Quote from: Secret Santa on March 08, 2008, 11:18 AM
The other bases I've tried (except admin's I think) tend to boil the onions and this is where I think the bitterness is coming in.

Boiling an onion (whole or coarsely chopped), in water (or watery stock) produces the sweetest of all the onion cooking methods (including sauteing).

If a gravy recipe requires the onion to be boiled (as most do), bitterness can be avoided by

a) chopping the onion coarsely and not smashing it to bits in a blender
b) ensuring the gravy is not too thick (enough water) to enable boiling at 100 degrees C
c) maintain that temperature throughout the gravy by rigorous simmering (enough heat), covered
d) stirring to ensure even temperature distribution

SnS  ;D

Hard Oxide Aluminium

This is a recent development overcoming the disadvantages of plain aluminium which has a soft surface that can be corroded by food acids. The dark grey or black surface of hard oxide aliminium pans is formed by placing the completed aluminium pan in an electro-chemical solution and subjecting it to an electric current. This process changes the molecular structure of the metal and gives a surface which is very hard, impervious to food acids, will not oxidise or corrode and is stick-resistant whilst the pan itself retains the even heating and heat conductivity of aluminium. The hard oxide surface is harder than steel.

;D

Quote from: Rai on March 07, 2008, 12:55 PM
How often is "often"?  How do you know that?  How many kitchens have you been in?  Have you polled them?  Or are you speculating?

1) More than rarely and less than always.
2) Because I speak English and it says so in the dictionary.
3) More than a few, less than many.
4) Yep, I polled all 8500 Indian restaurants in UK. We still ain't having a referendum.
5) I never speculate, I'm an Engineer.

Quote
Again, how do you know that?  Have you asked?  If so how many have you asked?  Or are you speculating?

1) I've never met a fussy Indian chef - have you?
2) If you ask an Indian Chef "hello, are you fussy?", it tends to confuse him.
3) See 2 above, but in the past I have confused a few.
4) I never speculate, I'm an Engineer.

Quote
And on what bases do you say that?  Others report differently.  Have you studied it?  Or can you quote some research sources?  Or are you just speculating again?

1) Are you referring to curry "bases" or did you mean "basis"?
2) When "others" enter into this debate we'll listen to their views (or is that speculation?).
3) I did a degree in "Aluminium Pots and Pans" but failed the oral.
4) http://www.buycatering.com/catering-equipment-prod307-aluminium-cook-pot---casserole-pan-20--.html
5) I never speculate, I'm an Engineer ... again!

SnS  ;D

Quote from: Rai on March 06, 2008, 03:05 AM
Is this also true for their big stock pots?  Or is it also speculation?

No, it's not speculation Rai. Their large cooking pots are often aluminium and they certainly do not fuss about the possiblity of the metal "reacting" with tomatoes - or any other ingredient!

As I said previously, the pan material is extremely unlikely to be the cause of bitterness in any gravy (certainly not to an objectionable concentration).

If cooking tomatoes only, or a tomato based sauce, then yes perhaps a bitterness will occur, but not with the relatively small amounts used in most curry base gravies.

see here

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2491.msg21705.html#msg21705

Quote from: Jethro on March 06, 2008, 09:47 PM
How about a tin of Mulligatawny..Indian in origin and got most of the ingredients???
No worse than my curried beans on toast

Yeh, thought about that too Jethro.  :

Unfortunately, I can't stand the taste of curry ! 

SnS  ;D

Hi Richard

Interesting question 

After reading you post with intrigue, my first thoughts were that perhaps a thinned down tomato soup could be used as an emergency curry base .....

..... then I thought, where are the onions? Maybe onion soup would be better ....

..... what about the vegetables. Ah I know, we use a vegetable soup ....
..... and the spices, garlic, ginger, oil ... well ........ we might as well make our own soup and we'll call it a curry gravy base.

So, in answer to your question Richard, I think maybe if you combine a tomato soup with an onion soup and a vegetable soup, add lots of water and oil, some essential spices (and maybe some ginger and garlic), boil it for a while, then liquidise, this may be something reminiscent of a reasonable curry base.
Worth trying ... nah. Costs too much and far too complicated.

Regards

SnS  ;D

Quote from: kaled0070 on March 06, 2008, 05:26 PM
We've had a little sun up here in N.E Scotland (at last) and thats maybe given them a boost.

Now we know you're making it up. 

Looking good. I expect with more sunshine they will sprout more dense nodes/leaves.

SnS  ;D

That looks a bit dangerous - a spotty teenager with a big chef knife 

In my experience, unless the bitterness (from onions or garlic) is cooked out, no amount of sugar or salt will counteract that bitter after-taste.

SnS  ;D