Hi Grimmo,

I don't know if it is a generall thing all over the country, but I find that BIR curries these days tend to have much less oil floating on the top than they once did.

The other point I would make is that I have learnt recently that the pre cooking of meat / vegetables is sometimes done in large batches in a seperate "curry sauce" that isn't blended and therefore has seperated oil and a certain amount of different curry sauce which is added to the base sauce in the final preparation of the dish. ?I'm not sure if this going to help us get closer or just put another spanner in the works, but I know that it is correct at some restaurants. ?The seperate curry that the meat is cooked in is sometimes recommended for children although it is not a true curry but it is mild and very tasty.

Hope this helps and not hinders our collective progress,

Cheers,

Blondie

Hi all,

I think adding tinned ready chopped tomatoes (after the garlic and onion) makes a big difference.? It adds more body as the tomatoes aren't completely pureed but do break down with the heat and the stirring.? Another thing that I have noticed is that ready chopped tinned tomatoes seem to have a much fresher taste than puree, pasatta or whole tinned tomatoes.

I hope this helps someone,

Blondie

Hi Admin,

I think, as from past experience, the time to get excited is when the cooking is done and the results tasted, but at least it's something new to look at.

I know you were only joking, but I even paid for our meals in full, sadly I am not on their payroll.

More soon,

Blondie

Hi all,

I went to the Kushi Balti house (as discussed here https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=334.0) yesterday evening to meet the chef and the guy that he is co writing the book "Authentic Balti Curry" with. ?I also ate there and managed to obtain sample recipes for the base sauces and spice mixes to test for them. ?i will be cooking today and will report my findings.

Please do not ask for the recipes, as of course they are subject to copyright and I have signed an agreement to that end that I intend to keep to. ?Having said that, I will be able to let you know what I think of the book (with the writers permissions).

On first appearances (and it is only a rough draft of part of the book) it looks very very good. ?It contains methods, spice mixes and ingredients that I have seen rarely if at all, on this web site or anywhere else.

The food at the restaurant was excellent and fairly inexpensive and the main man Mr Ali Haydor and his co-writer Andy Holmes are really nice guys and are looking forward to my findings as a keen amateur cook.

Watch this space,

Blondie

Hi Darth,

thanks for that,

cheers,

Blondie

Hi Darthy,

I do have broadband but do not use limewire.  Am I likely to find that kind of video there?

cheers Darth,

Blondie

Hi Pete,

I'd like to see the video also if it is at all possible to post it,

Cheers Pete,

Blondie

Hi all,

does anyone know anything about these DVDS?

http://www.thebaltikitchen.com/aboutus.htm,

Cheers,

Blondie

Hi Merrybaker,

It may be the case that the oil could be used to make a curry after being used to cook popadums but AND THIS IS FACT, if the oil is used to cook curry AND THEN used to cook Popadums THE POPADUMS WILL TAKE ALMOST ALL OF THE COLOUR FROM THE OIL.  In my neck of the woods popadums are always very very pale almost white, so curry and then popadums does not work.

hope this helps,

Blondie

Hi all,

I have been cooking curries and buying spices from many different asian shops over many years, I have never seen the brand trs.  Could this be a localised brand, and could other brands be localised, and this is why we may get regional variations in BIRs.

Just a thought (and what areas might the trs brand be found)

cheers all,

Blondie