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Quote from: pete on May 22, 2005, 10:11 AM
I think what we miss from our curries is not the? "taste" but the "smell"

For me this is absolutely true. And it's why, despite what others may say, I still think there is a missing 'secret' ingredient. That smell has to come from somewhere and it must be from something that we aren't putting in our curries.

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on May 22, 2005, 09:58 AM
kasoori methi (dried curry leaf)

Oops!? That should have been dried fenugreek leaf? ?

Well, I've used fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seed, both whole and ground. I've used them in small and large quantities and I've tried adding them at the frying stage and adding them at the liquid stage. All I can say is that this does not give the restaurant curry smell that I recognise. Certainly the kasoori methi (dried curry leaf) has a very curry type smell to it and I do think it is an important part, but, at least to me, it just isn't the whole deal.

Quote from: blade1212 on May 21, 2005, 08:43 PM
you are sad

Not sad. Sadentific!? ?

Has anyone done a scientific blind test of your best curries against restaurant bought ones on your friends?

It's pretty straight forward you buy the same curry from, say, two different restaurants, and you serve these unopened, i.e. still in their takeaway containers, along with your version which has to be in the same type of container to avoid psychological bias. Infact you would ideally repackage each curry in identical containers.

The consumers would be asked to comment as to which they liked or disliked and the reasons for each choice. Critically you mustn't let them know that one of the offerings is yours, they must believe that the three curries have been bought from three different takeaways. You must not even tell them which restaurants they are from until after the test to avoid possible personal bias against any restaurant.

Each curry would need to be served up individually and away from the other two so that the odour of the curry can be commented on.

I see this as the only way to avoid the hidden bias of the consumers in posts that go 'I had my mates around and they swear it's the best curry they ever had' and to see just how close we really are in our efforts.

You shouldn't know which curry is which either because your body language and manner can give away which one is yours, and that can effect the tasters response. No really I'm not making it up! You would have to mark the underside of the cartons and shuffle em!

I thought of this particularly because I am convinced that no one here has produced the unique smell of a restaurant curry. Either that or when people are posting base sauce recipes etc, they must be hiding something because I can't get the smell from anything that has been posted here.

Just a thought.

Quote from: George on May 21, 2005, 05:27 PM
Yesterday, a delivery chap delivered a plastic carrier bag of what I assume to be an Indian take away to the house next door. I was ouside and he didn't come closer to 5 yards from where I was standing, as he walked quickly by. The familar BIR smell hit me first, quite strongly.

I think this is where you and me disagree with the likes of Mark J. I think I can make a reasonably close copy of the restaurant flavour for the simple curries, but no matter what I try, they never have this unique unmistakable curry house curry smell. Until they do I won't believe anyone who says they have cracked the taste.

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on May 21, 2005, 05:45 PM
If it`s that strong could it be Asafoetida as it gives of a very strong Onion aroma

I'm pretty sure it's not asafoetida, although I have only tried the yellow powder type and not the brown resin type. I wonder what type the restaurants use?

I think someone might have mentioned this on another thread, but one of the best vegetable combo's is potato, chick pea and spinach, assuming that you like those vegetables of course.

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on May 08, 2005, 04:05 PM
Does this mean that the base/gravy mix is better made omitting the veg.. oil ?? Would be interested in all of your opinions on this.

I've wondered why oil is included at all at the base stage. The quantity of liquid to oil is so great that the oil can't be doing what oil would normally do, that is reach a high temperature, so why use it? My theory is that many years ago a lot of oil would have been used to fry up some ingredients at the start of making the base sauce, and then water and such would be added. But over the years they don't fry anything anymore and just bung it all in together and boil because 'that's the way it's always been done', having forgot that the oil used to be there for frying. I bet if you asked you takeaway friend he wouldn't have a clue as to why oil is added to the base sauce.

The only other reason to use oil in the base sauce would be to flavour it so that it can then be used for making the curries as we know some of them do.

I'm going to do my next batch without oil to see what difference it makes.

I can't even get channel 5?

Fresh curry leaves and fresh methi you can get from Alperton in London and most asian grocers. Mustard oil is a no no. Don't eat it, it is, for want of a better word 'poisonous'. Equally frying mustard seeds will over time be detrimental to your health. This is a long term thing like the recent red dye scares. If you eat it once a month it's no big deal. Mace, well it's been a standard english spice for 500 years?

Sorry i just don't rate any traditional indian/pakistani dishes. I've tried them, and i like them but i find they just aren't anything in comparison to a traditional british indian curry. You pays your money etc...