Try using a blow torch to get the blackening, see hints & tips.

Happy Cooking
C P

Okra. Bhindi, Ladies Fingers (all the same thing) are grown and used extensively in Asian, Mediterranean, African, and Middle Eastern cooking, but only fresh ones.  Tinned are frowned upon and only used as an absolute emergency.  I like both but also prefer fresh.

I am not sure what you mean by secret ingredient?  If they are used in a dish they are used whole or chopped into slices.  They certainly add a wonderful flavour providing the are prepared and cooked properly.  Lamb and Bhindi curry cooked overnight is absolutely delicious.

The Bhindi should be washed and soaked whole in a salt water solution for about an hour.
Blanch in boiling water for about one minute.  The time depends on how fresh they are and from what country the come from, so you will have to practice.
Dry thoroughly; this is crucial
If using whole, the tops should be shaved off without opening the pod
If using chopped, then top & tail and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch slices
If you are adding either to a curry, add them early as they take time to cook (slices take slightly lesstime).
If you are stuffing & baking them rub them in some oil, and masala if called for; then make a slit down one side and stuff them, and put in the oven (don't cover).

Bhindi becomes very slimy if you do not prepare it properly.

Happy cooking
C P

I was looking at Layne's magnificent piccies of his Chicken Tikka and it brought to mind the problems I had in the early days (and still do now) trying to get the burnt edges without drying out or toughening the Chicken/meat pieces.  The best I found was to have very good gas grill, but they are as rare as rocking horse whatsits these days, unless you have a professional kitchen and loadsa money.  So I decided to use the Western chef approach and bought a plumber's gas blow torch; I use the propane mixture as it is far hotter than butane, and I bought the lamp from B&Q (US manufacture).

So here is the process in full, and I will post a couple of recipes on the appropriate thread later.  All the process steps are quite important to get the finish something like the Asians do in their Tandoors.  Good BIRs use these steps (except blow lamp!), as far as I know, but your average High St jobbies just use a jar of Pataks (or similar) Tikka or Tandoori paste.

Use fresh (defrosted) Chicken breast  If the fillet is in remove it as this cooks quicker than the rest, and will break up or toughen if you leave it in.

Cut the chicken in to roughly one inch squares, including the fillets

Put the lot in a bowl and add loads of lemon juice, roughly 1/2 tsp per breast

Add lots of salt, about half the quantity of the lemon juice.

Mix very well and put in the fridge for about 1/2 to 1 hour (you might wish to give it a couple of mixes during this time.

Remove from the fridge and add the marinade.  Mix in well and return to the fridge for your marinating time.  Again give it a mix now and again.

Cook the pieces as fast as possible for a few minutes in whatever masala you use next, just so the juices have started to run clear and no more.  Press with your finger they should just be coming firm.  This takes practice but it is the best guide you can have save cutting the pieces open.

Remove from the heat.  Sprinkle with dry masala (if you use one) then blast away with the blow torch until you get the burnt bits.

You should have perfect (tandoor) tasting tikka!

Did you know Tikka simply means grilled, Tandoori Chicken is simply known as Chicken Tikka in Asia and the Middle East.

I have added some advice and tips on colourants in Layne's Tikka thread (under pictures I recall).  I may re-post them here if you feel it is needed.

I have also posted some advice on marination and storage times.

Hope this helps
Happy Cooking
C P

Excellent Layne.  Looks like you got the texture and moisture right. 

Not keen on Stella, but Amstel goes very well with curries as it has a slightly sweeter taste.

Happy Cooking
C P

Nice one Mark.  For the ladies... you can put on your washing up gloves and rub the skin off!!  If I am making a garlic puree, I just top an tail an lob the cloves,  skin an all, in to the blender!  Labour costs me money  :

Happy Cooking
C P

Quote from: Dai on October 02, 2006, 10:20 PM
Hi both

Cory Ander - Thank you for the feedback, i did use liquid food colouring straight out of the bottle but i had no control over the way it came out, it came out in big splodges, i will have to find a more refind method for contolling the flow. I think your pictures are ace, and will definitely try out your methods as soon as i can, At the moment i cannot eat my ctm's quick enough to move onto something new but i am beginning to glow a bit red around the gills.

Chilli Prawn - Thank you for your feed back also, should i say unfortunately or fortunately that i am the only curry eater in my household so i have to freeze my curries down. I would prefer not to as i feel that freezing does take something away from the flavour, and you can not beat freshly cooked food.
Could you clarify the temperature, you say 80 degrees centergrade, this seems to be a low heat when the fan oven goes up to 220 degrees or have i got this wrong. Would you not put the chicken in to the oven when it has already reached the hottest it could go, this is how i interpreted the recipe i followed. Don't worry about the six month thing, they will be devoured well before that but i do understand. ;D

Bye for now.
Dai

Hi Dai.  Chicken does not  need to be cooked for very long if it is off the bone, 20 mins is probably the max but it depends on the temperature(s) used.  I mentioned 80 degrees C as this is the lowest temp for killing off bacteria.  I realise I made a mistake, the rules are you must at least attain a temp of 80 inside and out for the chicken to ensure that the bacteria is killed off; we have to use a probe.  If your recipe calls for higher temperatures that is OK; I think that sometimes people overcook chicken (and Pork) to be on the safe side.  However, practice and confidence will prevail I am sure.

With regard to powdered food colouring; except for the liquid vegetable colours, not are guaranteed safe, i.e. the Jury is still out.  The majority are from ground minerals!  The reason they are still allowed on the shelves (but I don't think you will find them in family supermarkets) is that the user is warned and therefore should take professional responsibility.  The FSA (Food Standards Agency) keep a close monitor on them and they publish a lot of useful information on their site as well as on other subjects.  We very rarely intentionally use artificial food colourings, except what is in pastes etc.  We do occasionally make rainbow rice for special events etc; red, green, orange, yellow.  Your example is excellent.  We make ours as follows, and you need a steady hand.

These are only approximations, you must experiment; but whatever you do, do not make concentrated amounts and do not use too much. Place a small amount 1/8 teaspoon (less than a pinch)of powdered colouring in a cup or glass pot, and add 1 or 3 tablespoons of warm water (depends on the strength of colour you require).  Stir a leave for a few minutes. 

We put our rice in large rectangular catering trays to dry and cool, so the next bit is easier for us; you will have to devise your own method.  I suggest you put some rice on a separate plate.  Now in a confident stroke let the colour drip on to the rice in one corner of the dish.  Do the same in each corner.  Leave the rice for a few minutes for the colours to infuse, do not mix the rice at this stage.  Then we stir the rice gently, or in your case add the rice back to the pot and stir gently.

As always here is a tip.  Rice is potentially the most lethal product you use.  It contains a nasty enzyme that unleashes itself if you do not cook and store the rice properly (use within 4 hours if left open, or chill and freeze).  Restaurants (BIRs included ) all abide (or should do) by this as it is very easy to track back sources of Ceres (the bacteria) which can be a killer.  I will post more on the tips thread.

Happy cooking
C P

Yes garlic is predominant in most BIR cooking because it enhances the flavours of other ingredients.  You don't find such quantities of it used in traditional cooking though.  Cardamom pods (chewed) are good for the breath.  I also used to use those Chlorophyll breath freshener tablets (I don't think you can get them now) as they remove the garlic effects from the Alimentary canal and sweat also.  However, if you gook the Garlic the proper way you should not get such an after effect.

I was once asked to leave the Walker's Brewery site when I was a young and junior computer engineer in the 60s.  I had been experimenting with a particularly heavy Garlic based curry the night before!!!!  Very embarrassing.  I learned a good lesson that day, but those Chlorophyll tablets did the trick and I returned later........    Wish I could remember their name.

Happy Cooking
C P

With regard to keeping times for fresh food because of my business I have to comply with the Health & Hygiene and FSA regulations so I would certainly not recommend such long marinade and storage times.  As guide you should think of the whole process time rather than individual bits.  If you are using fresh chicken then 4 days for the whole process  is really your safe maximum.  So you only need to marinade for 4 hours but overnight is better - max 24 hours.  Cook on a high heat to reach a minimum temperature of 80 degrees centigrade very quickly then reduce the heat for the remainder.  You should then cool it down as quickly as possible and put it in the fridge.  Maximum safe chilled storage time  at 8 (preferably 5 degrees) degrees centigrade is three days, then you must freeze or discard it.  If you freeze it you must only store it for 6 months max in a 3 star and you must cook and eat it as soon as it is defrosted

On the subject of defrosting, if you can avoid it, never use a microwave as this changes the flavours and textures.  Let it defrost in the fridge and heat it gently in a covered pan.  Nearly all of my recipes have had to be redesigned so that they can be frozen (because that is the nature of our business), so I shall lob some tips on to the hints & tips topic at some time.

Happy Cooking
C P

I can post it certainly (later), but do remember it is Pat Chapman's original recipe but slightly mofified.

Happy Cooking

C P

For what its worth here's my twopennyworth.  The  preparation, storage, and cooking of Garlic is quite a large subject on its own, and I was thinking of putting it in the hints, tips etc topic.  It is a well known fact that Garlic does not freeze very well, the process releases all the bitter acid as it defrosts, so if you have to freeze it, they do so in small portions and add it frozen to the dish you are cooking, don't let it defrost.  Being a business I have access to the wholesale outlets, so I buy Schwartz catering jars of pureed garlic (as most chefs do).  It is not as good as fresh Garlic (its has a gassy smell and slightly acidic taste from the preservatives), but it suffices for bulk cooking. 

Ginger freezes well, but you should never peel it when you use it fresh or frozen.  Just wash it well and remove any dodgy bits.  All the flavour of Ginger is concentrated just under the skin.  Again you should add frozen Ginger straight from the freezer, don't thaw.

If you grate I recommend a Microplane, which will shave rather than rasp the Ginger; better still use a mini-blender.

Similarly, you can freeze Coriander quite well.  Just wash well, remove the leaves and discard the stems, dry it very well, and freeze it.  Don't thaw you must add it completely frozen.

Happy cooking
C P