Quote from: underwurlde on December 26, 2007, 05:41 PM

To gain some idea of the heat of these sauces (cookery additives really), 'normal' tobasco sauce is rated with a scoville 'heat' rating of about 1,500, whereas the Mad Dog 357 above has a scoville 'heat' rating of 357,000!!!!

If you think that's hot try growing your own Naga Morich (Dorset Naga) chillies. These seeds are available on e-bay (chilli seeds). I grew some last year and they're the hottest of the hot.

A recent sample of the Naga Morich chilli was tested and registered 1,598,227 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), that's 3 times hotter than the previous World Record Holder - the Red Savina Habanero or 300 times hotter than a Jalapeno pepper!

There is a sauce made from this chilli which is available from the following website

http://www.thechileman.org/naga_morich.php

Regards
SnS

Hi Sharkbait

Happy Christmas to you. Hope you enjoy the forum.

Sharkbait? You don't happen to sail catamarans do you?

Regards
SnS ;D

Quote from: adriandavidb on December 11, 2007, 12:44 PM

The closed thing that comes close to the rich aroma wafting from your local curry house is, I believe, as lot of people here have already suggested, fengreek leaf.  I add ground dried methi leaf to many of my curry dishes, and although it produces results nearly as savory as my local, it is 90% 'there' but not quite!

Could it be that as we, as 'chefs', are exposed to the cooking smells, it's never going to taste quite right?  I cook a mean Sunday morning 'fry-up', but it always tastes better if someone else has done the cooking!!

I agree with you. It's because our smell and taste senses are linked.

I love that curry aroma wafting down the street. However, it soon disappears once you step inside the restaurant and you certainly can't smell it AFTER you've had a curry.

If you're actually cooking curry, you wouldn't notice that gorgeous aroma that we're so familiar with. Only way to check to see if that authentic smell is being produced is to get someone else (a curry head preferably) to walk past your kitchen door when you're cooking ... or even ask the down-wind neighbours, I'm sure they'll soon comment on the smell wafting around outside!

Quote from: ast on December 24, 2007, 03:30 PM
I think its interesting that many of the other bases include carrots.
Unfortunately, my mother's allergic to carrots, so any base including them wouldn't be a good idea.

Hi Andrew

Welcome to the forum and seasonal greetings to you.

Regarding the use of carrots in the base gravy, I've got to say I find this quite unnecessary.

A proper BIR gravy does not have an array of different vegetables in it - or it is unlikely to give you the true BIR taste. What you'll get is a chef's adaption of a base gravy which may be better or worse than the average BIR. Your preference to what you add to the BASE gravy to suit your particular needs is based on personal taste. This can be only judged through experience, which will only come through trial and error.

It is better to start your experiments with a true base gravy and work from there.

A true base gravy (also known as DAAG) consists of onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, oil, salt and a number of spices, primarily coriander, cummin, turmeric and chili. The cooking process of the Daag will vary, as will the amount and the timing of the spices added. Each method will result in different taste. The daag may also contain some fresh sweet peppers, chillies and coriander.

If you want to try a simple base gravy (that can be later adapted to your taste), my advice is not go for a complicated one. Stick to the proven methods.

Although my gravy recipe is not exactly high-tech, it is simple to produce using basic ingredients, not overspiced and does give you the opportunity to create a variety of tasty BIR curries.

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2189.0

Best Regards
Sns :

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on December 09, 2007, 01:22 PM
I'm looking towards getting an analon wok to do my curries in. Does anyone have experience with the brand?

Hi Bobby

I've just come back from the Xmas shopping rush (as normal I've left the shopping to the last moment).

Couldn't resist it - Sale Price - bought a new curry pan (?66.00 reduced to ?33.00). I've been promising myself one for years, but could never really justify the cost!

I used to use a wok but found the heat wasn't even across the base. Being fairly thin and a small diameter base, and despite being well seasoned, unless the contents were constantly stirred, occasionally things would stick.

This new (26cm) pan is a 3 layer composite of stainless steel/aluminium/stainless steel made by Stellar and part of the James Martin collection. I've just used it (for king prawn Dhansak), and it really is excellent. Even heat distribution (even on very low flame) and no sticking whatsoever.

I'm not sure what the Analon wok is that you're getting or how much it costs - but I would recommend looking at some of the smaller stainless steel thick base frying pans (not nonstick), that are already available in the Xmas sales.

Regards
SnS

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on December 22, 2007, 09:11 PM
Well it's funny you should say that because they gave me free popodums and spicy onion raita and another gloopy thing also, so I think they actually tried quite hard. I've since googled the restaurant and it gets slated by pretty much everyone, so I think it is just really, really bad.

Back to the Balaka next time then eh? ;D

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on December 22, 2007, 07:57 PM


I think fundamentally, my findings suggest that the likelihood of getting into the kitchen varies in inverse proportion to how much alcohol you consume.

Especially as most are Muslims - and they hate alcohol !!!!

They probably made your curry especially bad to get their own back - or thought you wouldn't even notice :-)

Never mind, sounds like you had some fun trying - we've all been there sometime or other. Better luck next time mate.

Best wishes for the New Year
Regards
SnS

Hi Ast

Welcome to the forum - you're obviously a bit of a chilli head (like so many of us).

I'm sure you'll find the site interesting and be contributing your own Phall recipes shortly!

As far as indexing, I'm sure one of the site moderators will provide you an answer (you can always use the SEARCH button for a specific recipe)

Regards
SnS ;D

Quote from: Cory Ander on December 20, 2007, 01:52 AM
Great post SnS,

General:

• Do they use stock?  If so, what type and in what?
• What does he ascribe that "BIR taste and smell" to? At what stage is it developed?
• How important does he think high heat is in developing the taste and smell?
• Does he think the "taste and smell" can be reproduced at home?  If not, why not?
• What type oil do they use?  Do they use "reclaimed" oil?  If so, from where?
• Do they use ghee (butter or vegetable)?  If so, for what?
• Do they use a "curry powder" or "spice mix" (or similar)?  If so, for what?
• What other masalas and pastes do they use (e.g. tikka, korma, etc)?
• Do they use commercial blends of spices and pastes (e.g Pataks)?  If so, which and for what?
• What types of pots and pans do they use?
• Do they use MSG?  If so, in what?
• Would he like to help us on this forum or know of someone who can?
• Would he like to help us with our project to replicate BIR curries at home or know of someone who can? (https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2187.0)

Curry Base:

• How much oil, and of what type, do they use in the curry base?
• Do they salvage the oil from the base (or deep fat fryer?) and use it elsewhere?
• Do they fry the onions or just boil them?
• How do they get the bitterness out of the onions?
• What's the overall cooking time for what quanity of curry base?
• Do they use high heat to cook the curry base?
• How do the three curry bases differ?  Where is each used?

I'll add questions to the list as I think of them....

Crikey CA - Im sure Raj was expecting education not interrogation. I'll do my best to get answers to all your questions though.

Regards
SnS

Du vill anzer zeez kves-chuns !!!! :-X

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on December 20, 2007, 05:09 PM
I hope you know how lucky you are!  

On a more serious note, would you say that the restaurant curries have the "taste" and the "smell"?

I ask because I think I stand a good chance at getting some kind of demo at The Balaka, St Andrews. It won Pat C's best 2001 but although the food is great it's aimed at the high end market and isn't in keeping with classic British back street takeout. I would prefer somewhere more classic as that's the flavour I'm out to match.

It's intresting that they use the three bases, as I seem to remember the same in that restaurant Gordon Ramsay sorted out on Hell's Kitchen. Can you please try and find out what that's all about?

I think so Bobby. It's hard to tell whether it has both the taste and smell of the "back street" curry. I certainly wouldn't put it at the "high end market", as good as it is, although they do add some frills.

Of the two other curry bases, it was interesting that one was for the Korma and Pasanda type curry and I think he said the other was used for the tikka masala's (where they also used some Garam masala).

Good luck with The Balaka.

SNS