Curry Recipes Online
Curry Recipe Group Tests => Curry Recipe Group Tests => Topic started by: DalPuri on January 09, 2013, 07:41 PM
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This thread is a continuation from here
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11223.msg84973.html#msg84973 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11223.msg84973.html#msg84973)
If everyone is happy to begin, then here are the rules: -
1 You can choose any recipe from this site. e.g. Main dish, Sides, Rice, Breads, Pastes, Dips, Traditional or BIR, fried snacks, Anything. Even gravy! :o
2 Each pairing should PM each other their chosen recipe for the other to cook.
3 You will have one month to complete. (or shall we say until the end of the month?)
4 The recipe should remain a secret to the forum until it is cooked and reviewed in this thread.
5 Be prepared for your partner not to have all the ingredients in your recipe, so have a 2nd choice ready.
I'll have to pull out to make the numbers even.
So the pairings for the first Secret Santa Recipe Group Test are:
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/63d0b70a8300ca862e52688647ebca04.png)
Good Luck Everyone! Frank. ;D
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RubyDoo Panpot's Ashoka Jaipuri
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg86548.html#msg86548 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg86548.html#msg86548)
Naga CA's Chicken Ceylon
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg86962.html#msg86962 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg86962.html#msg86962)
Fried CA's Chicken Dhansak
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg87079.html#msg87079 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg87079.html#msg87079)
Unclefrank Secret Santa's Chicken Saag
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg88549.html#msg88549 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg88549.html#msg88549)
DalPuri Prawn Suka - Viceroy & Bengali Mirchi CBM
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg88611.html#msg88611 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg88611.html#msg88611)
getonthegarabi Madhur Jaffrey's Sweet Saffron Pilau
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg88796.html#msg88796 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg88796.html#msg88796)
curryhell CA's chicken jalfrezi
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg89156.html#msg89156 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg89156.html#msg89156)
loveitspicy Chicken Tikka Malai
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg89313.html#msg89313 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg89313.html#msg89313)
michael.t Kushi Chicken Bhuna - Razor
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg89341.html#msg89341 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11363.msg89341.html#msg89341)
976bar Mick/Taz's Dopiaza
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11556.msg89298.html#msg89298 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11556.msg89298.html#msg89298)
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All understood. Researching now Naga :-*
;)
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Sams Saucey kitchen anyone? ;D
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Is it my imagination or have some of the older post disappeared since the revamp? I had something in mind and I can't seem to find it. Never mind I'll find something more elaborate!
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Drat, and double-drat! I've missed this. Maybe next time. Great stuff guys, looking forward to the reports and pics!
Rob :)
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Hey Frank, can you now join in and partner Rob? ;)
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I'm in! PM sent to RD. :)
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I'm in! PM sent to RD. :)
Contact made - where the hell do I 'source' Hungarian Mongoose livers? ;D
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Contact made - where the hell do I 'source' Hungarian Mongoose livers? ;D
Ungaria ?!
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Contact made - where the hell do I 'source' Hungarian Mongoose livers? ;D
www.dealchecker.co.uk/Hungary (http://www.dealchecker.co.uk/Hungary)
Flights from
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Found at last and PM sent.
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Hey Frank, can you now join in and partner Rob? ;)
Yeah of course, if thats ok with everyone else? :)
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Yes, I
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The more, the merrier.
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Are we allowed to use pastes?
Rob :D
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Right so me and you then Rob :D
I've added our names to the screenshot in the first post. ;)
ANY recipe or ingredients Rob. But a sneaky request if you dont mind. Please dont give me a gravy recipe as Both my freezers are full to the brim!! :P
I hate waste.
Cheers, Frank. :)
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Contact made - where the hell do I 'source' Hungarian Mongoose livers? ;D
Ungaria ?!
Ungaria is populated purely by the short haired variety. This recipe specifies long haired only. My fault - should have mentioned it. ;)
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Contact made - where the hell do I 'source' Hungarian Mongoose livers? ;D
www.dealchecker.co.uk/Hungary (http://www.dealchecker.co.uk/Hungary)
Flights from
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Yes, I
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Ungaria is populated purely by the short haired variety. This recipe specifies long haired only. My fault - should have mentioned it. ;)
I understand that they mutate fairly readily, so perhaps keep a breeding colony somewhere near Sellafield and see if some long-haired ones evolve ? You could also try force-feeding them with grain, and thereby be able to produce Hungarian mongoose foie gras, the income from which would probably enable you to set up your own nuclear reactor in your back yard.
** P.
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Ungaria is populated purely by the short haired variety. This recipe specifies long haired only. My fault - should have mentioned it. ;)
I understand that they mutate fairly readily, so perhaps keep a breeding colony somewhere near Sellafield and see if some long-haired ones evolve ? You could also try force-feeding them with grain, and thereby be able to produce Hungarian mongoose foie gras, the income from which would probably enable you to set up your own nuclear reactor in your back yard.
** P.
Oh dear? Your knowledge in this area is very sadly lacking ** Phil. How can I feed grain to an animal that only lives on crustachions?
No need for nuclear reactor - been married to one for over 25 years. ;)
RD
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Oh dear? Your knowledge in this area is very sadly lacking ** Phil. How can I feed grain to an animal that only lives on crustachions?
You missed the key word : "/force/ feed". They can still have the odd crustacean to keep them alive, in between main courses.
No need for nuclear reactor - been married to one for over 25 years. ;)
Which may go critical if she ever gets to read this forum . . .
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You missed the key word : "/force/ feed". They can still have the odd crustacean to keep them alive, in between main courses.
Now how on earth ( pray do tell ) am I meant to sit on one of these things long enough to fatten it ( by force ) in time to make my designated curry by the end of the month AND cook at the same time? :o
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Now how on earth ( pray do tell ) am I meant to sit on one of these things long enough to fatten it ( by force ) in time to make my designated curry by the end of the month AND cook at the same time? :o
Oh dear, just visit any farm around Tolouse and watch the dear little old ladies dressed all in black carefully nourishing their cherished geese; if they can find time to do that /and/ watch over fourteen or more grandchildren, I am sure you can manage a little cookery in addition :)
** Phil.
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Now how on earth ( pray do tell ) am I meant to sit on one of these things long enough to fatten it ( by force ) in time to make my designated curry by the end of the month AND cook at the same time? :o
Oh dear, just visit any farm around Tolouse and watch the dear little old ladies dressed all in black carefully nourishing their cherished geese; if they can find time to that /and/ watch over fourteen or more grandchildren, I am sure you can manage a little cookery in addition :)
** Phil.
Key oversight , I am a man. :o
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Key oversight , I am a man. :o
There are some situations for which I fear not even the Oracle at Delphi would have been able to propose a viable solution.
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Key oversight , I am a man. :o
There are some situations for which I fear not even the Oracle at Delphi would have been able to propose a viable solution.
Back on subject then? ;)
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Back on subject then? ;)
"On topic" ? Moi ? Sir, I think you forget to whom you speak : I have a long-established and hard-won reputation up to which to seek to live :)
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I have a long-established and hard-won reputation up to which to seek to live :)
Which begs the question, why is your holiness not joining in this little 'exercise'? ;)
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Which begs the question, why is your holiness not joining in this little 'exercise'? ;)
You might be justified for thinking otherwise, given the amount of time I waste spend waffling on this forum, but I don't actually have enough spare time : I have taken on so much unpaid work since retiring almost five years ago that I now have significantly less spare time than I had when I was working. I still find time to cook the odd curry, and this evening treated myself to roast pheasant (wonderful !) but if I were to take on just one more commitment -- even one as enjoyable as a group test -- then I would end up letting someone else down, and that I don't want to do. Until last year I still had time for cycling and gardening, but now even those have gone out of the window. Take my advice, and don't retire : it's a h@ll of a stressful life !
** Phil.
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Take my advice, and don't retire : it's a h@ll of a stressful life !
** Phil.
Sorry Phil. Too late. Retired almost 2 years ago and have not done a paid days work since. My days are filled but not with stress and I thoroughly recommend it. 8)
I think my next post on this thread should involve cooking my curry or the mod police will be after me. ;)
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Well aren't you the lucky ones ::) Well done for getting this of the ground DP. I'll tie up with UF and see what delights we can come up with for the rest of you ;D
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ANY recipe or ingredients Rob. But a sneaky request if you dont mind. Please dont give me a gravy recipe as Both my freezers are full to the brim!! :P
I hate waste.
Cheers, Frank. :)
OK Frank. Two freezers? I've got one shelf!
Rob :)
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ANY recipe or ingredients Rob. But a sneaky request if you dont mind. Please dont give me a gravy recipe as Both my freezers are full to the brim!! :P
I hate waste.
Cheers, Frank. :)
OK Frank. Two freezers? I've got one shelf!
Rob :)
Doesn't everyone have a curry freezer? :o ;D :P
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RubyDoo's review of and attempt at - Panpot's Ashoka Jaipuri
My first impression of this was hey, quite straight forward, I have
the ingredients and no weird animal products to 'source'. On closer
view however it became apparent that the recipe lacks many measures;
chicken, onion, peppers, and base in particular. As it does not state
how many portions this is for I assumed ( backed by Naga ) that this
was for one so prepared chicken etc accordingly and had 300 ml base
ready. In fact I had two breasts defrosted so used more than a portion of meat.
Further, wanting ( and as recommended by Naga ) to stick to the recipe
as much as possible it was obvious that I needed to also prepare G & G
paste and the Bunjara (sic) to Panpot's original specification. Hence
additional work involved.
Ginger and Garlic Paste
May sound simple but a couple of comments.
1. I normally do a 50 / 50 mix. This is more 60 / 40 in favour of
garlic so that is what I did.
2. I am not convinced of the benefit to be had by adding turmeric then
frying until aroma arises as this would normally be fried in oil to
start anyway and the turmeric would also get some release within the
fry of the spices but......
I really (really) like the paste that this produced. I only made third
measure and literally fried it for a couple of minutes through fear of
burning but the end result, albeit thicker than my usual which would
have added water, had a fresher and more intense smell to it. I can
see this being harder to pour into cube trays like I normally do but I
think I will make more this way.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/5eca48dc4e67f14d760c94a351529f57.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#5eca48dc4e67f14d760c94a351529f57.jpg)
Onion Bunjarra
A first for me.
I used Indian bay - recipe does not clarify which type to use.
I had no problem , as reported by others, with browning the onion
although the bay in particular was a pain in the arse whilst stirring.
They were big leaves. This took around 30 mins. I don't know where
peeps get three hours from!
I used rapeseed oil instead of spiced as I did not want to add
unwanted flavours and it was the only unseasoned stuff I had.
For ease I removed the bay and cinnamon after browning onions and
prior to adding spices.
Nothing seemed to burn and the end result is a deep orangy red to mid
brown pickle like mixture that has fire due to the tbs of chilli. I
used Kashmiri Mirch.
Good strong sweetness to it too. I think I could do a fair bit of this
on pappadums etc like lime pickle etc.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/18f7252f0ba0b00bf8ec6bc0d6365498.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#18f7252f0ba0b00bf8ec6bc0d6365498.jpg)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/888593a5e7897577c919f2959e8b7516.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#888593a5e7897577c919f2959e8b7516.jpg)
Marinade chicken.
Naga left it to me to use what chicken I wanted. Decided to stick
again to Panpot's original so marinaded as suggested by him. I think this is
probably the most unnecessary part of this recipe. No lemon or yogurt
in the marinade to tenderise and only four hours leaves me wondering
why? Only offers a touch more heat and salt. I was tempted to use
precooked tikka but resisted. Would work just as well with plain raw chicken I think.
Base
Basically a C2G TA base with a touch of methi powder ( Banga?) and infused with
a couple of star anise to 6 litres. I do also double up the green
capsicum. Very thin. Sieved to CT standards. ;)
The meal
Pretty straight forward once the other preparation done. Bit like
everything really.
Only adaptation on my part was the use of coconut flour blended fairly
thickly with a little hot milk to replicate the coconut cream. Can't
see that being a major issue.
This took about 12 mins to cook the meal start to finish.
Only danger point here I think was the drying out prior to first half
ladle of base. The sauce is thicker than I expected but partly due to
me using more chicken than probs needed for a single portion. Would ideally
have a little more base to hand next time. My fault.
Verdict?
This was very tasty ( yes that can mean anything ) but the expression
fresh comes to mind. Very fresh infact. The peppers and onion give it a varied texture
and there is a lingering tanginess from somewhere. The aroma is
excellent and very mouthwatering. Also a sweetness that comes more
from the Bunjarra than the coconut. In fact I would be hard pushed to
notice the coconut in there which suits me as I do not like things too
sweet. Really not sure what 2 teaspoons would do to this anyhow.
This is however, surprisingly, very mild and for my personal taste
needs a kick. That said, my missus will love it and the rest of the
gang here who often moan that I make things too hot. ( Buggers always seem to eat it all though ).
I have had some of this today with a naan bread fresh out of the ali pan. The rest will
'winter' over night and be produced tomorrow night at our usual '
sitting'. I will update with their comments later.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/fd276a2dfebe76a860593b776e319cc0.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#fd276a2dfebe76a860593b776e319cc0.jpg)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ea0dff1ae0440e891dd0bd226b0aec34.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#ea0dff1ae0440e891dd0bd226b0aec34.jpg)
Chicken added. No gravy yet.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a7fecbe23ef4210b5b67f114d8872f21.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#a7fecbe23ef4210b5b67f114d8872f21.jpg)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a7b64aca44c7d81fcbb20ccb76ecd842.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#a7b64aca44c7d81fcbb20ccb76ecd842.jpg)
And who can resist a glass of Old Speckled Hen?
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/968c526cdeff920a2a86cf8a6bf4e613.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#968c526cdeff920a2a86cf8a6bf4e613.jpg)
A BIG thank you to Naga for giving me this to do. It is a curry that I
will definitely make again yet one that I would have perhaps never got
around to doing on my own. This has taken me into a new era and given me the kick I need to try new things.
Edit and update. The rest never made the table tomorrow. Mrs RubyDoo came in, took one taste and demanded a reheat. We did the rest between us with some Naan (shop gear - sorry) , and pre cooked pilau rice. All gone and thumbs up from her I am pleased to say. I now have a request to replicate for four peeps tomorrow.
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5-star+ quality review, Ruby : jolly well done. One comment/suggestion, in re Indian bay ("the bay in particular was a pain in the arse whilst stirring. They were big leaves") : always tear Indian bay into pieces -- it both reduces the size and releases more flavour.
** Phil.
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5-star+ quality review, Ruby : jolly well done. One comment/suggestion, in re Indian bay ("the bay in particular was a pain in the arse whilst stirring. They were big leaves") : always tear Indian bay into pieces -- it both reduces the size and releases more flavour.
** Phil.
Damn. I knew that as well hahahahaha. I did scrunch a bit ::)
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Great review, RD! I'm glad you liked the final result too. I agree that it needs a bit of a heat injection for those of us who enjoy the chilli rush, but it's certainly a personal favorite of mine simply because of the excellent flavours it provides.
You've also set the bar very high for the rest of us in terms of the quality of your review - I thought your commentary was first class! I'll be making the dish you set for me on Monday or Tuesday.
Looking forward to the rest of the reviews now! :)
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Thank you for your kind comments. Pictures now added which help the review I think.
Just to add - I popped out to the shop this afternoon and , well, you know that garlicky, spicy , repeaty, yummy warm all over after taste you sometimes get with an excellent curry?
'Nuff said!!!!!! :D ;) and I only had a few mouthfuls.
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Excellent review. I might have to have a go at this. Very quick too.
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Excellent review. I might have to have a go at this. Very quick too.
'er,, I thought you WERE in the 'game' already.
I think the deal was the end of the month. I have time in my favour ;D
Now shape up ;)
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I'm a bit worried about my partner. Normally, he's a prolific poster and I don't think he's been on-line this year. Hasn't answered my PM either.
Hope he's O.K.
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I'm a bit worried about my partner. Normally, he's a prolific poster and I don't think he's been on-line this year. Hasn't answered my PM either.
Hope he's O.K.
Anyone know?
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I'm a bit worried about my partner. Normally, he's a prolific poster and I don't think he's been on-line this year. Hasn't answered my PM either. Hope he's O.K.
I'll check : I have his e-mail address.
** Phil.
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I'm a bit worried about my partner. Normally, he's a prolific poster and I don't think he's been on-line this year. Hasn't answered my PM either. Hope he's O.K.
I'll check : I have his e-mail address.
** Phil.
If he is out then you MUST ( ;) ) surely take his place ** Phil?
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I'm a bit worried about my partner. Normally, he's a prolific poster and I don't think he's been on-line this year. Hasn't answered my PM either. Hope he's O.K.
I'll check : I have his e-mail address.
** Phil.
If he is out then you MUST ( ;) ) surely take his place ** Phil?
e-mail sent : fingers crossed for positive reply.
** P.
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Thanks, Phil.
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Thanks, Phil.
I think that translates as .......
Thanks for trying to make contact AND then .. thanks for filling the vacancy should a reply not be forthcoming? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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and thanks for filling the vacancy should a reply not be forthcoming?
As Jaffa said, "We are not amused" :) Off to make some dumplings now : snake-and-pygmy for tea . . .
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Great looking curry RubyDoo - not sure if the picture captures the colour of your bunjarra correctly but may I suggest taking it a bit further than half an hour and aiming for a colour not unlike Branston pickle. This is where the concerns from burning come from because once you get to that stage it's possible to take it too far.
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Great looking curry RubyDoo - not sure if the picture captures the colour of your bunjarra correctly but may I suggest taking it a bit further than half an hour and aiming for a colour not unlike Branston pickle. This is where the concerns from burning come from because once you get to that stage it's possible to take it too far.
Hi. I take, acknowledge and appreciate your comments regarding the colour of the onion paste assuming they are from first hand experience of course. No it was not dark brown but almost there and yes, maybe my camera needs a decoke! I am not sure however about the relation suggested between that and the 'fear of burning' which was originally mentioned only with regard to the preparation of the meal itself and only just at the stage prior to the addition of the gravy which is, in my experience a common stage for any potential ' disaster'.
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Blimey Ruby! you dont hang about eh. :o
Great review, really!! I didn't expect that at all ;D ;D
Well done.
Frank. :)
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Brilliant curry debrief & pics rubydoo. I've made banjarra paste loads of times & think yours looks more or less as it should be. Most photos on here look a little brighter. The onions always flinch first in a game of brinkmanship, so you've probably got a good paste there. I normally whack a bit of it into most curries i make & its flavour seems to change against the ingredients of different dishes.
The dish it's self looks very good, better than some of the stuff they charge a tenner for here. I must have eaten kilotonnes of this - Ashoka jaipuri is the only one which doesn't have mushrooms :-\ should taste quite peppery. We normally ask for madras heat tikka jaipuri, which can pack a few psi in Glasgow
I've found the taste & smell of coconut becomes apparent when the dish cools, coconut is common in curry bases here although i'm not sure if its added to the jaipuri main dish across the board in Glasgow, difficult to tell.
Very garlicky is the Ashoka indeed - ditto about the pre frying & turmeric
You've weighed in heavy with this effort ....who's going to follow it up ? :)
Regards
ELW
Edit- did you use gm instead of mix powder?
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Absolutely superb write-up rudydoo! Got my test recipe today. Just chewing on it now. Not quite ready yet, me thinks.
Rob :)
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I'll check : I have his e-mail address.
Bob ("976bar (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=4874)") is alive and well, but rather preoccupied. He hopes to be back on CR0 soon. He writes :
Sorry to all at CR0, but have been a little distracted lately; nothing for anyone to worry about and I'll be back on CR0 soon
** Phil.
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RubyDoo set me the task of making Cory Ander
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Hahahaha. Naga - excellent review. Loved the way you went to town on the oil to keep as much to spec as possible. I must say the end result looks great but does seem to have some texture / lumpiness to the sauce. Is that just the photography as I ended up with a really smooth sauce when I did this. Matters not to me but my kids mentioned it specifically when I tabled it along side the ashoka jaipuri you set me to do.
I think your dish looks great and your review well photographed, comprehensive and of value to any bugger who wants to have a go at this tasty dish. The more I go back and read it the more I see the effort you have put into this to keep it CA spec, eg rice method etc etc.
Well done. :) ;)
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..........and you did CA s mix too which, if I remember rightly involves the murdering pounder of numerous green cardamon seeds unless you have the powdered version to hand. :o
I do love many of CA's recipes. Just a shame perhaps I cannot get on with his base. Perhaps another go is required with a load of added water and a touch more patience and salt adjustment. ;D
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Great looking curry RubyDoo - not sure if the picture captures the colour of your bunjarra correctly but may I suggest taking it a bit further than half an hour and aiming for a colour not unlike Branston pickle. This is where the concerns from burning come from because once you get to that stage it's possible to take it too far.
Yep - I'd second that. This is in no way a criticism, but you're looking for full caramelisation of the onions, which needs to be done over a low to moderate heat, and in my experience can take an hour - during which you have to be in attendance, constantly stirring to avoid burning.
The latter stages are the most critical, and I've ruined a fair few by letting them go too far, but you soon develop a feel for it.
(If using a heavy based pan that retains heat well, don't do as I did once and leave it to naff off down the pub once you've finished making the bunjarra and taken it of the heat. It will continue to cook and you will return to find it carbonised...)
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Excellent review Naga.
Thanks for sharing this.
Great work
Stew
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Another excellent report. The bar has been set high!
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Crikey that Ceylon looks the business!
Rob :P
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Thanks for all the comments! I'm really looking forward to all the other reviews now.
...I must say the end result looks great but does seem to have some texture / lumpiness to the sauce. Is that just the photography as I ended up with a really smooth sauce when I did this...
Aye, RD, it was a smooth sauce right enough. I would put the apparent surface texture down to rushed photography and poor lighting.
...if I remember rightly involves the murdering pounder of numerous green cardamon seeds unless you have the powdered version to hand...
Thankfully, my pounding days are over - I have a small packet of the powder. :)
EDIT: I should also add that I made up about 800ml of CA's base gravy for this dish, even though my freezer is bursting full with Zaal base! Looks like a few more curry nights for me! :)
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Damn Naga, Excellent write up! :D
I thought we were only going to say a few lines each, Not give front page spreads. :o :P
Well done!
Just Ten more reviews to go.
Cheers, Frank. :)
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I finally had a hole in my schedule yesterday and decided to get on with my test recipe. I'm busy for the next couple of weekends, so it looked like the best opportunity.
I was to make CA's Chicken Dhansak - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3869.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3869.0.html)
Now I thought I'd have all afternoon free and had planned to do it to spec as much as possible. I intended to make the spiced oil which I've never bothered with before. Unfortunately, she who must be obeyed had an errand for me to run which although short, made making the oil impossible.
I'll also mention that due to having a fridge freezer, space is limited and I made this using CT's base, as I still have some ready. Also to free up some freezer space I used pre-cooked chicken tikka.
The photos are not the best, taken with my phone in not great lighting conditions. I tried to tidy them up a bit.
I've made this recipe before but the last time I had one of those induction related cooking incidents where the cooker starts for no apparent reason and burned the bottom of the Dhansak. I haven't made it since then, I can still taste that nasty burnt odour just by thinking about it.
I made the Dhal as per Blade's recipe, without the tomato as I'd forgotten to buy one. I scaled right sown to 150g of dhal but I still used a too small pan. Luckily I was alone. The Mrs wanted you to see this photo, so you knew how she suffered.
Usual mess
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s404/fried71/mess_zps0efd4f5f-1_zps3cf10d35.jpg)
The dhal was delicious, I kept eating spoons of it to taste, really moreish, lovely amount of garlic and a nice kick with the onion/ chilli mixture. Later on the Missus tasted it (she's never relly been a big fan) and agreed. She nicked the rest of it to eat in the evening.
Finished dhal
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s404/fried71/dhal_zps7bda6489-1_zps0d86dc73.jpg)
The Chicken dhansak was straightforwards to make, but I haven't made one of CAs recipes for a while and I'd forgotten how much oil is used. At one point I thought I'd over done it, but It all disappeared while cooking. It was also the first time I've used a commercial 'curry' powder, I normally just use Ca's mix powder. I can't say I noticed any great difference.
The recipe turned out really well, I had a bit too much taste, so I made a bit more up, doubled the chilli, but kept the sugar as stated. Apart from that it was to spec. This is a really good recipe (although in fact I've never tasted a BIR dhansak), lovely sweet and sour taste with the moreishness of the dhal coming through. My only misgiving is that dhal always leaves that dry sensation in the mouth. I'd prefer to make this as part of a selection of currys rather than on its own.
The other problem was my chicken tikka. Against my better judgement I'd used chicken breast and I find this is too dry after freezing/ reheating, even undercooked. Eating the rest tonight (with chips!).
Finished
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s404/fried71/Dhansak2_zpsd5a8e58a.jpg)
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Well it sure looks ok after all that. Love the pic of the splattered pan and can relate and sympathise. Will note the comments re the the dry chicken. What stage did you add it? I have always found that the pre cooked tikka is ok if just added only to reheat in a previously done sauce, otherwise it overcooks. I lean now towards CA principle of using raw chicken in dishes unless I want it tikka'd and then it goes into a precooked sauce.
Well done..
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Oh - get gas .. ;)
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Excellent report and the final result looks very nice indeed! Interesting to see that 2 of the 3 test recipes reported so far come from Cory Ander.
Interesting what you say about the chicken turning out to be too dry. I've never experienced that problem with my usual - Abdul Mohed's pre-cooking method - but I was recently swayed by a general recommendation from a forum member (whose views I respect) to try IFFU's pre-cooked chicken. Maybe it was just me, but it turned out to be very dry in the curry. Pity, because I've got another 4 double portions in the freezer!
I haven't tried Blade's Dal to date, but I must give it a shot once I've finished my frozen stock.
...The Mrs wanted you to see this photo, so you knew how she suffered...Usual mess...
Like RubyDoo, I enjoyed this photo too. It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling to see that everyone else has a splatter disaster from time to time as well! I might add that it's me who does the cooking and me who suffers when the splatter needs cleaning up! Ooooh! My hands are red raw lol! :)
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Having found that pre-marinading in lemon juice (http://currybazaar.blogspot.co.uk/2007/01/malabar-chicken-curry.html) appeared to have a very beneficial effect on preventing the chicken from going over-firm, I have made my last two curries like that but without removing the chicken from the sauce during the final reduction. On both occasions, one from pre-cooked, one from raw, the chicken remained beautifully soft. Whether this was the innate quality of the bird (same bird on each occasion) or the result of the lemon-juice marinade I do not yet know, but I incline towards the latter.
** Phil.
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Just another point about cooking chicken from raw at the beginning of the dish. I generally cook the chicken first and then remove it from the pan while the spices and other stuff gets done. I only return it to the pan at the stage that pre-cooked chicken would usually be added to the pan, i.e. round about when the first base gravy gets added in.
I hadn't really considered it before, but once I cooked the chicken from raw and left it in the pan right through the veg and spice stages and I found it had over-cooked and become a little tough.
Now I do what I do when making paella and risotto etc., and that's to remove it until it's ready to go back in towards the end of the cooking time.
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The pre-cooked chicken is made using a simplified CA recipe - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,1555.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,1555.0.html)
I say simplified because I don't bother with the Coriander (sounds strange!). This recipe gives me perfect results using chicke thighs, which I much prefer as a meat anyway. Sometimes for quickness I use chicken breast like yesterday. If I use chicken breasts I only ever make enough for the evening (never freeze it). I don't know why I decided to freeze it this time, (oh yes, missus is on a diet...again).
I've been having good results adding raw chicken straight to the the sauce when cooking recipes such as Madras and not bothering browning it, exactly like when making Thai style curries.
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Oh - get gas .. ;)
I dream of having a gas cooker again :'(
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Oh - get gas .. ;)
I dream of having a gas cooker again :'(
I feel you man >---(-_-)---< ;D
Another excellent report!
well done Fried. :)
No lid? :P
Cheers, Frank.
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No lid? :P
Dhal only explodes when you stir it :-\
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Er........ February soon guys. Are we missing a few? ;)
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Chicken Saag SS recipe http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3600.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3600.0.html)
I did enjoy this and so did my friends but the lack of garlic in the dish let it down slightly for me, it must be that regional thing, recipe i usually use does have 5-6 garlic cloves finely sliced.
I do order this quite a lot from restaurants and take-aways and everything was there, quite spicy as well which was a little surprising but not unpleasant at all.
I will make this again but add a few slithers of garlic just to satisfy my taste buds.
With all that said i did really enjoy this recipe and thank CH for suggesting this dish.
Must say i like the way this dish is prepared, i also got that toffee smell with the spices, with the reducing down of all ingredients once all in the pan then the cream is added and a blob of butter for good measure.
An excellent recipe and great tasting dish.
I did use CA Base http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3772.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3772.0.html)
And used CA Spice Mix http://www.curryrecipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3765.msg34202.html#msg34202 (http://www.curryrecipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,3765.msg34202.html#msg34202)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/0b625b10339c2b23783ffa091a8d8840.JPG) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#0b625b10339c2b23783ffa091a8d8840.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/33414cbff062680f187f857bc18b9288.JPG) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#33414cbff062680f187f857bc18b9288.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/56053939a2fc565dca5caec87338299b.JPG) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#56053939a2fc565dca5caec87338299b.JPG)
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/43cec98466c7b4389092dfca7ecf751f.JPG) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#43cec98466c7b4389092dfca7ecf751f.JPG)
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I will make this again but add a few slithers of garlic just to satisfy my taste buds.
Nice suggestion UF. I'm very partial to garlic myself and will incorporate that idea in my next go at this.
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Mmmmmmmm . Moorish. Another one on the ' to do ' list. ;)
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Mmmmmmmm . Moorish. Another one on the ' to do ' list. ;)
Hey Ruby this would be the ideal dish for your mate Saagi! (Get it? ;D).
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Looking good. Another recipe I've been meaning to try as I can convince myself that I'm eating healthily.
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Looking good. Another recipe I've been meaning to try as I can convince myself that I'm eating healthily.
All that spinach can only be good for you I agree.
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Hi SS it's just that around my area, West Midlands, they nearly all have a lot of slithers of garlic, just to add that nutty flavour but by no means does your recipe not bring the goods, far from it i really enjoyed it and so did my friends.
This is a keeper for me excellent dish.
RubyDoo this is a great dish to cook, the richness really is wonderful you have to try it.
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Looking good. Another recipe I've been meaning to try as I can convince myself that I'm eating healthily.
If you ignore the sugar and cream, oh and the oil and ummm butter... ;D
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Ok I am hooked but please explain - pureed spinach? Stick it in a blender? Very finely chopped or pushed through a sieve ( hope not ). Ordinary large leaf stuff or can I use that poncy small salad leaf spinach?
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When I make it I use frozen spinach and I get one that is cut up very fine, so it's almost a puree and the other is whole leaf which I chop a bit to make it smaller but you could leave it whole. It doesn't really matter in the end as long as you use the right total amount of spinach.
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Looks very nice indeed, UF. So much so that I will definitely try this soon. Using spinach in its pureed form never once occurred to me! What an amateur I am! :o
...I'm very partial to garlic myself...
Me too - big time! The more the merrier for me! :)
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Nice one UF, love a saag curry ;D
Right then, onto mine.
Rob gave me both choices of recipes in the first PM so i had to try them both of course. :P
The first being (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hbriM4pMrE Tandoori king prawns in a tamarind sauce [/url) from the video posted by Ali for the Viceroy.
There were two ingredients which i didnt have and have been waiting for them to be posted to me since day 1 (9th jan).
Living in Mid Wales is a struggle for curry ingredients so i tend to buy in bulk anytime i'm in an Asian area.
Over christmas in Blackburn i bought some cheap tamarind sauce. :-X revolting! Tasted powdery and sweet. Avoid Rivonia Tamarind sauce!! (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/d38aed78b6b28aa693a56af97d6bfef4.JPG)
I decided to do a test run with the cheap sauce while waiting for the Tamarina. Also, without knowing what the fish masala was that was used in the video i took a guess and added a few sprinkles of some mixed masalas i had.
[ I did email Ali early on and he told me there were no other ingredients in the pan before or with the gravy. What you see is what you get. He did also mention a squirt of lemon but i think that was him add libbing seeing a wedge on the plate. (he does that a lot i've noticed, Suka powder? ::) ) ]
Well, it was a pretty horrible sauce and tasted like i expected. gravy+tamarind sauce+mixed masala powder. No balance or blending of flavours. Maybe when i get the correct ingredients it will taste better? i thought.
2nd attempt.
Onto the ingredients.
On first opening the bottle of Tamarina, the first thing that hit me was the smell of cumin.
Finger test - very sweet and...thats about it really. Nothing special but miles better than what i had.
Next ingredient as confirmed by Ali was Rajah fish seasoning.
Finger test - ohh, its celery salt. ;)
I made the dish tonight using langoustines, couldnt get king prawns. The tails were butterflied and given a short tandoori marinade. then grilled for a few minutes almost touching the hot electric bars.
The heads and claws were poached in the simmering gravy to try and add some more flavour to the dish.
I dont have any red colour powder but did attempt to colour the dish with liquid colouring. Doesnt work, as you can see.
But i'm afraid even with the correct brands it still tasted like doodoo's.
Sorry Ali, i think you need a better chef. :(
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/c6b14344331b4166aa80331d57cfcfad.jpg)
The next offering was more up my street. :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-hbriM4pMrE CBM Chicken Bengali Mirchi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-hbriM4pMrE CBM Chicken Bengali Mirchi)
I did a test run with this recipe too.
Overall, i really liked the dish but thought it was way too sweet. No problem when its piping hot, but as soon as it cools it gets sweeter and sweeter.
A really good curry for me has to be equally as good cold for those little mouthfuls you cant resist going back to when you get your second wind ;D
2nd attempt.
Made the dish again tonight using pre-cooked lamb. Not as much meat as in the video but enough for me. Mine probably looks a little saucier because of less meat, but the dish is still quite dry.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/12605986f46930be63996bf27ef54c2c.jpg)
A nice burn from the naga. Not sure what spring onions bring to the party? I wont bother with them again. I used 2 tbsp of tamarind sauce this time which is better for me on the sweetness but i could happily try 1 spoon or leave it out altogether.
I didnt have any spiced oil on the go so used some onion paste instead towards the end.
I used a Taz base for both curries but were from two different batches. One was a standard Taz and the other was a Taz meat, i.e. lamb bone thrown in the gravy from the start. (Leftover from chopping up a leg to dice and pre-cook.)
Would i make this dish again?
well...its sort of my standard type of curry anyway apart from the tamarina, so Aye. Give this one a go. ;)
Cheers, Frank. :)
p.s. will somebody please tell me how to do the hyperlinks. thanks.
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Hi Frank. Hyperlinks first.
With the cursor in the Post Reply text box, click on the Insert Hyperlink icon depicting a blue globe and a blank page. It's 2nd from the left on the on the bottom row of icons (immediately above the smileys).
You'll see two words (url) enclosed in square brackets. Copy the link to the web page you want others to see and then paste it between these two brackets ][.
That'll give you a plain hyperlink.
The other way to do it is to give the hyperlink a name. If we take your first hyperlink as an example:
Tandoori king prawns in a tamarind sauce
What to do is to type out the title of the link, i.e. Tandoori king prawns in a tamarind sauce, select it by holding the left mouse button down and dragging the cursor over the text, and then click the Insert Hyperlink icon.
Right at the beginning of the link where it starts off "left square bracket" url you need to type in an equals sign (=) and then paste the link directly after the sign so it reads "left square bracket" url=http:// etc, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L4_t4YMMGT8]Tandoori king prawns in a tamarind sauce [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L4_t4YMMGT8]Tandoori king prawns in a tamarind sauce]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L4_t4YMMGT8]Tandoori king prawns in a tamarind sauce (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L4_t4YMMGT8)
This also works with non-video links. Hope it makes sense! :)
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You gave these recipes a real go!
It's a real bummer that the Tandoori Prawns didn't work for you, especially as you made the effort to check and obtain some of the ingredients. Langoustines ain't exactly 10-a-penny either! The photo made me chuckle, right enough, as it looks as if the langoustine is trying to escape from the curry! :)
Better luck with the Chicken Bengali Mirsch, though - the sauce looks good in the photo. It's weird that the sauce gets sweeter and sweeter as it cools. Maybe the caramelisation from the onion paste?
My only experience with tamarind is in UF's Pathia (which is delicious, BTW!) and it's a souring agent as far as I know. I had a look at CBM's video and couldn't see where any sweetness was added except, perhaps, for the chef's tamarind sauce.
Like you, I couldn't see what effect such a small amount of spring onions would have on the overall dish.
Good effort! :)
EDIT: I just tasted a tsp of Tamarina and it's definitely pretty sweet! I haven't used any of it in a dish as I make up my Pathia sauce with tamarind paste, but I'd swear that I felt sugar crystals on my tongue when I tried the Tamarina, and I see that sugar comes second on the ingredients list behind water and in front of tamarind concentrate (9%). I think these things are ordered by quantity, so it looks as if there's at least 9% sugar in there, if not more.
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Interesting Frank. Glad I didn't get those to do. I have only bought tamarind twice before and that was a waste. Both times it got thrown as it simply did not get used. Also had similar thoughts to Naga re the escaping langoustine. ;)
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Very interesting reviews Frank! The tandoori
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I love Tamarind and have been using it for over 20 years. I use it for its sour taste. I also love Pani Puri with the tamarind water which is also sweet. But Tamarind sauce is a completely different thing and used for sweetness rather than sour. Too sickly sweet for me.
Anyone else trying this recipe is going to get the same result. These few ingredients just dont balance on their own.
I did do a search for suka/sukka to see what the origin of the recipe was and found that it comes from Mangalore and the tamarind is used to add sourness to the dish but definitely not sweetness.
Bafat masala is a key mixed powder that goes into Mangalorian dishes.
All of these regional mixed masala's is what everyone should be experimenting with to further understand spices rather than a basic mixed powder.
Here's two sukka recipes:
http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/r_disp.asp?r_id=168 (http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/r_disp.asp?r_id=168)
http://gautham-endoftheroad.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/prawn-sukka-mangalore-style.html (http://gautham-endoftheroad.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/prawn-sukka-mangalore-style.html)
Just had a couple of mouthfuls of the Bengali Mirchi and its almost there with 2 spoons of tamarina.
Either 1 tbsp or slightly rounded would be perfect. ;)
The hyperlink thing still isnt right. Its now showing the embedded player and not the title. Could somebody please show me the line of code so i can try and see whats wrong. Thanks.
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I think as nobody really said yes or no to the rules, i should've closed the test yesterday. But seeing as it wasn't started until the 9th jan, lets give it a full month to complete. ;)
All in by 9th Feb.
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I think as nobody really said yes or no to the rules, i should've closed the test yesterday. But seeing as it wasn't started until the 9th jan, lets give it a full month to complete. ;)
All in by 9th Feb.
Must be almost there :)
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I think as nobody really said yes or no to the rules, i should've closed the test yesterday. But seeing as it wasn't started until the 9th jan, lets give it a full month to complete. ;)
All in by 9th Feb.
Must be almost there :)
Still awaiting 5 to complete. ;)
curryhell
976bar
michaelt
loveitspicy
getonthegarabi
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Mine should be done this weekend
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Actually have done mine last week
had trouble with computer and had the Doctor round
hopefully with some help on tomorrow
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I love Tamarind and have been using it for over 20 years. I use it for its sour taste. I also love Pani Puri with the tamarind water which is also sweet. But Tamarind sauce is a completely different thing and used for sweetness rather than sour. Too sickly sweet for me.
Anyone else trying this recipe is going to get the same result. These few ingredients just dont balance on their own.
I did do a search for suka/sukka to see what the origin of the recipe was and found that it comes from Mangalore and the tamarind is used to add sourness to the dish but definitely not sweetness.
Bafat masala is a key mixed powder that goes into Mangalorian dishes.
All of these regional mixed masala's is what everyone should be experimenting with to further understand spices rather than a basic mixed powder.
Here's two sukka recipes:
http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/r_disp.asp?r_id=168 (http://www.daijiworld.com/chan/r_disp.asp?r_id=168)
http://gautham-endoftheroad.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/prawn-sukka-mangalore-style.html (http://gautham-endoftheroad.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/prawn-sukka-mangalore-style.html)
Cheers Frank. I suppose, like some other BIR dishes, this one has also been adapted and changed over the years by restaurants/TAs. King prawn suca seems to be available at other places. For example:
http://www.maliks.co.uk/appetisers.html (http://www.maliks.co.uk/appetisers.html)
http://tigergarden.co.uk/tiger-garden/takeaway.html (http://tigergarden.co.uk/tiger-garden/takeaway.html)
Still trying to imagine what 2 tbsp of tamarina will taste like. I think I may end up adding a bit of chilli powder, or possible a touch of jalpur GM, and see how that goes. I
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Madhur Jaffrey's Sweet Saffron Pilau
Frank asked me to test this traditional style pilau rice recipe, which featured in the recent
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Nice review Rob. I don't think that amount of saffron would bother me as much as 3TBS sugar in that quantity. ;)
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Nice review Rob. I don't think that amount of saffron would bother me as much as 3TBS sugar in that quantity. ;)
Yes, wasn't sure how much to add. There's a sweet pilau recipe in KD2 with 175 g of sugar in it (I suppose about 15 tbsp). It is in the desserts section of the book though.
Rob :)
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Well done Rob for trying it but i wish you had said something. I had loads of recipes lined up. Never mind, next time. :)
The butter is essential, whether it be ghee or just plain butter.
The rice should be slightly chewy but not oversweet.
I tried this myself before i gave you the recipe and thought the rice came out perfect even though i didnt have a couple of ingredients to get the flavour right. One being kashmiri saffron (i think i was ripped off >:( )
Anyway, football on later :P
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Well done Rob for trying it but i wish you had said something. I had loads of recipes lined up. Never mind, next time. :)
The butter is essential, whether it be ghee or just plain butter.
The rice should be slightly chewy but not oversweet.
I tried this myself before i gave you the recipe and thought the rice came out perfect even though i didnt have a couple of ingredients to get the flavour right. One being kashmiri saffron (i think i was ripped off >:( )
Anyway, football on later :P
Good stuff Frank. Enjoyed the experience. Thanks for setting up the tests. By the way, I showed the wife your pic of the prawn suca last night. She said, "Oh my god!" Then woke up this morning after a nightmare about a "Sea Monster".
Rob :D
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Good stuff Frank. Enjoyed the experience. Thanks for setting up the tests. By the way, I showed the wife your pic of the prawn suca last night. She said, "Oh my god!" Then woke up this morning after a nightmare about a "Sea Monster".
Rob :D
;D ;D
Chewing on the heads and claws that were poached in plain gravy was the BEST thing about the dish ;)
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Good stuff Frank. Enjoyed the experience. Thanks for setting up the tests. By the way, I showed the wife your pic of the prawn suca last night. She said, "Oh my god!" Then woke up this morning after a nightmare about a "Sea Monster".
Rob :D
;D ;D
Chewing on the heads and claws that were poached in plain gravy was the BEST thing about the dish ;)
Ha ha! Will have a go tonight Frank. Got some Tescos extra special king prawns (half-price offer) all nice, with no strange wiggly bits, or eyes hanging off them.
Rob :)
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There was a poor choice for large prawns in both my local Morrisons and Tesco, so had to go for the Langoustines to make it worthwhile for butterflying.
I would've preferred king prawns though.
Frank. :)
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Certainly sounds a bit on the sweet side, Rob, but good on you for giving it a go. Your photo is reminiscent of a paella in colour and texture - not a bad thing in my book! :)
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Certainly sounds a bit on the sweet side, Rob, but good on you for giving it a go. Your photo is reminiscent of a paella in colour and texture - not a bad thing in my book! :)
Thanks Naga. Be interesting to know if anyone has the Curry Nation book to see what the actual amount of sugar is. Mine was pretty sweet; but not sickly by any means. According to this account of another MJ book (with yet another similar sweet pilau recipe) I used less than half what was needed. But this can't be right surely? 3 1/2 oz of sugar to 1 cup of rice. Crikey, that is sweet!
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Sweet%20yellow%20rice (http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Sweet%20yellow%20rice)
Rob :P
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Here we go. From the BBC Good Food Channel: Madhur Jaffrey
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Here we go. From the BBC Good Food Channel: Madhur Jaffrey
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I cant remember how much sugar i used. It was probably just 1 or 2 dessert spoons, but i wouldn't of said it was overly sweet or a pudding type dish.
I've got a massive sweet tooth, BUT for cakes and chocolate. :P I like to keep my dinners as savoury as possible, although i've been known to eat a ladoo alongside some channa and chapati. ;D
This is sort of what i had in mind for this rice. To be eaten with a hot intensely flavoured meat curry.
I'm sorry it never worked out for you Rob. I had high hopes for this rice.
I think the oven-cooking method threw me a bit Frank. Plus my inexperience. I'm sure others will be able to make a better job of it. Better for me to cook rice on the hob, where I (generally) keep an eye on it. It won't be wasted though. The good lady has an extremely sweet tooth. I don't think I go a bundle on sweet rice with a hot curry. I guess it's all personal taste/preference. Often find plain or egg fried rice with, for example, a vindaloo, hit's the spot (a decent garlic naan is also a prerequisite). Tell you what though, wait until you see the tandoori king prawn suca (and tandoori chicken suca) I made last night! Pretty good if I do say so myself. Made a few (actually quite a few) changes to the recipe. Not too sweet and very tangy.
Rob :)
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On a sidenote,
I hate the way modern curries have gone in this country, full of sugar and dollops of this jar or that.
Chuck it all in the pan lazy arse way of cooking. ::)
Wheres the love, passion and creativity in that?
Anybody wanting to eat curries of old, forget BIR's and head for the Pakistani places. ;)
;D ;D ;D You'll love this one Frank
The BB1, Pakistani Base Sauce in action
http://youtu.be/_mT5YZ5cEhc (http://youtu.be/_mT5YZ5cEhc)
Painful.... I think I'll stick to 40 years of Bengali BIR. ;D
Chewytikka
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Good effort Chewy. I could tell you enjoyed making that. Looks,
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On a sidenote,
I hate the way modern curries have gone in this country, full of sugar and dollops of this jar or that.
Chuck it all in the pan lazy arse way of cooking. ::)
Wheres the love, passion and creativity in that?
Anybody wanting to eat curries of old, forget BIR's and head for the Pakistani places. ;)
;D ;D ;D You'll love this one Frank
The BB1, Pakistani Base Sauce in action
Painful.... I think I'll stick to 40 years of Bengali BIR. ;D
Chewytikka
It IS sad to see Chewy, but its NOT typical of a Pakistani base or curry. Its more the typical jack of all trades TA that sells munchboxes. ::) I mean COME ON!
I just couldn't bring myself to buy from a "curry house" that sells doner, pizza and burgers! :(
And you say 40 years of Bengali BIR. I'm not sure how consistent thats been either as most places have changed. They're few and far between these days.
You might be one of the lucky ones and have plenty of old school curry houses around you, but i've been to Whitley Bay so i know its not confined to Wales. ;D
The british palate has changed for the worse and the BIR's have also changed to suit demand. Everyone wants sweet shit these days. Always following the yanks whether it be food, language, war, obesity. The list goes on...
Thats why i say if you want an old school curry, go to the Pakistani places because they're not catering for the average white public that your local BIR does.
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Just demolished half my secret recipe group test.......MMMMMM. Porn and results coming very shortly ;)
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Is this closed? I wouldn't mind to join if still open :)
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Time to report on the task set for me by Unclefrank. I got away lightly compared to some and the results i was very pleased with and am happy to cook on a regular basis as i do love the taste. Having sampled my efforts after the cooking yesterday, i can supplement my comments as I tuck into the remainder again tonight, just to be sure of my initial remarks of course :D .
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/cab48e058a6e078f289c0a269b4ff653.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#cab48e058a6e078f289c0a269b4ff653.jpg)
The task chosen for me by UF was CA's chicken jalfrezi, a CA dish i'd never tried and a dish i have yet to try from any BIR. However, i have cooked CBM's jalfrezi from his book on more than one occasion and my reviews of it can be found here:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5965.msg72874.html#msg72874 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5965.msg72874.html#msg72874)
So, in order to provide a balanced review i chose to make both, using the CBM's as a yardstick for comparison purposes. The accompaniment to both would be plain basmati rice so as not to interfere with my taste buds.
First up was CA's. Made to spec with the following exceptions only, half a green pepper as opposed to a quarter of green and the same of red (forgot to put that on the shopping list) and the spiced oil used was not CA's but simply, well cooked-in bhaji oil, not that i am a convinced fan of its use, and i mean spiced oil in general. For consistancy purposes i used it in both curries. Obviously because it wasn't CA's spiced oil there would be a slightly different outcome to the dish, just as there would be to CBM's for using it ::)
The line up:
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/c61a313fabd56f1b1abbfc3eee87359a.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#c61a313fabd56f1b1abbfc3eee87359a.jpg)
And into my virgin pan went the onion, peppers, chillis and tomatoes followed a bit later by the garlic and ginger
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/513b2ab917208d0519fd08542417a7c2.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#513b2ab917208d0519fd08542417a7c2.jpg)
This was followed by CA's masala, curry and chilli powder and the diluted tomato paste
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/6daff1a1c81394df9b850a89c4f07cca.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#6daff1a1c81394df9b850a89c4f07cca.jpg)
Followed by half of CA's gravy which was greatly reduced, then the rest added along with salt and a little touch of sugar and eventually fresh corinader to finish and garnish
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/9a9806f944655e75f434938b51d7fba5.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#9a9806f944655e75f434938b51d7fba5.jpg)
The end result
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/b0712f6bd68940431560691fef5c451f.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#b0712f6bd68940431560691fef5c451f.jpg)
The smell was getting my juices going. Then on to round two. Next up CBM's. Ingredients wise not a lot of difference other than the inclusion of fenugreek leaves and more tomato paste. The base and mixed powder used was from Zaal's
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/593204f496590cf866fa335d7d34908e.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#593204f496590cf866fa335d7d34908e.jpg)
The ordering of the ingredients however was different and can make a difference to the overall result. Having fried the fresh garlic until it browned a little the onions and peppers were added
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/113a2e1be1b91d38acbd457e2d6e5ee7.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#113a2e1be1b91d38acbd457e2d6e5ee7.jpg)
Then in went most of the remaining ingredients for a fry before the gravy was gradually added
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ff1988c4914977bfd0b39cae4a5a943c.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#ff1988c4914977bfd0b39cae4a5a943c.jpg)
In went the first lot of gravy for a good reduction followed by the remainder, cooked to my preferred consistancy
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/9942fc33aa03cd660776f46a2ff5e064.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#9942fc33aa03cd660776f46a2ff5e064.jpg)
The yardstick complete
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a1cae4945fcae879c1e4fcbcf4480c62.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#a1cae4945fcae879c1e4fcbcf4480c62.jpg)
And now the crunch ::)
In colour the two are virtually identical, CA's may be a fraction of a shade darker but hardly noticeable. The texture of both - identical other than the way i prepared the onions :)
CA's jalfrezi had a good curry flavour with medium heat.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/26a1f0f1089e790ce2454b587aeb2546.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#26a1f0f1089e790ce2454b587aeb2546.jpg)
There was good depth depth to it with a fresh chilli background but not obscuring the presence of the capsicum. A hint of sweetness was present brought about by the onions and touch of sugar and the tomato element was clearly present but not overpowering in any way. The balance of the ingredients produced a fine dish of which all the flavours could be enjoyed separately and as one.
CBM's became a "must do again" after the first time i cooked it and CA's was certainly going to give it a run for its money.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/fe80e3f84a1ef909d7d33e3edfe2479c.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#fe80e3f84a1ef909d7d33e3edfe2479c.jpg)
Given the increased amount of tomato paste I was expecting to taste a more tomatoey flavour in the overall curry. I got that wrong. The flavour was evident but blended well into the rest of the dish. Given the lack of a sprinkling of sugar i was not expecting the hint of sweetness in the background. Wrong again, it was a little sweeter, brought about i think by use of the Zaal base. Did the meethi bring anything to the party? It certainly did. Whilst its inclusion was not obvious there was a taste that wasn't present in CA's. Given the virtually identical ingredients something had added a new dimension to the dish which i can only attribute to the fenugreek leaves. This dish had a more complex flavour and seemed "lighter" in taste for want of a better word.
So my prefered jalfrezi? By a nose only it has to be CBM's IMHO.
That said, cook either of these two dishes and you will enjoy the rapture of flavours that a jalfrezi has to offer. I think any BIR is going to have to go some to beat the results achieved by either of these recipes.
Thanks UF for the challenge. Two nights running i've eaten two superb dishes side by side. Look forward to the next round Frank. Good work
And finally - CA's on the right and CBM's on the left:
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/cab48e058a6e078f289c0a269b4ff653.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#cab48e058a6e078f289c0a269b4ff653.jpg)
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curryhell, that jalfrezi looks gorgeous! I'm not sure the rice was part of the task, but IMO bombay aloo is a better match for jalfrezi :)
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What is it with all these food magazine photographers on this forum posing as curry chefs! >:( :P
Great pics and review CH, well done! ;D
Is this closed? I wouldn't mind to join if still open :)
As long as there are enough members interested in doing another, then of course gagomes.
Cheers, Frank. :)
p.s. next time i'll PM all members involved on the first day of the test. (embarrassed smiley)
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curryhell, that jalfrezi looks gorgeous! I'm not sure the rice was part of the task, but IMO bombay aloo is a better match for jalfrezi :)
Thankyou. Both were extremely tasty on both nights. As for the bombay spud, i need to stop my waistline expanding at its current rate. And the lack of a side was my contribution ;D ;D ;D
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What an excellent report, CH, and you definitely get a gold star for the curry porn! :)
Great idea to do the side-by-side comparison and your efforts have certainly given me food for thought as I haven't had a go at CBM's Jalfrezi yet. I must have another look at the vid.
And I agree wholeheartedly with your comments about the methi leaves. For me, they are virtually indispensable in most of my curries and sides. I made some veg pakora the other day and the first few in the pan just weren't right. It was then that I noticed I'd forgotten to add the methi leaves to the batter and, once that was done, all was right with the world.
Nice one! :)
EDIT: Oops! Seems I HAVE made CBM's Jalfrezi recently if it is the LeSpice dish highlighted by Axe in the ABC of Balti thread. Thoughts of curry must be addling my brain. Or something! :)
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What an excellent report, CH, and you definitely get a gold star for the curry porn! :)
+ 1. ;)
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Nice report CH, great looking curries.
The one thing i like about CA's recipes is that they are very versatile. I have made quite a few of CBM's recipes from his book, can't remember if i did make his Jalfrezi, but will give it a go.
I will also try adding some methi to CA's Jalfrezi when i make it again.
Can't wait for the next one.
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curryhell, that jalfrezi looks gorgeous! I'm not sure the rice was part of the task, but IMO bombay aloo is a better match for jalfrezi :)
Thankyou. Both were extremely tasty on both nights. As for the bombay spud, i need to stop my waistline expanding at its current rate. And the lack of a side was my contribution ;D ;D ;D
Your willpower and capacity for self sacrifice know no bounds, CH! ;)
As said above, a most excellent and comprehensive report. Top work.
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Very good write up CH, you've inspired me to have a crack at a Jalfrezi this weekend, probably CBM's just because I have his e-book and should really work my way through all the recipes at some point.
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Thanks guys for all your comments. Took me a while to get round to it but it was enjoyable, particularly whilst i sat there eating the fruits of my labours :D :D All credit to the recipe providers for two nights offerings of top tasting curry :P Decision now is to head to the pub or to the kitchen ??? or maybe both but in reverse order ::) ;D
Your willpower and capacity for self sacrifice know no bounds, CH! ;)
I thought that too SD. That was one hell of a scarifice leaving that brinjal in the fridge :(
Very good write up CH, you've inspired me to have a crack at a Jalfrezi this weekend, probably CBM's just because I have his e-book and should really work my way through all the recipes at some point.
CBM's from his book is a very good call Chris. That's the recipe I use. I have looked at his two vids and i'm kind of inclined to have a go at those too ;)
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You (moderated) CH how am I going to follow that up with my one tomorow.
with my secret recipe poppadoms ;D ;D
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You (moderated) CH how am I going to follow that up with my one tomorow.
with my secret recipe poppadoms ;D ;D
Having seen your curries Michael, i'm sure you'll definitely be in the area mate ;) I put it down to the jalfrezi being extremely photogenic and posing momentarily for the camera ;D. No editing software used to change the appearance either, as i'm far too lazy for that sort of paraphenalia. WYSIWYG. I've passed on the pub tonight, electing for the kitchen and an NIS and a few bottles of Leffe. I may just follow that lot up with a nice drop of port or a bottle or two of fine strong belgium beer. A nice Rochefort 10 would slip down well I think :P
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I bet your bedroom smells great in the morning :(
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Those jalfrezsis are to die for! This confirms my suspicions that CH (and CA) are, in fact, both Michelin star chefs, incognito.
Rob :)
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Those jalfrezsis are to die for! This confirms my suspicions that CH (and CA) are, in fact, both Michelin star chefs, incognito.
Rob :)
;D ;D speaking for myself only mate, I wish i was. I'm a "monkey see, monkey do" kind of chef. With time you'll understand my remark ;)
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I bet your bedroom smells great in the morning :(
We'll take your word for it, CH - honest! :D
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:o ??? ??? :-\ :-\ ;)
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you are a cheeky monkey CH
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Chicken Tikka Malai - Group challenge
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Great report and superb photos, Rich! The combination of chicken and cheese (for me at least!) is a bit unusual, but your descriptions and the photos give the lie to that notion - your BBQ'd chicken looks absolutely delicious! :)
I must have a go at this. I'd be interested in your recipes for lemon rice and coriander green chilli dip too if you have them to hand.
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A big thanks to Rich and Bob for two well produced reports! and submitted in time, well done!! ;D
On the subject of my two offerings, I was glad to see that Mick has reduced the Tamarind in the Bengali Mirchi recipe in his latest video. ;)
quote from DalPuri
Overall, i really liked the dish but thought it was way too sweet. No problem when its piping hot, but as soon as it cools it gets sweeter and sweeter.
A really good curry for me has to be equally as good cold for those little mouthfuls you cant resist going back to when you get your second wind
Just had a couple of mouthfuls of the Bengali Mirchi and its almost there with 2 spoons of tamarina.
Either 1 tbsp or slightly rounded would be perfect.
2 level tbsp was spot on in my opinion. The dish was equally as good cold as it was piping hot.
BUT..... for a dish with Mirchi in the title, where was the chilli!!??
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KpTFW4zLOk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KpTFW4zLOk)
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BUT..... for a dish with Mirchi in the title, where was the chilli!!??
Besides the chilli powder added at the start the Bengali refers to the Bengali sauce Mick used, which is a mix of naga and tamarind, or I have I misunderstood you?
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Chicken Tikka Malai - Group challenge
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BUT..... for a dish with Mirchi in the title, where was the chilli!!??
Besides the chilli powder added at the start the Bengali refers to the Bengali sauce Mick used, which is a mix of naga and tamarind, or I have I misunderstood you?
Ok, my mistake. So he's mixed it with tamarind sauce now eh? ;). Cant see many seeds in there and only a fraction of chilli powder compared to the original recipe.
I think i'll stick with the original because that had a good amount of heat for me.
And being called chilli chicken i expect it to be HOT! 8)
Chicken Tikka Malai - Group challenge
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Some more nice write-ups. I'm intrigued by the chicken/cheese mix, I've never seen or tasted this recipe before, but I do like the two together in a sandwich :)
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Nice job curryhell!
CA's ingredients serves 2 people; did you scale it down for 1 person or did you use full measures? If you did scale it down what did you reduce?
Going to try this later but only have 1 chicken portion so thinking about what to reduce, but nothing looks obvious to me apart from chicken, and maybe salt/sugar!
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Why not make the curry as described just using the single portion of chicken and freezing the unused sauce for another day?
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Why not make the curry as described just using the single portion of chicken and freezing the unused sauce for another day?
With only 300 ml gravy I wasn't expecting any sauce to be left!! I normally use 350ml in a single portion although this will be first time using CA's base.
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I believe that CA's recipes say 1-2 servings. I eat normal-sized portions and I find I get one good dinner-sized meal plus enough for a good snack the next day. Why not just freeze it, or keep it in the fridge 'til your a bit peckish?
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Why not make the curry as described just using the single portion of chicken and freezing the unused sauce for another day?
With only 300 ml gravy I wasn't expecting any sauce to be left!! I normally use 350ml in a single portion although this will be first time using CA's base.
Thanks uclown. Follow the recipe but simply reduce the chicken content. It makes a good portion with no sauce left over. Please edit your previous post and remove all the links to the pics. It may have been good but i don't think everybody will want a double take on the whole shooting match ;D ;D ;D
Off to make CBM's jalfezi again now for a mate ::)
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Thanks guys!
About to start cooking!!
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Kushi Chicken Bhuna - Razor
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Will post my report tomorrow - all very hectic - made my wife post pics but report to follow. It was a beauty of a curry!
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It was a beauty of a curry!
No offence Michael, but that looks a tad cremated, with all the little burnt bits of Garlic/Onion etc...
Did you not use any base in it?
Curious on this one :o
cheers Chewy
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Had too many sherbets yesterday ::)
Yes your right chewy did over do the onions ( dam those big cameras pictures so clear ;D )
Made the Kushi base ,spice mix and chicken Which was chosen for me by Rich
I was trying out a new pan anyway no excuses
The taste was slightly impaired my the over brown onions but the dog loved it
No seriously I made this dish afew weeks ago but had trouble down sizing the pictures
And made that dish a few times that day for freezing and in hind sight should have took more pictures
of the others and they where good
I like to say thankyou to Rich for choosing this dish for me because I would never of made it other wise
and to Dalpuri for a good test it takes you out of your comfort zone
Cheers Michael
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Good on you for having a go at it, Michael. I've seen quite a few Indian homestyle-cooking videos where they completely brown the onions, so maybe you weren't too far out. At least your dog endorsed it, so it must have been OK! :)
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Thankyou Naga ;D
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Is there going to be another secret recipe test this month? And where is 976bar's report, I saw it, but can't find it again.
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where is 976bar's report, I saw it, but can't find it again.
This one (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11556.msg89298.html#msg89298), maybe ?
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Cheers Phil, I was looking in completely the wrong place.
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I joined this forum around the time of the first group tests. I thought it was a great idea albeit a very hard task and a lot of work for each individual involved.
It was a shame that it fizzled away without any explanation bar a few questions as to when things would be completed.
So when I started this secret recipe test i had my doubts as to whether this would be completed by all participating. How wrong was I!!
A huge thank you and congratulations go to all members who entered and submitted their entries within the given 30 days.
The reviews, reports and photos were Much more than i expected! A top class job from everyone who took part, WELL DONE! ;D
I hope its achieved in some part what the task was set out to do. And that is, pushing members to try something new from the many forgotten recipes on the forum.
If anybody fancies round 2, just say aye in this thread and i'll start the 2nd Secret Recipe Group Test in a new thread 1 week from today.
Cheers, Frank. :)
p.s. If there is a better way to apply like on the homepage for example, then maybe Stew could sort that out?
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Just like to say also what a pleasure it's been to see some of the various stuff being made, it's good for everyone's cooking to get pushed into something unexpected. Some real food for thought, even from contributions from people not doing the tests.
I'm certainly in for the next round. It would certainly be a good idea to ask admin to put something on the front page as there seem to have been a few people who missed out that would have liked to have been involved. Nice to see a real pleasant thread for a change.
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AYE
;)
.............. But again. ......... Crocodile is a no no. :D
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Aye, but nothing involving horse now please ::)
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Count me in as well.
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Let me have another go I reckon
I could burn anyone dish ;) ;D
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Aye, sign me up for this one ;)
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sign me up too, please!
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sign me up too, please!
You didn't say 'AYE ' ;)
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sign me up too, please!
You didn't say 'AYE ' ;)
Or Cap'n. ;D AaarrrrrHAaaaaaa
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sign me up too, please!
You didn't say 'AYE ' ;)
sign me up too, please!
You didn't say 'AYE ' ;)
Or Cap'n. ;D AaarrrrrHAaaaaaa
Haha. is it talk like a pirate day today?
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sign me up too, please!
You didn't say 'AYE ' ;)
sign me up too, please!
You didn't say 'AYE ' ;)
Or Cap'n. ;D AaarrrrrHAaaaaaa
Haha. is it talk like a pirate day today?
But of course Gagomes me lad. Now sprittle yer gittle and fleck yer deck.
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I'm up for the next one.
Rob :)
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I'm up for the next one.
Rob :)
[/quote
Is that an 'AYE' Then Rob? ;)
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I'm up for the next one.
Rob :)
[/quote
Is that an 'AYE' Then Rob? ;)
Och aye!
I'll get me coat.....
Rob :D
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Haha. is it talk like a pirate day today?
But of course Gagomes me lad. Now sprittle yer gittle and fleck yer deck.
Avast, me hearties! AYe! count me in please :)