Cinnamon is very good for disguising the taste of fish & mice which comes through the meat I'm told ;D ;D ;D

They H&H can usually spot back alley chicken, so maybe these guys had found another source of meat ;D ;D ;D

CP

You are so right VL.  But I dont think sticking with one particular supplier helps either, except maybe for confidence in quality.  The problem is that the stuff is traded like any other commodity and is generally price driven.  Therefore a spice merchant may source his spice (especially chillies) from many parts of the continent/globe and then blend them to achieve what his standard is (hopefully).  That is why you can go to an Asian grocer and sometimes see different shades of  (any) spice even though they are from the same supplier.  This is more evident now that the Red Sudan colouring scam has been stopped.  It is an interesting point though:  Do you think that these merchants test for the Scoville units on their batches of chillis?  Nah, they probably eat a spoonful and guage its quality and heat the following morning  :-[ : ;D

CP

Here is the first one you can see how old it is :, but you don't have to dry the stuff in the sun now ;D.  The quantities are large so i will leave it to you to work out the ratios.
CP

KASHMIRI GARAM MASALA

Ingredients :

Fennel Seeds    125gms
Green Cardamoms    15gm
Bay leaves    15
Mace        10 petals
Whole Nutmeg    2
Black Cardamoms    125gms
Cinnamon    10gm
Cloves       15gm
Fenugreek Seeds    125gms
Aniseeds       125gms

Method :

Dry the aniseeds, green cardamoms, bay leaves, mace and nutmeg in the sun for a day. Roast the seeds of the black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds over a medium heat until they change their colour and emit a fried aroma.

Allow them to cool.

Add the remaining spices and grind them all together in to a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container.

This can be stored for at least 6 to 8 months in a cool dark place.

Thats because of the new H&H labelling regulations Mark.  We all have to do it now

I said I would dig out some Kasmiri Masala recipes that I have.  They are posted on the Spices thread in Hints and Tips. I see no reason for them not being made hotter with more chilli powder added.  These are recipes I picked up over the years I do not know their origin.

I guess Mark or Stew may move them elsewhere at some point, maybe we need a section for Masalas and Curry Powders?

CP

CL what does it say on the label please, I am interested to see what has been put in it.  As I mentioned earlier there are reputedly hundreds of Var recipes and it may be made in a paste or powder form.  It is also used in religious ceremonies, e.g. weddings.  I would just like to get my hands on some real hot ones.

Thanks
CP

Quote from: nezza on January 21, 2007, 11:51 AM
Hi,

I have a real noob question, in the Bruce Edwards recipes are the quantities he lists for making the actual curries for ONE person? Ie. I'd need to double all ingredients for two people?

Simple I know - but I'm not quite clear and it's kind of key!

Thanks all, great forum BTW,

Nezza

Nezza, the average portion from a BIR is 5-6 oz 9you can work out the grams) so calculate back from there.  Sorry but cannot be any more help.

Cp

Wot are you discussing?  see me after class ;D

Great marketing and he is a very rich man.  As far as UK being the ancestral home...... Hmmmm... i would say it was the British Raj who were responsible.  With no disrespect, but if you had seen the results of the very early Birs you would be suprised at how crap it was; they had to adapts to what we wanted here - thank goodness they did, because we in conjuction with the Asian chefs inevented a fabulous new cusine.  Lovely it is boyo  ;D

Pataks Kashmiri paste is a very dark brown and almost a solid lump, not like your usual stuuff Jeera.

CP