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Author Topic: Using powdered food colouring  (read 11,349 times)

AI Summary
The discussion centers around the use of powdered food coloring in cooking, particularly for coloring pilau rice. Participants share their methods for applying the powder, emphasizing the importance of using very small amounts to avoid overwhelming the dish with color. While some prefer a mix of colors, including green, others stick to yellow, orange, and red, highlighting personal preferences in coloring choices. The consensus is that using a tiny "pile" of powder, often measured with unconventional tools like toothpicks or the ends of spoons, is key to achieving the desired effect without compromising the dish's appearance.

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Offline natterjak

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Using powdered food colouring
« on: May 12, 2011, 11:03 AM »
I've only ever used liquid food colouring but I see spicesofindia.co.uk only the powdered variety.  Presumably you add a little water to make it up into a liquid prior to use?
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Offline curryhell

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2011, 11:42 AM »
Hi Natterjak.  I'm the direct opposite. I've always used powder and never liquid.  As for making a liquid from the powder with water, i just simply add the powder direct, whether its for a tikka marinade or to colour pilau rice (with the minutest tiny drip of water ;D) so as to keep the colour concentrated and not have it invade the rest of the rice.
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Offline natterjak

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2011, 12:32 PM »
Thanks CH.  So for Pilau you would add a tiny "pile" of colour in various places around the rice then drip water onto it?  How much powder is required?
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Offline curryhell

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2011, 01:15 PM »
Quote from: natterjak on May 14, 2011, 12:32 PM
Thanks CH.  So for Pilau you would add a tiny "pile" of colour in various places around the rice then drip water onto it?  How much powder is required?
That's about it Natterjak.  "Pile", maybe not quite that much ;D ;D.  What i normally do is add two "piles" of yellow, one "pile" of orange and a smaller "pile" of red in different areas once I've removed the whole spices when the rice has finished cooking, placing the minutest drip of water on it. And i do mean the minutest ;).  Too much liquid and the effect of the colouring is lost and you have serious overkill and a lot of varying degrees of the food colourings invading much of the rice >:(.  I then leave the rice to stand with the lid on for another 10 - 15 mins to allow the colouring to invade the grains.  Then simply fork the coloured grains gently through the rest of the beautifully white basmati.  Job done and very impressive :D.  The best way i can quantify our chosen unit of measurement - the "pile", is to say that the "pile" equates to a roughly the size of one or maybe two match heads and NO MORE!!!  Is that of any help?  Next time i make some I'll post a pic in this thread as it may be useful to others.
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Offline curryhell

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2011, 01:25 PM »
Here's yesterdays effort for last night's tikka vindallo a la CA's method and gravy as per spec.
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2011, 02:49 PM »
Quote from: curryhell on May 14, 2011, 01:15 PM
What i normally do is add two "piles" of yellow, one "pile" of orange and a smaller "pile" of red in different areas.
Wot, no green ?  I have to confess, the first time I saw green colouring used in pilau rice I was shaken, but since then I have become addicted to it and I now use red x 2, green x 2, and yellow x 1.

** Phil.
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Offline curryhell

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2011, 03:20 PM »
Quote from: Phil (Chaa006) on May 14, 2011, 02:49 PM
Quote from: curryhell on May 14, 2011, 01:15 PM
What i normally do is add two "piles" of yellow, one "pile" of orange and a smaller "pile" of red in different areas.
Wot, no green ?  I have to confess, the first time I saw green colouring used in pilau rice I was shaken, but since then I have become addicted to it and I now use red x 2, green x 2, and yellow x 1.

** Phil.
Green in my rice? :o  NO!  That's just wrong ;D.  Have had it in restaurants but don't possess any and no intentions of buying any, not even for my yoghurt sauce.  I like mine yellow.  Again some BIR's use green.  All a matter of personal preference with no impact on the flavour 8)
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Offline natterjak

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2011, 04:11 PM »
Quote from: curryhell on May 14, 2011, 01:15 PM
Quote from: natterjak on May 14, 2011, 12:32 PM
Thanks CH.  So for Pilau you would add a tiny "pile" of colour in various places around the rice then drip water onto it?  How much powder is required?
That's about it Natterjak.  "Pile", maybe not quite that much ;D ;D.  What i normally do is add two "piles" of yellow, one "pile" of orange and a smaller "pile" of red in different areas once I've removed the whole spices when the rice has finished cooking, placing the minutest drip of water on it. And i do mean the minutest ;).  Too much liquid and the effect of the colouring is lost and you have serious overkill and a lot of varying degrees of the food colourings invading much of the rice >:(.  I then leave the rice to stand with the lid on for another 10 - 15 mins to allow the colouring to invade the grains.  Then simply fork the coloured grains gently through the rest of the beautifully white basmati.  Job done and very impressive :D.  The best way i can quantify our chosen unit of measurement - the "pile", is to say that the "pile" equates to a roughly the size of one or maybe two match heads and NO MORE!!!  Is that of any help?  Next time i make some I'll post a pic in this thread as it may be useful to others.

Perfect description, thanks.  If Parcelforce ever deign to deliver my consignment from SpicesofIndia I'll give it a try.
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Offline curryhell

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2011, 04:19 PM »
Glad to be of assistance.  The colouring is readily available at most asian grocer stores in small pill size bottle containers and also very large containers.  Probably a lot cheaper than Spicesofindia.  And it goes a very very long way ;D
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Offline natterjak

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Re: Using powdered food colouring
« Reply #9 on: May 14, 2011, 05:05 PM »
How do you manage to get such a tiny amount from the bottle onto the top of the rice?  A normal teaspoon would appear to be far too large for such a task.
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