Topic: PanPot's Ashoka Onion Paste (Bunjara)

[natterjak]

I made my first Bunjara yesterday but instead of frying the onions to caramelise them I used a slow cooker.

natterjack, I recall that when PanPot first posted the Ashoka recipes he said that the bunjara should look like Branston pickle and yours looks exactly like that. I have a slow cooker but I didn't think of using it for making the Ashoka bunjara, but, as you say, it would seem the ideal method for cooking this recipe.

I thought of another plus point of using the slow cooker - it has space for you to load up way more onions so you could make a double or triple batch of bunjara and freeze in portions.  If preparing a massive batch like this you would probably need to do split it into 2 or 3 parts for the final frying stage.  Certainly my 6.5l slow cooker could have caramelised three times as many onions as I put into it.

Has anyone had success freezing bunjara then defrosting when required or does it impair the flavour too much?  A quick google reveals plenty of people who freeze caramelised onions without suffering poor results so I would guess it's viable.

[natterjak]

Looks good, natterkack. The bunjara tastes so good I could eat it by itself (although it is quite salty). Used it in a recipe yet?

Not just yet, I'm working my way though the prep stages enroute to cooking my first curry.  This is why it's a bit of a cheek for me to be suggesting improvements to techniques before I've even got a finished curry on the table but hey ho, just couldn't help deviating and using the slow cooker.

Right now I've actually run out of onions!  I bought what I thought was loads but when I got around to weighing them the bunjara used much more than I expected so I will have to get down the shops and stock up.

[JerryM]

Phil (Chaa006),

there is an "original" onion paste and the ashoka onion paste.

link to original http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3128.msg27899#msg27899

i don't think everyone is sold on using it "bunjarra" or "onion paste". you can produce a decent curry without it.

i add it just before the main base goes in (just as the spice is cooked). you can also add after the base goes in.

it's quite a strange taste - caramelised onion with a fair hint of cinnamon. just tasting it on it's own you'd say it tastes pretty good but you'd bet money that it's not going to work in a curry. for me it adds an extra depth to the dish. it's a bit like garlic you know when it's not there - the curry taste's sort of weak.

i freeze my leftover so that i'm never without - that's how important it is to me.

[the chod]

I watched a chef yesterday cook a vindaloo (the best i have ever tasted,yes the best and favourite)
In the technique ,the things that STOOD out for  me, compared to the general standard way, was;
 
Adding a knob of butter.

And initialy at the beginning, adding about half chef spoon of ,what i can describe as ,an onion mixture (which when quizzed,) suggested it had garlic ,ginger and spices .
that i am investigating now.

It wasnt quite a paste ,as i could still see that there were chopped onions in it,the colour had a kind of tumeric /tomato colour to it .

also to make it clear these were in ADDITION to the usual ingredients, ie. curry base,chilli powder,coriander, tomato paste and lemon juice.

may sound like a daft question ,but,is this post about something like what im describing?

[JerryM]

adding about half chef spoon of ,what i can describe as ,an onion mixture (which when quizzed,) suggested it had garlic ,ginger and spices .

may sound like a daft question ,but,is this post about something like what im describing?

it sounds very much like bunjarra. i use it in all dishes even vindaloo.

ps have attached link to where i'm upto on vindaloo, started off with CA's.

[martinvic]

I also add it to all my spicier curries, but not in any of the mild creamy ones (CTM, Korma etc.)

Martin

[the chod]

thanks guys

[Sverige]

Does anyone still make and use bunjarra in their curries?  I was thinking it might make for a good addition to precooked potatoes, as the flavours in bunjarra would surely work well infused into spuds. Not so convinced about putting it direct into a curry but maybe I just need to try it.

The panpot recipe which started this thread made no mention of what to do with the whole spices (bay leaves and cinnamon stick) st the end of the cook period, so I guess they are just fished out and disposed of (or if you're a BIR, left in there for a customer to choke on, as I've defnstely found big bits of bay leaf in bir dishes in the past).

Checking CBM's bunjarra recipe he has you blend the whole thing at the end, but this doesn't sit well with me. I prefer the panpot directions because if cooked long enough the onions will surely break down into a kind of paste on their own.

One to go on my never ending list of things to try soon.

[Secret Santa]

I prefer the panpot directions because if cooked long enough the onions will surely break down into a kind of paste on their own.

I do on occasion use a bunjarra of sorts but it's more like the onions you'd use for French onion soup which still retain some texture even though they are superbly browned and savoury. I find that once in the curry they melt down and are not evident in the finished dish.

[Naga]

Does anyone still make and use bunjarra in their curries?

I still use Panpot's bunjarra occasionally, but usually only in darker curries such as Domi's Dopiaza and lamb curries etc. Once a large batch is made, I freeze it and then just scoop out a good spoonful of bunjarra slush puppie per person to use in the curry sauce. It certainly adds to the depth of flavour, but not so much that it overpowers the other flavours and textures.