Quote from: Mark J on April 17, 2005, 10:37 AM
All of you who say you cant get the taste, Im now of the opinion thats its all in your heads? ;D

I would be the first to admit the search has driven me a bit crazy.
I mean, what kind of person roams the streets at night, asking for cooking lessons?

Quote from: joe2 on April 17, 2005, 03:42 PM
For me, an onion is an onion, is an onion, is a .........

I agree with Joe.
One of the reasons I got into a restaurant kitchen was because my fruit and veg man was making a delivery to the restaurant at the time.
It was just an ordinairy sack of onions.
A bit smaller than a tennis ball.
The same ones as I buy from his shop

Anyone know about this one?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1275&item=4374200498&rd=1&ssPageName=WD4V

Quote from: geoffo on April 16, 2005, 08:47 PM
Hi Folks,
Does anybody have a tried & tested recipe for sag (saag) aloo?
I think I've tried most of the internet recipes (and from some books) but none seem to
match what I get from a restaurant.
Maybe it's another elusive secret.
But if anybody has one or can be bothered to even give some pointers
I'd be VERY grateful
Many Thanks
Geoffo

I think if you use this recipe (taken from Grimmo's Bengal Cuisine demo)
and added precooked potato with the spinach, you would have it

Next up was Sag Baji. All the following cooked in? 8 inch pans.

I DSP of chopped garlic (not chopped as fine as you might think it would need to be).
4 DSP of veg oil
2 DSP onion
? TSP of salt
A pinch of dried fenugreek
1 TSP tumeric
5 DSP spinach (cooked and dried).

All cooked on high heat, stirred and shaken vigourously for a minute or so.

Then 1 Ladle of curry gravy
1 TSP fresh coriander
1 TSP quartered toms

Simmer for 2 mins. The taken off heat.

Quote from: George on April 16, 2005, 11:30 PM

Quote from: pete on April 16, 2005, 10:53 PM
? ? ? ? ? so many times this "doesn't work in small quantities" gets mentioned regarding curry gravy.

I remain sure this is a load of tosh...a white lie to avoid divulging their secret recipes.

IThe trouble is , George, that there is only one way to prove that, and that's by making it

Hey Ck
          so many times this "doesn't work in small quantities" gets mentioned regarding curry gravy.
Normally most of us work in batches of about 10 onions.
Would you ever consider making a curry gravy with ,say 50.
(if you had a big enough cook pot?)
Do you think it would have the flavour?
I keep thinking of trying this.
You would have to cook using all four gas rings.
Would it be a waste of time?
Hmmmm??

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on April 16, 2005, 05:54 PM
shit in you fridge !!!

Could be the missing ingredient!!

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on April 16, 2005, 04:34 PM
Sometimes i fry 1 onion some ginger & garlic,then add to already pureed gravy mix, then puree again so you get the sweeter taste from the second frying phase, this method tend to produce my most successful Vindaloo/Tindaloo clones amongst other things.

Double pureed?
The fried onions are definitely sweeter.
Good idea.

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on April 16, 2005, 04:29 PM

Quote from: pete on April 16, 2005, 01:34 PM
Add enough chopped garlic (which was blue) to cover the base of the pan

Blue garlic - what!? ? ?

Yes, it's odd isn't it?
I've seen this loads of times.
It's when the garlic has been chopped or pureed by a blade of a certain metal.
It has a reaction and slowly (over hours sometimes) turns a blue colour.
I had this problem with my blender and wrote to the manufacturers.
They advised me to add a little salt when I made garlic puree.
I do that and never get the problem now.

Quote from: Blondie on April 16, 2005, 02:18 PM
Hi Pete,

When you say enough garlic to cover the bottom of the pan, what size pan would you use ?

Thanx in anticipation of your answer,

Blondie

It's about three cloves of garlic finely chopped.
You will have death breath the next day.

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on April 16, 2005, 04:12 PM

Quote from: pete on April 16, 2005, 01:34 PM
[I make this quite a lot and it is very good.
People say my kitchen sometimes smells like a restaurant.

Pete, is it like restaurant tarka dhall? This is one dish that I make quite often at home but have never had at a restaurant, can you or anyone else describe the consistency, colour etc. of the restaurant tarka dhall please, so that I can see if mine are anywhere near?

Very close to a restaurant taste.
Because you use the oil from the top of the curry gravy, the curry gravy needs to be very good.
What brings out the flavour of the Tarka Dhall is adding bits of the cold water then evaporating it off.
I will post a picture next time I make it.
It looks mainly like the sauce you get with your curry.
Perhaps a little thicker.