Quote from: colin grigson on March 25, 2012, 10:42 AM
Hi all ,

I, like SD, have tried adding the TSP of mixed spice ( CA's ) and 0.25 TSP of All Purpose Seasoning as well as 1 Tsp of Tomato Puree mixed with a little water .. I know the concept of the dish was to be dry and at the temperature my pan was at , the liquid was gone in seconds. I think it tastes better but I'm going to try the cassia bark too next time for even more flavour ... this is a regular side dish for us now so thanks to all that have contributed !!   

Fantastic - and further proof that recipes are there to be experimented with and adapted.

Just a thought on the cassia bark...

I've never come across any in the saag bhajis I've had in BIRs (and I have had a lot over the last 30-odd years!).

That's not to say that some don't add a bit, but cassia bark is tough old stuff (I suppose it would be, what with it being bark), and takes a little time to release its flavours. If using it I'd suggest adding it to the hot oil first and giving it a good stir fry before adding the garlic and onions, etc.

As an afterthought, the only occasions that I've come across cassia bark in BIR dishes (apart from when I've been lucky enough to blag some of the staff curry), it's always been 'old'. By this I mean extremely well cooked, to the point where it's almost soft.

This would suggest that it's come from the stockpot, rather than added fresh to a dish.

Quote from: haldi on March 25, 2012, 07:40 AM
I made this too
It was very good
I know it's definitely wrong to do this, but I tried some leftovers, after a week in the fridge
It had improved, beyond all recognition
Absolutely amazing
I think there is something very "old" in most of the BIR's round here
Because that's a flavour I'm chasing!!

I'm very much with you on that, haldi - although I must admit to not having pushed it to a week!

Usually it's the next morning or night, and sometimes the day after, but always, always, the flavours have intensified, and sometimes unbelievably so.

Last week I was in heaven, as the result of an experiment using some of CBM's onion paste (p. 20 of his book) in a Chewytikka Madras took me straight back to Glasgow in the early 80s. It was the most incredibly intense curry I have ever made, and had sooo much depth. The waves of flavour layers just kept coming and coming.

Don't get me wrong - it had been good on the night, but the next day it literally blew me away.

There's obviously some science going on here, but I have no idea what it is.

I like it though!

Quote from: chewytikka on March 23, 2012, 02:28 PM
Hi Rich
1000gm about 20 quid
But I bought 3 x 100gm packs of just nearly out of date Cardamom Seeds for 60p each.
Result ;D marked down from 3.79 a pack.

cheers Chewy

There seems to be massive variation in prices. For example, 50g of TRS green cardamoms is 1.99 from my nearest Asian supermarket, but in the North End Road in Fulham I pay 99p for the same pack.

Unless the Fulham shop has them marked up incorrectly...

Quote from: chewytikka on March 23, 2012, 02:32 PM
Hi SD
Good luck with that.
Must say, its unusual to cater with only hot tasting curries.
Your friends must all be curryheads ;D
cheers Chewy

The dhal has only got a small handful of fresh green chillies...  ;D

Quote from: chewytikka on March 23, 2012, 09:59 AM

Hi SD
Just curious, are you cooking to order (individual curries per person) or big pot self serve curries
or are you going to pre-portion enough individual curries and reheat for the party.

What's on your menu?

cheers Chewy

I've enlisted the services of my brother, so the plan is for each of us to cook 8 double portions of two main curries - a Lamb Madras (your recipe) and a Chicken Ceylon (CA's recipe), decant them into foil trays and keep warm while we hit the sides, which will be Tarka Dhal, Saag Bhaji, Bombay Aloo, Mushroom Bhaji, and Onion Bhajis (plus poppadoms, onion salad, rice, etc).

Now I've typed that out I'm getting the fear!

Nah - it'll be all right in the end, I'm sure... 

Quote from: issiemc on March 23, 2012, 08:51 AM
Sounds like its going to be a good night for everyone
Lots of work, unless you have most things prepared before hand
Take lots of photo's 

Base - done and frozen. Lamb and chicken will be pre-cooked tonight, then in the morning I'll prep the various veggies for sides and prepare the rice so it's ready to fluff up nicely when reheated in the microwave, defrost the base, etc...

An easy blag...

(Okay, that's the Mr Confident bit over.... Retires to corner of room for a quiet sob.... How did I ever get myself into this mess!  ;D )

Yep - as solarsplace says, salted water with enough turmeric to turn them that gorgeous yellow colour is all you need to do (especially for use in a spicy curry such as vindaloo.

Make sure that they're new potatoes, otherwise you may end up with a (very pleasant) mash...

Quote from: Aussie Mick on March 22, 2012, 12:55 AM
Yes the Fullers ESB was a good recipe as was the Marstons Pedigree. I think the main problem with homebrew was a good reliable yeast source. (rather than the dried sachet)  A mate of mine aquired some yeast from the old Boddingtons brewery, and it made a huge difference to the brew. I continued to use this yeast until I stopped brewing.

Can't really remember why I stopped brewing, it just fizzled out in the end.

Ahh... That brings back memories... Dave Line's ESB recipe was my first ever non-kit home brew back in 1980 (a malt extract affair, dry hopped in a polypin, from memory). It tasted naff-all like ESB, but it was still bloody good.

Real ESB remains one of my all-time favourite beers to this day...

Quote from: michael.t on March 21, 2012, 08:09 PM
Ha ha .
I'm in to  Pakistani cooking( living near tooting )  forgive me if I'm wrong did I read you were as well and if so any tips 

I'm originally of Yorkshire stock, but spent the first 8 years of my life in the Tulse Hill area of London (then we moved down to the south coast, where I remain to this day). There were only a couple of restaurants there back then ('58- '66), but I imagine it's a little different now!

Pakistani cuisine is my favourite too, and I'm still chasing the taste I discovered in Pakistani run restaurants in Glasgow back in the '80s. I've been close a few times, but I need to be able to light that cigar every time before I'll be happy... 

Quote from: michael.t on March 21, 2012, 07:33 PM
Thanks SD .
Being new to the site havent really experimented yet due to the fact I found c2g first and when I make a gravy its in a 18 ltr pot so no room in the freezer to try new ones (until now)
Looking forward to tying something new because I over did the last base (more browny than golden) I think I focus more on getting the oil to the serface and boil it for too long
Any way cheers

I've had my fair share of brown bases, Michael (and they do tend to go darker with extended cooking and age - a whizz with a hand blender can often revitalise the colour).

Once you've made the base and blitzed it, the resulting puree shouldn't be boiled, but left to tickover on a simmer. Initially, you should see a froth appear (don't skim it off), and anywhere between 15-30 minutes later, you should notice the oil beginning to rise to the surface. This obviously takes a bit longer with a large quantity of base.

I often find that if it hasn't appeared after 30 minutes, simply turning the heat off and leaving it to stand does the trick. Go down the pub or something, and when you come back there should be a lovely red film of oil grinning at you.

Unlike a certain member of my household when I stagger in a bit the worse for wear...  ;D