Just out of interest, do flames cook the outside of the naan in a tandoor, or just the heat inside the oven?

I freeze some of my curries, if there is enough left for a portion.

But instead of just microwaving them, I defrost them in a microwave then cook/reheat them in my curry pan.
I add a little oil to the pan, add the curry, rinse out the container with a little water (don't want to waste any ) and add that to the pan also. Cook/heat it through on a med/hot heat for 2 to 3 mins, until hot and correct consistency (because of added water).

To me it is nicer than just microwaving them in the container.

Martin

Haven't tried it myself Phil, but I have seen that method mentioned before.

 ;D Fair enough.

I guess it's something I've got used to doing as I've done the same with my steel wok I've had for about 30 years.

Martin

Well there you go, just how I do it (well without using a pad to put them on the tava), and I find it works fine with an electric ring.

Funnily enough I didn't get this method from Mick, I'm sure it was from a video of an Indian(?) bloke doing it in his kitchen.

Martin

Quote from: curryhell on November 13, 2011, 10:47 AM

Quote from: martinvic on November 13, 2011, 01:15 AM
Have you got a Tava/Tawa (not the non-stick ones)?

I think they work better than non-stick frying pans, as I feel you can get them hotter without worrying about them.

Doesn't that play havoc with the surface of the tava though?  I have enough probs with my traditional tava when cooking chappatis if i get too carried away with the heat

I what way?

Basically it's just a steel disk with a handle, how can it play havoc with the surface?
When I've finished I give it a bit of a wipe or scrape, if needed, and then re-season before putting it away.

Martin

Hey Chris

Have you got a Tava/Tawa (not the non-stick ones)?

I think they work better than non-stick frying pans, as I feel you can get them hotter without worrying about them.
I think the extra heat helps them bubble.
You have to season them like a wok first.

I have an electric hob, and used to do them first on the hob till the naan starts to rise/bubble, then stick the tava, with naan, under the grill to cook/brown the topside.

Just lately though, to save electricity by not having the large ring and grill on full for the time it takes to cook all the naans, I've tried a new and favourable method just using the ring.

When  tava is hot, get the rolled out naan in the palm of your hand and wet the naan (with fingers dipped in a bowl of water).
Then slap the wet side down onto the hot tava, and push it down in a few places with your finger tips. (at this stage you can quickly brush with a little melted butter too)

At this stage I usually lift the tava slightly off the ring and move it around a bit to apply a not such direct heat all around the naan cooking on the tava.

Hopefully the naan will have stuck to the tava, so when it starts to bubble, turn the tava upside down and hold it above the ring, moving it about to, evenly cook the top of the naan.

I then use a metal fish slice to get the naans unstuck from the tava.

Takes a little practice to get the naans to stick and not burn the bottom too much, but works well for me.

Martin

Some interesting views on the amount of garlic used when making a curry.

I use quite a lot of it, in the base and when adding the GG paste to start a curry.

I may be wrong, or not quite remembering correctly, but in my heyday of curry eating (late 70's early 80's) I am sure the curries had loads more garlic.
I remember you would smell of it for a day or two after, sweating garlic was term we used then, so people would often ask on a Monday, at work, if you'd had a curry the weekend.

Oh and yes I did wash/bath.

Don't particularly notice that, these days after a BIR curry.

Martin

Yep, as Barry pointed out, there is a recipe for it on their site.

Sorry, the only reason I didn't mention it was I thought the whole point was to have a quick ready made base substitute.

Instead of spending the time making the soup, you might as well make a proper base.


But if you do like soup, it's pretty tasty.



I also used half a carton of this, to which I added a good handful of lentils, cooked them up to make a sort of half dahl half base. Then made a pretty reasonable Dhansak with it.

Martin

Thanks Emin-j, yep well worth a go just as an experiment.
Now, if needed, I definitely wouldn't be scared to knock a base up out of a couple of tins/cartons of soup (onion and a veg probably) + some spices and herbs (none was needed/added with the Indian soup).


No problem George, yep quite tasty indeed.
They, New Covent Garden Soup Co, have a website with loads of the recipes etc.
http://www.newcoventgardensoup.com/
Sadly they don't mention any outlets that sell their range, but a quick look on the Tesco's site shows they sell them.

Martin