Topic: Spiced oil

[Blondie]

Hi all,

back in the days of in2curry there was a woman there that taught Indian Restaurant style Cooking.  From memory, I think her name was Janet.  She claimed that one of the main ingredients used in her cookery was spiced oil, which I believe she taught how to make. Did anyone do the course with this lady? was it of any use? and the main point of this post, could the spiced oil be the way to get the taste without re-using oil many times?

Just a thought,

Cheers all,

Blondie

[Mark J]

Ghanna also gave a recipe for spiced oil on this site, here it is:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=190.msg1069#msg1069

[Mark J]

And here's the woman off in2curry : http://theboustons.users.btopenworld.com/

[George]

I don't believe it - a correspondance course for ?50 + post and packing!!! In other words an e-document just like many others. Would you pay ?50 in a bookshop for a small number of recipes like that?  I hoped it might be actual cooking lessons like Pat Chapman or some restaurants offer. Also, it's a pity the guestbook doesn't have any commendations for the 'course', but only web references from porn sites and the like, at least on the first couple of pages.

Regards
George

[pete]

I bought the course
She seems to be a very pleasant lady
I got a folder with word document recipes in
I don't want to give her recipes out, as that seems to be, how she makes a living
She does use a spiced oil, made in exactly the way as I reported from restaurants
I didn't think this was right at the time
But I eventually found out, that this is exactly what curry houses do
It is the oil from the boiled curry gravy
I think all her meals use it
There are a few other tricks she uses
Needless to say I wasn't totally happy with my results
But, I never am
Even when shown by a proper restaurant chef
She does a workshop on a Saturday
So you can gets a hands on tutorial
I liked her

[curryqueen]

Tailor made Indian Cookery lessons by REN.  This was a lady I emailed and she charged ?150 for a days course, I think it was 4 or 5 dishes and it was authentic not bir.  This lady put a post in the ebooks section I think if I remember rightly.  Quite a lot of money for one day don't you think in comparison to a course sent in a folder with quite a few more recipes, online support and the expertise of being a teacher!  Maybe she does one to one courses too. I am also convinced that spiced oil is the way to go as I have been using it for sometime having excellent results to the standards of bir's. 

[John]

I was chatting to an asian friend of mine about spiced oil, he said he uses it all the time. Now he eats curry and other asian food everyday so i asked him for the recipe and method:
He fries in 2tbsp of oil a pinch of black mustard seeds, 3 bayleaves, 3 black cardamom, 1 stick of cassia bark (also called cinnamon but this was the bark variety) for 5 mins on medium heat before he adds the onions and the rest of the ingredients.

Thats the authentic way! but i wonder if we used that method for pre-cooking the onions, then we could use the oil and pre-cooked onions to the pan when we start our bir dishes, The bir way has to have some relation to the authentic way of cooking.

Authentic way - fry spices in oil then continue making the dish
bir way - fry spices in oil then cool and use for later when customer comes in

[raygraham]

Hi John,

That sounds like it is a "Tarka" where some spices are fried prior to either cooking a dish from the start or adding this spiced oil at a later stage. Does your friend suggest this is what the BIR uses as frying those spices in 2 tablespoons of oil wouldn't give enough oil to play with especially in the restaurant setting.
It might be worth increasing the amount of spices into say a litre of oil and giving this a try.

Ray

[curryqueen]

It is a tarka.  The whole point of spiced oil is that it is taking on the other flavours from the spice mix,  onions, garlic/ginger, tomato puree/paste etc as well and so you are getting an oil that is flavoured with a curry flavour/red in colour before you start making your curry.  As soon as the oil hits the pan there you have the aroma that comes with a curry.

[raygraham]

It is a tarka.? The whole point of spiced oil is that it is taking on the other flavours from the spice mix,? onions, garlic/ginger, tomato puree/paste etc as well and so you are getting an oil that is flavoured with a curry flavour/red in colour before you start making your curry.

Hi CQ,

So are you saying this method of spicing individual portions of oil is relevant to the BIR curry and is a method they might use?
I know many asian cooks use this method at home. I have just been watching the Madhur Jaffrey series on Sky and she "tarka's quite a lot. Just quickly stir fries a few whole spices like Bay Leaves, Cinnamon Stick, Cumin Seeds, Curry Leaves in a few tablespoons of oil and pours it straight into the finished curry at the end of cooking.

However, from discussions made on this site the spiced oil is more what most re-claim from the base cooking process and derives it's flavour from the spices in the base itself rather than being a fresh oil infused with whole spices.
Having said that Bruce Edwards uses a tarka which he says improves flavour.

Here it is:-

The Tarka

Not essential but he says improves flavour

Heat 5 fl oz?s Veg Oil in large pot
Add 1 Tbsp Tom Puree, stir for 1 min
Add the Curry Gravy, stir well
Bring to boil and simmer until Oil rises to surface
Stop stirring to allow Oil to separate
It will turn slightly brown
Skim off froth from top a few times
Use at once or it will keep a week in the fridge

( I am assuming he means to skim off the oil then use this for the curry you are making ).

This tarka is obviously fairly devoid of spices except what is in the base sauce so I wouldn't think it dramatically alters flavours just adds a subtle difference. I used this method myself when cooking from Bruce's recipes so can't say if it makes a difference or not as I have never tried it without.

If I was to make say a litre bottle of spiced oil to use in my curries which spices and what amounts would you suggest I use in this volume of oil?

Regards

Ray

P.S. Family round next week so with your recent help and advice I am going to make a "Raan" of Lamb or Turkey like we had at Christmas. Can't wait!