Quote from: Cory Ander on February 01, 2008, 10:41 PM
Great post, SnS, 

Nice, clear instructions and excellent (and helpful) photos.

I'll be trying this very soon....

Thanks for your excellent efforts; much appreciated! 

Thanks for your kind comments.

Just need your perfect Madras recipe to go with it. Can you help on that one - when you've got some of the gravy.

SnS  ;D

As promised, I have now reproduced the Saffron gravy recipe, this time at home.

I have taken accurate measurements and made a couple of small adjustments which haven't affected the final result.

1 tsp - 5 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml

So here it is again:-

VEGETABLES
Cooking onions (1.5kg unpeeled, 1.25kg peeled)
1 large carrot (200g unshaved, 160g shaved)
1 large green pepper (225g whole, 200g trimmed and deseeded)
4 to 6 Salad potatoes (250g unshaved, 210g shaved)

Chop roughly and add to a very large cooking pot

Add:-

2 medium tomatoes (chopped into quarters)
2 cups (500 ml) of fresh vegetable oil
25g finely chopped garlic gloves (about 4 large cloves)
10g finely chopped fresh ginger root (about 1 inch cube)
1 tbsp (15 ml) salt
2.5 litres of water, which will cover all the ingredients

Cover and bring to boil. Remain covered and simmer vigorously for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add:-

Half a tin (200 g) of chopped plum tomatoes (Italian Napolina)

Boil covered for another 5 minutes.

Add:-

25 ml cumin powder
25 ml coriander powder
25 ml turmeric powder
25 ml sweet paprika (or deghi mirch)

Boil covered for another 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and blend for at least 5 minutes until very smooth.

Add 1 litre of water. The gravy will now resemble a very thin soup.

Bring to boil. Simmer vigorously (almost a boil) uncovered for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove any scum * (not froth) forming on the surface. When the oil completely separates the gravy is complete.

Notes:
Photo 1) The number of onions is greater than the previous recipe as these ones were fairly small (likewise with the spuds).
Photo 3) I used fresh garlic and ginger root, not ready made puree's (your choice).
Photo 13) The oil starts to appear - even at the blending stage.
Photo 14) The gravy is very thin (milk - like).
Photo 15) The oil starts to rise to the surface after about 20 minutes (this can easily be seen if the heat is turned down to a gentle simmer for a short while).
Photo 16) This was the amount of surface oil after only 5 minutes at rest. (I found it difficult to actually stir the oil back into the gravy).

* Scum not froth. The scum resembles the stuff you get on a cold cup of tea and may or may not form on the surface. After the gravy cools down there may be some scum floating on the surface of the oil. This should also be removed.

Regards

SnS  ;D

Welocome Eric. Look forward to hearing about your progress.

SnS  ;D

Quote from: adriandavidb on February 01, 2008, 05:04 PM
Interestingly, I once found the a piece of star anise in one of his madras's!  This is interesting because this spice is often used in garam masalla (albeit usually ground up). 

Star Anise may be used in some commercial blends of Garam Masala, as are other less traditional Garam Masala spices. As far as I'm aware it is not used in any of the authentic Garam Masala's.

SnS  ;D

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 30, 2008, 02:08 PM
How big is the chef's spoon measure? They do seem to vary so I think we need this information even if it's only a guess.

25 grams or 25 ml - take ya pick SS. 

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 30, 2008, 02:44 AM

Quote from: Cory Ander on January 30, 2008, 01:29 AM
The chef SPECIFICALLY says to remove the scum, so we should SURELY remove the scum IF we wish to make HIS curry base the way HE makes it.

I have an aunt who insists that the only way to make genuine felt is to wade up to your knees in stale piss, while bare legged you grind those sheep fibres into submission. The effectiveness of the method is indisputable being a traditional method going back to the 1400's at least, but you know what, I can make felt without the stale piss, and without the mind numbing drudgery of stomping it for hour upon hour.

There is no argument here, the scum is innocuous (ok in some limited circumstances it may not be) but in general it is an insignificant factor.

If you wish to promote the fiction that it makes a bit of difference to the finshed curry then so be it, but I suggest you ply your trade in that other well known forum where "if you say it's so, then it's so".

God bless your Aunt (and I'm not taking the Pxss). She is probably right and she will argue with you until the cow's (sheep) come home.

The fact of the matter is this:-

If you take the time to investigate recipe's, especially when making stocks and soups, you will find that Chef's throughout the world do recommend that you remove the scum from the surface, particularly if using onions. This includes BIR chefs, European Chefs, Australian Chefs, Asian Chefs, African Chefs and even American Chefs (yeh , even American Chefs..)

Please do not think that the "Chuckle Bros" are ganging up against you, as this is not true. I know that CA thinks very differently to me and he would not support anything I say without sincere consideration of the facts (and vikky verky). Unfortunately, it is a fact, that as Brothers we rarely agree on anything (I often wish this wasn't the case !).

This is NOT fiction. It is FACT.

Please lighten up, as I'm sure your comments are appreciated (and expected) by most members.

Best regards

SnS  ;D

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 30, 2008, 01:59 AM
You know when I started out with the Chuckle Brothers' joke? Well apparently it isn't so much a joke as reality. Do I need to say more :

Not quite sure what angle you're coming from there SS. Can it really be that there are two members who dare to disagree with you or is that you need some urgent assistance?

Only light hearted banter of course. Chin up me old mucker! 

After all we're all on the same side.

SnS  ;D

I've got to second that.

SnS  ;D

Oh well back to the standard onion chopper then.

SnS  ;D

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 30, 2008, 12:01 AM
Oh sweeet jesus and haleluliah. We have a chemist on here at last. Would you care to enlighten us SnS as to how this H2SO4 gets produced? Perhaps a breakdown of the transition states that accompany this process. I'm all ears , really I am.

When I went to school (1970's) sulphur SO₃ + water H₂O = sulphuric acid H₂SO₄

Onions release sulphur when the molecules are ruptured.

Not rocket science (as they say SS)

;D