Quite right Cory.  My base uses a two part method, so I cook the stock with the lid off (smells awful) until the stock has reduced quite a bit then just keep topping up a little.  When I combine the spice mix I also cook with the lid off until I have got the consistency correct and then put the lid on.  Everyone has their own ways of doing this, but just remember it is a chemical process you are carrying out, so regard steam as a distillation process.  OK OK I know we have lots of Chemists on the Forum  : so I guess we will get some accuracy from them ( well I hope so).

E=MC²
CP

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on September 14, 2006, 09:38 AM

Quote from: tripper on September 14, 2006, 07:10 AM
The sauce stayed ceamy white...

Any suggestions please, on other ways I can go about it.

I can make a suggestion, but it's more of a hindrance than a help. If you try to make the curry with a base sauce as is usual for restaurant curries, it's not going to turn out creamy white in colour. All of the base sauces are universally brown to a lesser or greater degree, which means the final dish always ends up a shade of brown unless food colouring is used.

This suggests that the usual base sauce isn't used in this one. There was a post, which I can't find, that described a korma paste which I would think would be likely to be used in this one.

YF

I was just trawling through the forum and I noted this thread.  Try using my Bargar Onion Base, this is based on Northern India style and is great for making pale sauces like Korma, Kasmiri, Moghul dishes.

CP

Yes, here is another one from my files, but not for the faint hearted.  Not sure if this site is still going.

http://www.poptastic.com/build.php?tt_page=article&article=3

CP

This site is worth a visit.  You can get the bits n' pieces from places like Southall or off the Web.

http://piers.thompson.users.btopenworld.com/index.html

I will have a look see if I have some other info/links.

CP

I like this one!  I shall try it today as I am making up a big batch of Punjabi Lamb using Mutton leg, and a big batch of Madras Beef.  Which is a good link back!  I would reccomend that Beef is NEVER precooked; it always tastes like beef stew afterwards in curries!

CP

Another useful tip.  To deglaze the pan without removing the seasoned layer, use coarse cooking salt.  You can simply rub it around (not too hard), or you can heat the pan with the salt in,  any unwanted flavours and/or oils will be absorbed by the salt.  This is a standard method used by most professional chefs.

CP

If you want to grow your own (and I do) try this site for real seeds created by Chilliheads  around the worlds and tested and proved to grow here.#

www.realseeds.co.uk

They only have a limited supply, and I think I emptied the last binful!

BTW I sa a debate somewhere about where the heat is. I am sure most know but for newbies: The heat resides in the pith and inside of the flesh in fresh chillies not the seeds, but as the chilli dries the heat concentrates in the seeds.  That is why Indians love fresh chillies deep fried!

Happy Cooking
CP

Quote from: Cory Ander on October 10, 2006, 04:46 AM
Just for completeness, I checked the energy consumption of my (bog standard) domestic gas cooker (natural gas), as follows:


I think I read somewhere that Mark J thinks that a typical restaurant burner is about 4.5 kW?

The Dominator, a popular cooker for catering is 5.8 Kw per burner; but the more expensive ones can go up to around 7Kw.  You need a very big gas pipe and a huge gas meter to go with them!  One of the reasons we try to manage with a domestic range cooker (Ugh!), can't affor ?3k for a new supply!

CP

This was given to me by a friend who was a BIR chef fro a few years.

CP

ASIAN MEAT PREPARATION PROCESS

This is the method used by Asian restaurants and take-aways for preparing their meat products ready for service.  Meat cooked in this manner can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 5 days (no more), but it is not recommended for freezing.

Ensure the best quality meat is used.  Tough cuts are not recommended and would certainly not be used by Asian cooks.

Ingredients

Chicken, Lamb or Beef   cut to preferred size (1 to 2 inch pieces)
   
Spice Paste   (The same as described in the UCB recipe)

40g   Garam Masala powder
40g   Mild Curry powder
40g   Coriander powder
40g   Cumin powder
40g   Paprika powder
40g   Turmeric powder
20g   Chilli powder (standard)
20g   Cayenne powder
   
250 ml   Oil 1 - Vegetable or groundnut oil marinating
   
Extra vegetable oil   Oil 2 ? frying, about 25ml - 50ml (see recipe for details)
   
250 ml   Water
   Salt to taste (use the absolute minimum as this will toughen the meat)

Process

Mix spices and Oil 1 in a bowl and leave to infuse overnight.  Do not chill.

?   Heat Oil 2 in a pan; start with sufficient to cook the spices (1/4 pint)
?   Add spices and fry on a low heat for about 5 minutes to fuse the spices
?   Add more oil if the mixture seems dry, you want to see plenty of oil bubbling
?   Add meat and stir in to the spices
?   Then slowly add the water
?   Stir and add a little salt to taste
?   Cook meat at 80 degrees C ? 100 Centigrade minimum

Cook the meat slowly until just prior to the ?cooked? point, e.g. very slightly pink for chicken, longer for red meats; remove from the heat so that the residual heat will finish cooking the meat. It needs some practice to get this right

Make sure that as the meat cools down in ambient temperature as quickly as possible, and make sure it is well covered with the oily sauce.  Add more oil if needed.  The oil protects the meat from airborne bacteria; the spices will protect the meat from bacteria within the mix but only to a small extent.

Store in a fridge as soon as it reaches ambient temperature and use within 5 days; it must be stored in a fridge all the time, only take out what you need and top up the oil in needed.  I do not recommend freezing..

Use the meat straight from the fridge in batches as required; do not leave it in an ambient temperature if you do not intend to use it all in the same cooking session.

OBSERVE HEALTH & HYGENE

I shall post the methods & recipe on Hint & Tips.  This is a genuine process given to me by one of my Indian Chef friends.

CP