Topic: Re-Claimed Oil, an answer from the Kushi restaurant

[raygraham]

Hi All,

I contacted the Kushi Restaurant via e-mail about the question of the use of re-claimed oil in the final curry dish.

I have asked a number of questions since recieving the book and each and every one so far has been very promptly answered so I can only say "Thank's Kushi" for that!!
I also sent them a photo of the finished dishes I made which I also posted here and they have added them to their website.

My latest question has been about the use of re-claimed oil in the final dish and they have written their answer below. I think it makes an interesting read so have included all they have written to me.

My original e-mail said...................


Hi Andy and Mohammed,
 
I have just seen my Balti and Patia photo in your help and support section and it looks great, thank-you for using it.
 
I do have a further question which I hope you may answer.
 
It is " when you cook in the restaurant do you use fresh oil in each dish or do you use oil that has been taken from previously cooked dishes that has the flavours of the curry infused in the oil?
I have heard that oil added from previously cooked dishes gives a more authentic restaurant style flavour and wonder if I save some oil back from a previously cooked meal or from the base sauce this might enhance the flavours of the next dish I make. Can you offer any advice for me? I am going to try another two recipes from the book this weekend.
 
Regards
 
Ray Graham
 
Keighley, West Yorkshire

The reply was..................


Dear Mr. Graham,
 
Thanks for your email - and thanks again for the photo, which is great!
 
In terms of the 're-using oil' question, we've had a couple of other queries about this - as it's clearly a technique used by some curry restaurants.? However, it's not a technique Mr. Haydor uses in his restaurant due of customer demand.? One of the hotly-debated differences between Balti and traditional curry cookery is the issue of Baltis being "fresher" - and using 'clean' oil gives that end result.? (Although there are, no doubt, Balti restaurants, which DO use re-use oil.)? Below, I have copied part of a reply which we sent to another reader who asked just the same question about oil re-use, which I hope is useful to you.?
 
Having said that, there's nothing wrong with trying it yourself (using extra oil in the base sauce or finished dishes), and keeping some back for future dishes.? You may find it makes the result even better for your particular taste.?
 
I know that's not the most complete reply in the world, but I will look into this more over the coming months, and I'll let you know what I find out.
 
I hope that helps - (to a certain extent!)
 
All the very best, and good luck with future dishes.
 
Kind regards,
 
Andy Holmes
Authentic Balti Curry
 
 
This is the extract from a separate query about using extra oil to re-use in future dishes..............

"The technique of using a lot of oil in base sauce is not one which Mr. Haydor uses in his restaurant, simply because of customer demand, and that?s what we?ve tried to reflect in the book. It?s also a technique which rather pre-dates the Balti culture, which is a comparatively new restaurant cookery technique.
From personal experience the use of this technique varies from restaurant to restaurant, and in various parts of the country. Because of the fact Mr. Haydor doesn?t use this technique in his restaurant, it wouldn?t be right for him to recommend how to do it ? but what we would recommend is that you experiment with it ? just to satisfy your own curiosity.
It sounds like you?re quite a confident cook, and it?s the best way of learning!"

So there you have it folks. Hope this sheds a little more light on things for us all.

I don't know who this last reply was sent to but I wouldn't mind betting it was one of us from the cr0 site!

Anyway, I have sent a thank-you to the Kushi for their advice who seem on the face of it to be fairly willing to offer some help and advice.

I think it now perhaps clarifies for us that re-claimed oil is certainly used as a "taste enhancer" in some restaurants. It also clarifies that "Balti" varies in tastes and techniques from the "BIR" methods and should now be accepted as having it's own deserved? place in the recipe books in it's own right.
The Kushi Book is a "Balti Book" and as such has differences to the taste's we want to achieve.
It suggests there are variations in taste dependant on style and location so our site members may all be experiencing different tastes to one another which make's the task of finding the answer even harder, if indeed a general answer exists.!

But whatever the answers are it is clear that the curries we all enjoy are so very diverse in their preparation, methods, techniques and tastes that we have all got such a lot of information to go at and a lot more to come before we are all satisfied we have reached that ultimate goal!

Definately "food for thought" !


Regards

Ray G

[curryqueen]

Hi Ray,

What a great read!  It can vary from restaurant to restaurant the use of re-used oil as the Kushi restaurant have confirmed.  Some use reclaimed oil, some use plain oil and some use ghee and that is why we are getting so many different recipes and ingredients used in say just a vindaloo.  I sometimes look at the recipes on this site that some post and think "this is not right", but, to the area in which they are living it is the almost replication from their local bir. Where I live the restaurant I buy from uses quite a lot of oil in a curry and I know from the smell of it that they are re-using the oil. It has that burnt/smokey smell to it.  Anyhow, thankyou for a great post, I throughly enjoyed it and the fact that Kushi has confirmed that oil is reused.

[DARTHPHALL]

Thank you Curry Queen for confirming what i have suspected for a long time.
My locals Curries don't have a burnt or Smokey smell to them, & they don't use hardly any Oil & having looked at photos of other members Take-away Curries i can see there is (as i posted ages ago) a difference in methods & ingredients from Bir's across the UK.
One very positive thing to come from this is that my fave BIR does make a more healthy good quality Curry.
Hope this is still true after their re-fit (all extremeties crossed !! ).