Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Hints, Tips, Methods and so on.. => All Other Hints N Tips => Topic started by: Chilli Prawn on October 14, 2006, 11:15 AM
-
I notice, now that I have had some time to plough through the site, that there is a lot of controversy on volumetric measures. Below is the food standards guide. So perhaps we can now use these measures below in future as our standard.
1 cup = 250 ml 9 fl oz
1/2 cup = 125 ml 4 fl oz
1/3 cup = 80 ml 3 fl oz
1/4 cup = 60 ml 2 fl oz
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) = 15 ml
1 Dessertspoon (Dsp) = 10 ml
1 Teaspoon (Tsp) = 5 ml
There is no point in using ladles or dollops as measures because of the many variations in size (there are about 30 professional catering sizes alone). Measuring cups and spoons made in plastic or stainless steel are now available in all food stores and cost very little.
Hope this helps
Happy Cooking
CP
-
Here's an even better idea. How about we drag ourselves kicking and screaming out of the past, ditch cups, floz etc, and standardise on that nice new metric system. You know, that system we have been using for about 35 years? Unless of course you still have some strange affiliation with the colonies, who for some unknown reason find it difficult to count in multiples of 10.
YF
-
I must agree - although not too vehemently - I have made some fantastic meals since my first visit to this web-site. But I do agree that at times it is frustrating when measurements or specifics are left open to interpretation.
Having said that though, it should be kept in mind that this site is viewed internationally and the way measurements are presented can vary. Personally, I don't have a problem with metric or imperial or anything else, just so long as the measurements are provided - most of it can be found on the side of my measuring jug. However, some measurements do leave me guessing:
One tub (what size), a pinch (I can do small or big pinches !), one portion, one bunch etc. Also, the 'heat' of key ingredients like curry or chilli powder, and it would also be very useful to know cooking times and also how many people each recipe serves.
This last week I made two full batches of Darth's curry base. The first I made with Madras curry powder (all I had at the time) - which made a wonderful base sauce and an incredible madras that me and my son enjoyed enormously. However, it was too spicy for CK's CTM, which is the wife's fave, so I made up another batch, which I have labled as 'mild' for this purpose. My freezer is well-stocked now. :)
-
FYI - some of the colonies have been using the metric system for many , many years !
-
AND put that in your Metric Pipe & smoke it ;D
-
Gosh, I never thought this would stir up a hornets nest. I could say I wish I hadn't bothered (but I wouldn't) :D. Funny enough, India (one of our past colonies), the West Indies (ditto), Australia, (ditto), America (ditto), oh this is getting boring ;D, all use cups, spoons, Imperial (thats us babes), and metric, but you nearly always find that cups not ladles of stuff appear everywhere. I am typing this in a light hearted fashion so as not to upset anyone. However no one has answered my question, i.e. shall we adopt some sort of standard? To be hones I am happy with a bit of that and a cup or ladle of this because when i cook my stuff for the business that's all I do (and that goes for the Indian chefs in the BIRs also). Oh well, off to the pub to fill my cups ;D ::) :-[
CP
-
What's a mug then?
Apart from the thing you drink coffee out of! (ifindforu base has this as a measurement)
-
A mug is a working class Cup ;D
-
CP - i think we should standardise, i am a complete novice at cooking in general and i am sure that i am not alone. Standardising gives you a starting point to work from. As us beginners have not got the professional flair to just give a pinch of this and a shake of that we need a yard stick. From that adding or taking away from a measurement becomes more memorable and understandable, and something you can write down for future reference, you can record your varience of a recipe, and refer to it at a later date. Perhaps i am wrong ut this makes sense to me.
Keep up the good work CP. ;)
Dai
-
A mug is a working class Cup ;D
Working class, oh how distasteful. :o
Now, what measurement is a bleedin mug? ::) ;D
-
Seriously though, if we all just used metric measures we wouldn't have to guess what the author of a recipe means by a mug for example and we wouldn't keep going over this same subject every couple of months.
-
So say we agree on following guidelines outlined here, how many will adhere to it.
Are we going to start another poll ?
Look at the favorite Curry base poll, see how long its been going, are you telling me out of all our members so few actually do any cooking of a base gravy.
This could make one come to the conclusion that a large percentage of our members are just takers & don't feel inclined to contribute at all who knows. :-\
If this Forum charged a fee for membership then perhaps there may be a chance of some sort of controls set in place,as people like to have their say especially when they have got to pay for something & perhaps paying members would contribute more to get their monies worth :D, this is perhaps were this forum may evolve to, who knows.
Bottom line is how do you get everyone to agree.
I will endeavor to give my measurements in plain English.
If i use bags as a measurement thats up to me but i do put down how much is in them, in ml, so if you really cant grasp that simple premise then you shouldn't be allowed to cook on your own. ;D
-
Personally, I don't really mind what measuring units are used, provided the recipes are reasonably clearly written and unambiguous.
As Darth says, establishing a set of standards is one thing, but expecting a multitude of people (from around the world) to comply with the standards is quite another.
I therefore think we need to be flexible (and not too anal) about it.....so....here's a suggestion:
Allow members to post recipes, using any format and measures they damn well please (or not!), as is currently the case.....but....
....before a recipe is "formally accepted" to a "formal recipe section", a moderator (?) ensures that the recipe conforms to certain basic standards (e.g. is reasonably clearly written and unambigous)?
Perhaps this would necessitate a "two tier" recipe section (i.e. an "informal" section and a "formal" section)?
A key requirement should be that the weights and volumes are clearly, and unambiguously, defined (whatever measuring units are chosen)
The aim should simply to be to ensure that members can replicate the recipe?
What do you think?
-
Words well spoken... great idea ! Keep it simple....most members have the intuitive ability of reading betwen the lines and adapting ! :)
-
Well this has stirred up some comments. I was only trying to be helpful to the newbies.
For what its worth, a mug is one and one third cups, or 205ml or 7fl oz.
I have just measured a few and all are more or less the same volume give or take a drop or two. Now if Darth could do a similar exercise and give us just one measurement for his 'bag' in cups, imperial, metric, it doesn't matter, we can set up one reference page on this forum that anyone can refer to if they need a particular measurement system. then everone can carry on with their own thing and we don't have to add anymore complexity to writing or moderating our recipes. Voila! I say no more on the subject ;D
Blissful Cooking
CP
PS I made up a batch of my cracking Madras Beef last night, so I might have some for breakfast! :-\
-
Actally Cory ander beat me to it "Anal" is what this site is getting, i don't mind too much though (it amuses me).
Rest assured its all in good humour from this side of the DArkSide of the FoRCe ;D
I have no intention of measuring cups "WTF" com on Guys, Gals & other Lifeforms, 600ml is 600ml in any Solar system (believe me I've Invaded them all :D).
I am damned if I'm downgrading all my Star destroyers Kitchens after all the Imperial Credits I've spent, the Universe doesn't just conquer itself you know, someone has to pay for it.
The SITH Counsel have deemed that Milliliters, Tablespoons & Teaspoons are all we will use in the Curry Invasion. ;D
-
OK OK thats it I am out of this thread. Sent my apologies to you Darth on the other thread.
CP
-
NP, its all in good humour as it should be mate ;D ;D
-
I know ;D
CP
-
For what its worth, a mug is one and one third cups, or 205ml or 7fl oz.
I agree that recipes should be as clear as possible.
I also agree that "cups", "teaspoons", "desertspoons" and "tablespoons" are pretty much universally established measures (as you've defined CP) for cooking. They also appear in most recipe books. After all, who's ever seen a recipe that says "add 5ml" of something rather than "add a teaspoon"? Although the former would be more precise and less ambiguous of course :P
I also agree that "ladles", "dollops", "bags", "chef's spoon", etc, are so poorly defined as to be almost meaningless (unless defined in the recipe itself of course).
You've got to admit though, it's a bit alarming when one person thinks a ladle of base sauce is about 40ml and another thinks its about 142ml! :o
But, I do have one question concerning your assessment of the volume of a mug CP :P
If 1 cup = 250ml (9 UK fl oz) and 1 mug = 1 1/3rd of a cup, surely one mug = 333ml (12 UK fl oz)?
Just trying to clarify......or maybe its just be being anal? ::)
Hmmm....maybe YF is correct, after all, then! ;)
-
Perhaps.
We should put down some guidelines for everyone to follow in the Forum rules ?
In the godliness we must have some flexibility.
Say for instance me being a stubborn arse.
I'm adamant (no I'm not Adam Ant ;)) that i will continue refer to putting Base Gravy or Curry in a freezer Bags, also i will include in the recipe how many Milliliters of Liquid is in the Bag.
INMHO using Tablespoons & Teaspoons is adequate enough, perhaps to help we should refer to heaped or level within these measurements.
Having cooked curries for many years i have found no proof that in the scale i cook that a discrepency of say an extra half a Teaspoon makes any difference to the final dish, if however you are cooking a single portion perhaps it would be prudent to be a little more precise, but anyway i don't think curry Cooking needs to be that precise, I'm no chef so anyone who is may be able to advise us all on the effects of small discrepancies & effects on large & small batches of curry Gravy & the Curries themselves.
Hope this is of some help peeps :)
One more thing some of us have got the information from a local Bir, sometimes all we get is a description "Chefs Spoon" or "Ladle" so we just have to adapt that measurement from our own perception which opens whole new 400g Can of chopped Worms with 5% less Fat. ;D
-
I totally agree you are, sorry, are not a stubborn arse. Forums should moderate themselves in the ideal world and will do if we are a little outspoken at times. It is always difficult to convey humour etc., in this medium, hence the emoticons. Humour is one of the great spices of our lives.
I said I was outa here but you post says all that needs to be said I think. I will post the conversion list anyway as a new topic so that newbies et al can refer to if need be.
On your other points Darth, I totally agree also (as professional Cook along with my family who are also professional cooks and Chef) that if you cook large quantities it does not matter one bit if you err either side of a general measurement, as long (and this I see has been said many many times on this Forum) you do not use too much of an ingredient that has a very powerful flavour, e.g. Garam Masala. For small dishes I would say the same, as you are unlikely to be using large measuring implements. But what the hell; we got to this wonderful and diverse range of magical recipes because people made mistakes!!! :-*
Anyone who was around when BIRs arrived on the High St in the 60s will surely tell you what a nightmare it was getting them to cook a half decent curry to suit our palates, a lot of them were still in the ex pat curry mode making curries with raisins and fruit and serving them up with dessicated coconut, sultanas, and sliced bananas as side dishes :P yuch.
You pioneers are doing a great service to the world, and I wouldn't be suprised if a few OBEs were thrown your way ::) (Where do you pin a gong on a Darth suit?)
May the peace be with you
CP
-
Sorry Woks Up, I was recovering from afew beers and a very hot Chilli the night before. You are correct and I have posted a new list for what it is worth ::)
CP
-
The only OBE i will get is One Boiled Egg. :'(