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Supplementary Recipes (Curry Powders, Curry Paste, Restaurant Spice Mixes) => Supplementary Recipes Chat => Topic started by: Les on June 28, 2014, 10:02 AM

Title: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Les on June 28, 2014, 10:02 AM
I'm looking to change my mix powder, been using Abduls for quite a long while now, and fancy a change, Can't seem to remember which one I used before Abdul's, What is your current powder mix, and would you recommend it? looking for something quite spicy, don't do wimpy spice mix. ;D

Les
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: fried on June 28, 2014, 11:19 AM
Zaal mix and GM is worth a look. Personally I keep them seperate. I also don't add chilli or paprika to my mix, prefering to add when cooking.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Les on June 28, 2014, 11:51 AM
Thanks fried,
Will have a look at the Zaal, I don't add chilli either,

Les

fried, do you have a link to the zaal mix powder?, can't seem to find it ???
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: fried on June 28, 2014, 12:13 PM
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,7863.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,7863.0.html)

I usually start with 11 tsp curry power and scale down from there.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,7864.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,7864.0.html)

The GM.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Les on June 28, 2014, 12:56 PM
Cheers fried.

Les
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Madrasandy on September 14, 2014, 09:50 AM
Hi Les did you change your mix powder? Any thoughts on what you are now using?

I too have been using Abduls for quite a while now, and would also like to try a different mix, any feedback would be most appreciated
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: RobinB on September 14, 2014, 03:56 PM
I've always used Bruce Edwards from day 1 and been happy with so stuck with it. I ought to try some others though
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Madrasandy on November 01, 2014, 09:06 AM
Just run out of my last batch of mix (abduls 8 ), any recommendations ?
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: noble ox on November 01, 2014, 09:23 AM
Les
 don't do wimpy spice mix

Always thought Wimpys made burgers

Seriously though why use mix powder >when you can use spices as required
Who started this addiction to mix powders?
When watching a Bir chef its a bit of this then that sorted
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Les on November 01, 2014, 10:30 AM

Always thought Wimpys made burgers

Oh yes, I remember them well. ;)

And no I don't use spice mix's anymore. just the normal suspects, cumin, coriander, etc with some fennel or star anise added, Just because I like the flavour :D

Apologies Madrasandy
didn't see your post until just now, like I just said, I don't use spice mix anymore, may not be true BIR, but it suits me and mine :D
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Les on November 01, 2014, 10:37 AM
Who started this addiction to mix powders?

Haven't a clue NO, but would like to know how it all started, and why. I would think that it was to make one Bir different to another, (otherwise they would all taste the same :)) and time saving

Les
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Madrasandy on November 01, 2014, 11:46 AM
Cheers Les, N.O. , I may experiment tonight with no mix powder
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: livo on November 01, 2014, 10:52 PM
If your trying to replicate a recipe that uses a specific spice mix powder, then you first need to replicate the mix, or at least analyse it so you know what individual spices to use, and their relative quantities, instead.

"GM" and "Curry Powder" are nothing more or less than a mix powder, and this is one thing that can be very annoying when an ingredient in a Spice Mix Powder is listed as being another mix.  How do you replicate a Mix Powder which incorporates GM if you don't have the recipe for that GM.  As we all know, they can be very different.

Some Base Gravy recipes are provided using a Spice Mix. If you have a different mix you'll get a different base.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: Invisible Mike on November 01, 2014, 11:21 PM
Last week I made three identical curries at the same time with three very different mix powders (kushi spice, CBM and Martin Vics balti masala.) I did a blind tasting session with the family and do you know what, we all agreed there was very little discernable difference between the three curries. This surprised me but then I've also noted in the past that BIR chefs have said it doesn't matter what you use. See JBs base thread for one example. Curry is definitely technique more than ingredients IMHO.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: livo on November 01, 2014, 11:35 PM
I would have to both agree and disagree.  In small amounts, one powder over another is going to make very little difference to the finished dish unless they are vastly different products.  If they are similar then you'd be right.  If they are vastly different in form then there has to be a difference.

I totally agree with method being a big factor and my experiment with 2 CTM's made with identical ingredients but different method bore that fact out explicitly.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: livo on November 02, 2014, 12:47 AM
On mix powders: I've been struggling a bit with the whole "cooking whole spices" thing.  Again there are conflicting opinions. Cook : Don't Cook. Cook Together : Cook Separately, Cook Powders as well : Don't cook powders, Grind in M&P : Use Coffee Grinder.

One thing I've troubled with is how long to cook spices, whole, big and small.  There is a big difference between a Cumin Seed and a Black Cardamom or a huge chunk of Cassia Bark.

Looking at something else, I came across a recipe for an authentic "North Indian Curry Powder Mix", which looks pretty good too by the way.  What struck me as "Wow, look at that!" is the instruction of cooking the whole spices.
 
"1. Place all ingredients, except last three, in a karahi or wok or griddle and dry roast for 10-12 minutes. 
2. Cool. 
3. Grind to a powder."
 

This includes Cumin Seed, Black and Green Cardamoms, Bay Leaf and Cinnamon Sticks among other things. The "last three" mentioned by the way, are powders, so at least that is answered for me.
Here was me worried about it.  10 - 12 minutes.  I think I'd have a bush fire by then.

Other noteworthy things from the same source are that the basic Garam Masala spices are not roasted at all in order to preserve the essential oils and aromatics, where as the Kashmiri GM is roasted but only for 6-8 minutes.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: noble ox on November 02, 2014, 10:12 AM
Livo
There gm masalas used in early stage of cooking not roasted and there are gm masalas roasted and added at the end of cooking
Where this is not understood there will be conflicts in recipes
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: littlechilie on November 02, 2014, 12:09 PM
I'm heavy on curry powder in some of my dishes, but feel a mix of turmeric, jeera and coriander is always useful.
Title: Re: Your Favorite Mix Powder
Post by: sourav23 on December 16, 2015, 07:24 AM
I was using Adey Paynes mix powder.
But i changed it now. I just browse a site for finding herbs and spices.
They have really very nice collection of herbs and spics.
I want to recommend you that site for spics.
here is the link
http://www.foodmax.in/products/herbs-spices-mix/1