Don't make the mistake of confusing 'European' chickpeas and Indian chickpeas (gram or channa), totally different things.
Fennel seed is the essential spice for an onion bhaji, try it on its own and then add other spices one by one to get a combination that works best for you.
When this potato in onion bhaji stuff first started I asked in a T/A that does fantastic bhajis and they looked at me like I was crazy. The chef explained in a very condescending manner that the difference between an onion bhaji and a vegetable pakora was that one was made from onions and the other was made from potatoes (and other veggies).

Regasrds
CoR 

Re: turmeric. This stuff burns very easily and can lead to a bitter taste, far better to use orange (or red) food colouring, you will only need the tiniest amount for a vibrant colour, IMO.

Regards
CoR.

Ah yes, the Cabin, remember it well! Used to start off with 'a few scoops' in the Swan just down the road and head up to the Cabin for a few more after chucking out time, was the only club in Liverpool that sold beer in pints at that time, classy!

Regards
CoR

Quote from: JerryM on March 20, 2010, 08:39 AM


ps on the banana i've settled on slice, quick squirt lemon dressing and 2 mins microwave as a compromise.

Microwaved banana, I shudder to think LOL! Further thoughts on this banana business, all the BIRs, back in the day, used to do Chicken Maryland (fried chicken like KFC) for the girlie wimps who wouldn't tackle a curry and this had a banana fritter with it, plus there was another Indian dish that had it as well, Ceylon I think but could have been something else, I'm going back 35+ years here!

P.S. JerryM, that club, the Mardi Gras by any chance?

Regards
CoR

Useful list of the smoking points of a range of oils HERE

The smoke point of ghee depends on its purity.

Regards
CoR

The problem with germs of course is that you can't see or taste them and you are just as likely to pick up food poisoning from your own cooking as from eating out, in fact probably more so.
How many people know how to stock their fridge, for instance, or have work tops that would pass an 'elf 'n safety check (mine sure wouldn't) and don't get me started on bloody microwaves, these things have got to be responsible for more food poisoning than everything else put together simply because people don't use them properly.
Simple point being, don't always point the finger at last nights kebab just 'cos you are feeling a bit iffy, go have a good look in the kitchen and invest in a couple of thermometers, one for the fridge and another for the microwave!

Cheers
CoR 

The very first Indian I had was a biriani back in about '73/'74 at the Asha in Bold Street in Liverpool, it was served garnished with an omelette and a banana fritter. Went back for the first time in over 30 years just a couple of years ago and ordered a biriani, for old times sake, it was still served with the omelette but sadly no fritter.



Sadly, it seems that shortly after my last visit, it wasn't just the fritter that disappeared but the Asha went the same way. CLICK HERE.


Regards
CoR

Good heavens, that's 2lb 10oz, how many portions do you do at once?!

Incidentally, one of the better T/As round here serves up proper basmati if you order plain boiled (white) rice but broken basmati (probably Tolly Boy brand because that's the stuff all the cash & carries sell here) if you order pillau rice. What's that about, then?

Cheers
CoR

Dial-A-Curry, takes me back nearly 20 years. A local guy started doing a curry delivery service from his kitchen, his missis did the cooking and he did the deliveries. We would call him at about 4am at the weekend from the local and order a shed load of curries 'as hot as you like' and 20 mins later he was knocking on the door with a boot full of vindaloo, fantastic.

Hi DD

Maybe you could try half ghee half rice bran oil, you still get the taste that way. A little ghee is indeed good for you, the body needs some saturated fats, just don't overdo it and try to cut down on the saturates elsewhere, perhaps change to skimmed milk if you haven't already.

Regards
CoR