) went to a particular well-regarded BIR, week in week out, because she adored their dhansak (which was a humble 3 or 4 quid a pop!). She thought it was the dog's knobbly bits, until, one night, she walked past their kitchen and noticed empty lentil tins in their rubbish bins. So, she refused to eat there ever again! Her decision was based simply on "principle" rather than on taste. I never did understand her decision. Presumably, she now dines elsewhere where they will almost certainly be doing similar things.......
My personal endeavour is simply to recreate BIR curries (and "that taste") at home. To do so, I try to use the ingredients and methods which I believe BIRs use. For me, this includes the following:
The cheapest possible 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!
..the list goes on..
Unfortunately (or fortunately....depending on how you look at it) BIR restaurants make many such compromises. At four quid a pop, most BIRs attempt to achieve an acceptable level of quality at minimum cost.
Surely this is largely why BIR curries taste the way that they do?!
I understand what you (and others) are saying about "fresh is best" and that you never use pre-prepared garlic or ginger purees. In many ways I agree....BUT..
....if the goal (here) is to replicate BIR curries, surely the question should rather be (for the purposes of this site, at least) "what do BIRs use and do"?
In this context, I think it is somewhat misleading to suggest that "those BIRs not using fresh ingredients must be considered inferior for taste and customer satisfaction". Surely, most high-street BIRs are more akin to "fast food" outlets than "haute cuisine"? (or, more akin to a MacDonalds than a high-class restaurant, if you like?).
I remember that a friend of mine (this was in the late eighties) went to a particular well-regarded BIR, week in week out, because she adored their dhansak (which was a humble 3 or 4 quid a pop!). She thought it was the dog's knobbly bits, until, one night, she walked past their kitchen and noticed empty lentil tins in their rubbish bins. So, she refused to eat there ever again! Her decision was based simply on "principle" rather than on taste. I never did understand her decision. Presumably, she now dines elsewhere where they will almost certainly be doing similar things.......
My personal endeavour is simply to recreate BIR curries (and "that taste") at home. To do so, I try to use the ingredients and methods which I believe BIRs use. For me, this includes the following:
The cheapest possible 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!
..the list goes on..
Unfortunately (or fortunately....depending on how you look at it) BIR restaurants make many such compromises. At four quid a pop, most BIRs attempt to achieve an acceptable level of quality at minimum cost.
Surely this is largely why BIR curries taste the way that they do?!
