this post caught my eye and for me would be good to collectively discuss.

Quote from: ckchao on July 31, 2014, 07:26 PM

Quote from: JerryM on July 31, 2014, 08:47 AM

Quote from: ckchao on July 30, 2014, 08:41 PM
Jerry_M once said the oil helps soften and sweeten the onions.

impressive memory or searching.

quite ironic for me too. still work in progress but the basic basic base work i'm on with "no water" is producing much stronger oil.

Hi JerryM
1) stronger oil is good for rest of cooking after base reclaiming.
2) Don't you think sweet onion base gravy is not our goal here for most of curry fan? Stronger oil produces the aroma by emusifying with onion and water not what we want in the base?
3) If oil is plain how can we later on utilize browning reaction to pan fry that onion sugar. Strongly flavoured oil is absolute essential for Chinese restaurent stir fry. I have never eaten a  naturally sweeten cuury by water but I have good restaurent experience by oily sweeten onion gravy. Cheer up for curry!
Kai

1) Is stronger oil any good

i feel it makes a marginal difference at dish frying in the finished dish (it's hard to put a measure on it). its easy to make via the base so why not. it also for me looses that raw oil taste in the finished dish that can be made out in side by side comparison.

the whole picture is not known though - as the actual oil after dish frying has lost it's taste and is pretty dumb stuff. it puts a question in you're mind is it worth having really good tasting oil only to convert it to poor tasting oil. where does the good taste go - in smoke or into the curry

certainly using no water in the stage 1 base produces a far stronger oil.

2) sweet onion base

"sweet" (hindsight) is really the wrong word - perhaps moorish is a better description. for me its down to cooking the base properly (ie 2 stage). does the oil contribute to this change. i don't feel it does as i've removed most of the oil before blending and it is only during the stage 2 cook ie after blending that the moorish taste appears. what is the moorish taste and why does it happen.

3) browning reaction "maillard"

ive not used plain oil for dish fry that much. my gut feeling is that oil, water and heat are needed. does the strength come into play - i just don't know

we can probably now add a

No4) the garlic tarka base

this certainly produces a massive difference in the dish taste when using the Zaal method at dish frying. the actual oil used to cook the tarka tastes pretty grim though. it must therefore be the actual garlic which brings about the taste in the dish. why is this different to making a baggar and adding to the base.

No5) Seasoned Oil (bhaji per curry2go or Haldi fryer oil)

not an area i have any info on. i have just put fryer oil in the base i'm making now so fingers crossed i will at least give pointer either way.


This topic is something i'll think more on. any thoughts from others and clearly help from Kai - very much appreciated.

It's no good us falling out on this base

For a start if it's good or bad the read is 10 for entertainment.

When you've made a few base you will realise there is a threshold and the remaining steps have a far bigger impact.

This base does look good. I should analyse it but I've been taken in by the new Dawn before. 

Does the garlic make a difference. It clearly depends on how dark you get it and how much is used. Is it a game changer then it's a no.

If you feel it is then great. The importance is to be very greatful for jb's efforts.

He and emin-j have suffered more than most. 

I am quite excited. There is a good chance that we can learn as more info comes to hand.

The key for me is that I members blinkers coming off and what would be normally poo poo'd  is being given a work out.

That information and experience can only bode well.

appreciate the heads up. i get to rusholme quite a lot but never eat.

have just had tip off to try a "Rasmalai" at Sanam's.

it's like a whole new world - i must in the past have essentially only walked round with my eyes closed or more actually looking for ingredients or equipment - never giving the food a look - which these days does look extremely tempting.

ps the worldwide supermarket at the manchester end (LHS) at the last traffic lights has all that's needed.

Quote from: ckchao on July 30, 2014, 08:41 PM
Jerry_M once said the oil helps soften and sweeten the onions.

impressive memory or searching.

quite ironic for me too. still work in progress but the basic basic base work i'm on with "no water" is producing much stronger oil. it's a step on from the original onion boiling trials.

the key thing is that the jb information is opening members eye's ie they are realising that this BIR is not just recipe following.

Madrasandy,

The eBay contact is to send message to his wife. The mix was listed some time ago but now not for a while. If struggling pm and I will email Iffu to put you in contact.

Yes posted - Will look up base when next on my desktop. Iffu posted an original base then a quite different follow up.

Secret santa,

Yes for sure. There is no secret ingredient. I've tasted 2 BIR base and neither had tarka taste. I do love the tarka taste though both the zaal method and the Nottingham video for the jalfrezi.

I've tried baggar for base and all the various methods and ingredients. I don't see any real improvement in the finished dish.

I do see difference from mix powder. 

Technique is sorted for me too. Id love for us all to concentrate on it to confirm or otherwise or even identify improvement.

Its all quite difficult for me to understand and have to keep going back to BE statement that he could not help - which I could not believe at the time. I now realise we all seem to have different needs/gaps.

I'm more thank happy to contribute where I can

you deserve to have such fun sir. well pleased for you.

i still have work to do on my wfo. one has too much top heat and the other too much bottom heat.

my good lady has put foot down "through" kitchen structural work for this year.

getting the dough right is half the battle on wfo too. i've hidden a gas oven in my garage and hoping to get to that at some point too.

very best wishes,

i use my "my take" base most of the time as i have all ingredients to hand. i used to make parker21 rajver (coconut) but now switched to parker21 mouchak (always felt rajver oil was not good enough - may have been wrong and switch back on the cards - still work in progress). for big amount i use iffu base (very similar to curry2go ie cabbage). i do rate saffron too.

i buy the iffu mix from iffu via ebay "suzypicknmix" (his wife).

search for the oil is long. have added in whole spice (have used spice ball etc but now rely on chef garam), have added in black salt (ie cooking:black salt 50:50). i also aim to freeze 50% of the oil i make in each base to carry forward into the next base (freezing it). am currently using no water in base and extending cooking time to typ 5 hrs. this increases the oil strength. still work in progress.

the oil search comes from tasting some from local TA sometime ago. i cant get close. the only thought i have left (which i doubt) is to buy some essential oil in bottle say fennel. it may be ott and not worth it though.

Bob,

Kd1 I keep by my computer - held in very highest esteem. 

It being the start point of the journey for me too.

Keep going at. Need a medal in that kind of heat.

Ask ask and ask. The members here will sort you.

Very best wishes

Jerry

Madrasandy,

No not making the jb base (or any new base). I'm happy and no gap or %.

Not to say I can't improve but it's more about understanding the evevelope and seeing if it can be pushed.

The only 2 areas I have real interest is oil and mix powder. I buy mix from Iffu and parked it for now.

The basic base is aimed at the oil. Hence my interest in Haldi's old oil. I've never got my oil as good as sample TA base. Tried many things but no progress.

I'd like to crack a few more mains but ok to wait h4ppy-chris book.

I do like the zaal garlic. Probably my greatest moment. It bodes well for the base. I'm just fine putting it in specific dishes.

madrasandy,

looks like you've been having similar turmoil as myself. i've tried these variants and homing on same thoughts. must admit in fact what iffu said 3:1 garlic:ginger at dish frying and 2:1 ginger:garlic in base




ps got the finger chilli and hoping for base as weather cools