Quote from: goncalo on May 02, 2013, 12:57 PMMy question is, how much would you use for a 3 mug of basmati rice? is 5g too little or too much?

Far too much, you only need half a dozen or so strands, a small pinch.

There's a number of different ways you can use saffron - as strands, ground or soaked in milk. You can add strands directly to your rice just before adding liquid, you can grind them in a pestle and mortar and just use the powder and add this before the liquid or soak them in a couple of tsp's of warm milk and sprinkle this over the rice at the end of cooking. I usually take my rice off the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes or so and it's at that point I would sprinkle the saffron milk over the rice, just as I take it off the heat and let it infuse for 15 minutes. This gives the rice a nice natural mottled yellow and white colouring.

I get my Saffron in Spain from the local market for 10 euro for 5g so, 6 euro for 5 grams from Schwartz is pretty good going. I'd check to make sure it is 5g, as I don't recall Schwartz doing 5g jars of Saffron, they're more like 2g.

Quote from: Axe on April 29, 2013, 05:32 PMCould this be the reason I wonder, I tasted immediately upon making. I have to admit that I have only ever made it up once as a mustard and that was for use as an ingredient. I am puzzled as to why my experience was so different.

It may well be, which is why I mentioned you needed to let it rest first. This is when the flavour and pungency develops.

Just wait till you get that sinus blast from freshly made up English Mustard! I'm almost prepared to guarantee you'll find it much hotter.

Quote from: fRAiLtY- on April 29, 2013, 03:57 PM
Currently I'm using Taz Base with Taz Mix Powder...

Hello and welcome.

Firstly, the technique of cooking with the Taz base is slightly different to most of the other bases in the sense that this base contains quite a lot of oil with the intention to use this oil to fry the spices in the base by reduction. Rather than start out with oil, fry your g/g paste, tomato puree etc add base and reduce as you would with other bases.

So the first thing you need to check on is that you're cooking with the Taz base in this way. The Taz base is as good as any other and can produce good results but only if you use the correct cooking technique with it.

Quote from: fRAiLtY- on April 29, 2013, 03:57 PM
1) What would a restuarant use for "tomato paste". I've read it's probably just puree mixed with water 50/50, so I've been using Asda/Tesco tomato puree (in a squeezy tube) mixed with water, 1tbsp each. Is this acceptable?

It's hard to answer this question as every restaurant seems to have it's own way of doing things. As a general guide, two to three times dilution for double concentrate tomato puree is about right. 1 tablespoon seems quite high but it depends on what dishes you're cooking, 1 - 2 tsp, diluted by a factor of 2-3 is about right in my opinion for most dishes.

You can also passata (sieved tomatoes) or pureed plum tomatoes in tomato juice as a substitute, some seem to prefer this.

Quote from: fRAiLtY- on April 29, 2013, 03:57 PM
2) How do I achieve real richness of flavour, my partner and I regularly go out for indian meals and agree that my attempts, whilst "taste nice" lack real flavour and richness.

There isn't any one right answer to this as this 'depth of flavour' you refer to can be achieved by a number of elements. Multiple base sauce reductions, addition of marinades/sauces/masala mixes and almost caramelised onions can all add to depth of flavour. you just need to experiment a little and find what adds it for you.

Quote from: fRAiLtY- on April 29, 2013, 03:57 PM
3) How much of a difference does ingredient quality make. I'm realistic in the sense that I doubt all restaurants and takeaways purchase the highest quality ingredients, it's just not economically viable. At the same time I doubt they use crap obviously. I've been purchasing my bags of spices, usually "Indus" or TRL (I think) from asian supermarkets near me, is this OK?

In terms of the flavour you're after I'd say quality doesn't make the slightest bit of difference, spice freshness however is paramount. Most bulk wholesale spice suppliers produce decent products, Rajah, TRS, Natco, Fudco, West end etc all produce decent products.

I suspect your problems are more from technique than ingredient quality.

Quote from: fRAiLtY- on April 29, 2013, 03:57 PM4) Any other tips... I've now tried 3 difference bases (Dipuraja, C2G and Taz) and whilst the bases seem "OK" (I don't know how you tell, I followed the methods to the letter) my currys don't taste like a restaurant. I understand it takes time but I've probably done 10-15 currys over a couple of months with little progress seemingly being made.

You've just got to practice really and read the forum. All the information you need to produce Indian Restaurant quality dishes is right here on the forum.

Quote from: Axe on April 28, 2013, 01:12 PMI mostly use the powdered version as an ingredient in cooking. When i've made it up as mustard, i've thought it quite lacking and certainly not as hot.

How strange, I find the opposite.

The freshly made up mustard from powder/flour is an altogether different beast entirely from the yucky processed turmeric coloured rubbish they put in the jars. I also find the freshly made to be infinitely hotter than the stuff from the jar.

It's important to let the freshly made stand for 10-15 minutes before eating by the way.

I always make mustard up fresh from powder, I never use the stuff in the jars unless I'm out and don't have any other choice but I much prefer the freshly made.

Quote from: stevepaul on April 23, 2013, 08:29 AMAnyone else have thoughts on this. Good, or bad, I don't mind.

It was always my understanding (and I don't know how true this is or where it came from) that smell generally comes from eating dried garlic rather than fresh. Perhaps the difference now is, less dried ground garlic is used in dishes with fresh being preferred?

We rarely see dried ground garlic being used in mix powders whereas most of us will use pureed fresh garlic at the start of a dish.

Quote from: Derek Dansak on April 19, 2013, 12:12 PMTheir curry is sublime. they ladel 500 ml or more of base into each pan, and 2 or 3 tbs spice mix...

2 or 3 tablespoons of mix powder? 6 - 9 teaspoons? That's a heck of a lot of spice in 500 ml!

Quote from: Axe on April 16, 2013, 08:57 PMEver tried Pastitsio? I think you'll really like that. 

I have but I prefer lasagne to be honest.

I can't stand Mousaka because it's got those dreaded aubergines in it which I can't stand, what a way to ruin a lovely dish by putting aubergines into it! There are not many ingredients I don't like but aubergines and courgettes are two of them.

Another topping for spaghetti you may not have come across is Cincinatti Chilli made with chocolate (mole) and chilli's - it's quite different.

Here's my slightly modified Elizabeth David beef ragu:

Ingredients:

8 oz minced beef (or a combination of beef/veal/pork)
4 oz minced chicken livers
3 oz pancetta

28 grams = 1 ounce

1 carrot finely diced
1 Onion finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk finely chopped
3 Tablespoons double concentrate tomato puree
1 wineglass white wine
2 wineglasses stock (beef or chicken)
Butter/Olive oil

Grating of nutmeg
Salt and black pepper
Star Anise

Method:

Seal and brown the pancetta in about 1/2 ounce of butter and some olive oil, add finely chopped onion, carrot and celery and fry until light brown, add mince and brown evenly. Add chopped/minced chicken livers and after 2 or 3 minutes, tomato puree and then white wine. Season with salt (be aware of how much salt the pancetta imparts) and pepper and a grating of nutmeg, add stock and 1/2 star anise, cover pan and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.

When done optionally add a small swirl of single cream.

Quote from: Axe on April 16, 2013, 05:51 PM
I've never experienced a smoked anchovy only the regular cured either stored in oil or salted.

The only anchovies I've come across are the salted/brined ones in oil, which are dark brown and quite salty, the cured ones in oil which are still silverish and the fresh ones 'cooked' in an acid such as lemon juice/vinegar marinade.

Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 04:12 PM
That seems highly elaborate. I can't seem to imagine how a star anise would enhance a bolognese - any recipe?

The Star Anise is one of those things where you have to take a leap of faith. I was a bit dubious myself, but when I used one, I realised right away that was one of the flavours that had always been missing from my ragu/bolognese sauces.

All I can say is - try it and see for yourself, but perhaps try 1/2 a Star Anise rather than a whole one. For me Star Anise is the secret component to a real ass kicking bolognese.

Quote from: goncalo on April 16, 2013, 04:12 PMAlso, funny that you mention minced chicken livers. My grandmother always mixed pork and beef when making bolognese and the combination of the 2 meats was fantastic!

Chicken livers are key, you can't leave them out otherwise it just becomes another beef in tomato sauce. I think the ratio of minced meat to chicken liver is about 2:1. I also make mine with a mixture of veal, pork and beef mince.

My bolognese goes into lasagne which I'd say is probably my all time favourite dish.

I'll look up the recipe for you.