I disagree there are any cliques here any more. I agree some regular posters like a bit of banter with each other but does that make it a clique?

In the social sciences, the word "clique" is used to describe a group of 2 to 12 (averaging 5 or 6) ?persons who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting.?

Okay, maybe it does but I don't see why that is a bad thing. It's not like other people are excluded from these chats is it?

I also can't think of a single instance of any deliberate misinformation being given out. It may appear that way because we all have different opinions and experiences of how things should be done. If we had a thread about making a ham and cheese omelette I'm sure there would be lots of differing opinions. If you put 10 BIR chefs with 20 years experience each in a room and asked them to provide a definitive guide to cooking a Madras they couldn't do it because they will all cook differently.

Sorry I missed a few posts, haven't been able to log on for a few days. I'm sure we can drop the G/G paste, I just thought it might be interesting to actually prepare all the components first hand so there can be no questions about missing secret ingredients.

Regarding measurements, I think it will be more about ratios than exact numbers for things like spice mix / garam massala. With the dishes it's harder as everything is done by eye. I'm sure he'll be able to give some guidance on what the amounts are but it's probably better if you try to remember what the amounts looked like on the spoon.

I'll be there to chat and have some lunch and a beer with you guys but I won't actively take part. I'm lucky to have been able to cook there before and 6 in the kitchen is a good amount. I'm looking forward to watching you guys cook though and I'm happy to provide an unbiased assessment of your dishes

I wouldn't recommend watching QI then. Apparently 'i' before 'e' except after 'c' can't be taught anymore because there are actually more (albeit less common) examples where the opposite is true

Just spoke to Az and the 29th is fine. His only stipulation was an 11am start as he usually works until 3am on Saturday night

Everyone book the date in your diaries and start thinking about what questions you need answering

I'm hoping we can cover everything in the 4 hours. I'm sure no one will complain if we go a bit over time.

I'm not sure if this proves or ridicules your post:

It is often suggested that the rhyme relates to the symptoms of plague, specifically the Black Death - the bubonic plague that spread through Europe in the 1340s, or to the Great Plague of London, 1665/6. The plausible-sounding theory has it that the 'ring' was the ring of sores around the mouths of plague victims, who subsequently sneezed and fell down dead.

Those with more knowledge of etymology will shake their heads sagely and explain that the plague theory is a well-known falsehood. Reasons here: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/ring-a-ring-of-roses.html.

Hi All

Thanks for so many responses. To answer one question, the food is excellent. This is our number 1 takeaway and now restaurant. As a massive curryhead I have tried everywhere in a 5 mile radius (excluding Farnham for some reason) and this place has been our favourite for a couple of years - well before I knew Az.

I'm sure pics and videos would be okay but I'll check. He's never had a problem with it before.

So far it looks like we have a group of 6 for the 29th January:

Curryhell
Natterjak
JB
Ramirez
Solar
976Bar

Then a bit later in the year:

Razer
Bamble
Phil(Cha006)

Maybe we should aim for the 1st Sunday of each month. So excluding Feb the next one would be on 4th March.

I'm trying to call him to confirm the date but he isn't answering at the moment. As soon as he does I'll let you guys know.

Hi all

I know we spoke about this before Christmas but the restaurant wasn't ready. Well it is now and I've convinced Az this is something he should be offering on Sundays. He's asked me to arrange groups and an itinerary of what to do (I'm not on commission but hopefully I'll get a free takeaway out of it one night . The restaurant is in Fleet, Hampshire. The website is still under construction but you can download the menu from the homepage - http://www.zaalfleet.com/.

In terms of what to do, I'm assuming members from here would prefer an in-depth, full life-cycle experience including making the base / pastes / prep that will actually be used in the restaurant the following day. Im thinking something like this:

10am
Meet/chat/coffee
Garam massala spice roasting

10:30am - 11am
Base sauce preparation and cooking
Massala paste prep and cooking

11:00am - 12pm
Chicken and lamb tikka marinade / cooking in tandoor
Onion Bhajis prep and first cook
Naan dough prep
Garlic/Ginger paste

12pm - 12:30pm
Grind garam masala
Make mix powder

12:30pm - 1:30pm
Main and side dish cooking
Naan cooking if brave enough

1:30pm - 2pm
Eating our creations
Q and A

It would be good to hear if I've missed anything glaringly obvious.

Date wise, I suggest we aim for Jan 29th and Feb 5th with maybe 5 or 6 people maximum per session.

Price wise, I don't know what to suggest. Does ?60 including lunch and coffee sound right?

I know lots of people were interested in this so it will be first come first served. I'm sure he will run other dates though so no one should miss out completely. Please send me a PM or post on this thread to say if you want to come and which date is preferable and I'll do my best to make it happen.

Cheers
Chris

At a risk of feeding the troll here are my thoughts on the subject.

The Tarka is used when two different cooking methods are required to achieve a result - usually a different layer of flavour within a dish giving a mix of mild and intense taste. I'm trying to think of a good analogy but I'm struggling. The best I can offer is ice-cream. Raspberry ripple ice-cream tastes nicer than plain raspberry icecream, you have those nice seams of intense raspberry flavourings to tickle your taste buds.

With a tarka you are adding in the same sort of thing, little nuggets of stronger flavoured spice/chilli/garlic. If you added these things first the taste would be absorbed by the sauce giving a more uniform flavour.

The example I have seen of this many times is the garlic tarka that finishes off the Roshney Chicken. When the dish is nearly complete Az will get some veg ghee smoking hot, add a good 3 - 4 cloves worth of chopped garlic, fry it until golden brown, then add a little sauce to the pan to start a mad flambee. Once the flames die down the garlic tarka is added to the dish, stirred in along with fresh coriander and it's finished. The result is an extra depth of flavour that isn't re-creatable any other way.

I assume the same principal is true for adding whole spices, chillies e.t.c. The point is, they go in last so they maintain maximum flavour within the dish.

Hope this helps.

On a more serious note:

phall- or phallo- [from Greek phallos penis] Denotes the penis (phallodynia, phallorrhagia).

I think those crazy Indians might have been having a laugh with us Chicken Penis anyone?

According to Uncyclopedia:

Phall

Phall is the hottest curry known to man (contrastingly, the hottest curry known to woman is korma). Its name comes from the Latin word 'phallus', as eating such a dangerously spicy dish signifies extreme machismo. Eaters of the phall are typically worshipped in restaurants, and can be identified from their proud mugshots hanging on the wall.
On a scale of 1-10, for which 1 is "not hot at all" and 10 is "McDonalds Apple Pie", your average phall would score approximately seven, just below the Sun. Therefore, only the most manliest of men's men dare to eat it.