Curry Recipes Online

Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: littlechilie on May 30, 2015, 08:28 AM

Title: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: littlechilie on May 30, 2015, 08:28 AM
Ok so we often hear people talk about leaving a curry to develop in flavour, or for the spices to intensify!

Is there any truth in this theory, or are we just approaching the dish the following day with fresh senses?

The above is my opinion it's just my senses dulled from cooking, but it would be interesting to here members thoughts and opinions.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: SoberRat on May 30, 2015, 08:41 AM
That is a good question. I suspect it may be a bit of both. If I have a very long session of cooking curry I find that my senses are very dulled, but I do think that the dishes change a bit when left over night. I find the same thing happens with other types of dish too and also when I have had a shorter session.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Stu-pot on May 30, 2015, 09:04 AM
I leave a curry overnight in the fridge in hope the flavour will improve.
More often than not, the spices & flavour will mellow a little which can be a good thing if I've over done it, but bad if it was perfectly balanced.
I have trouble keeping my appetite when cooking.
A fresh day brings me fresh senses
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Madrasandy on May 30, 2015, 09:55 AM
Fresh is best for me, everytime.
I still really enjoy the curry the next day whether it be home cooked or take away, but fresh out the pan is best. Heated up the next day is re-cooking the ingredients, losing the fresh taste IMO
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: littlechilie on May 30, 2015, 10:29 AM
Yes I agree MA fresh is how a curry should be served, preferably with hot Chapati or Naan :)

But great point, when precooked meat is added first then cooking the dish and reheating the next day! Well the dish quality must suffer.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: livo on May 30, 2015, 10:35 AM
Next day is always better with red meat, as it is with a stew of the same.  My wife used to work in a Sri Lankan Restaurant and the lamb and beef curries were always prepared the day before.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: littlechilie on May 30, 2015, 11:05 AM
Good point Livo, but would this not be down to the time they take to cook more than allowing the flavours to develop? I'm sure it would not be practical to start cooking a bulk lamb or Beef curry two hours before service.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: livo on May 31, 2015, 12:40 AM
Just like in a BIR, the Sri Lankans used pre-cooked meats and gravies so the time to actually cook the final dishes was not the main consideration.  The day before preparation wasn't simply for speed. Flavour development was a big factor in doing this.  The restaurant in question was run by a Sri Lankan family but they did serve standard Indian dishes as well.

I have always found that red meat dishes like stews, casseroles and curries always develop a more rounded and full flavour after a rest period.  This is also noticed by people who didn't cook it so the lazy palate idea is not necessarily a factor although it may well contribute and probably does.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: littlechilie on May 31, 2015, 07:37 AM
Thanks Livo that's a detailed explanation, your wife must also be able to cook some knock out dishes! Your a lucky man.

I have been watching a good few Delhi/Mumbai street food documentaries of late and it's interesting to note lots of the stall holders are all up at 5-6 am producing these fabulous lam-beef curries. Along with a wide verity of rice,bean and vegetable dishes.

The dishes are then kept hot or cooled for the morning or lunch street service, I would love to be able to spend a couple of weeks alongside these fantastic hardworking people.

Thanks.

Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: livo on May 31, 2015, 08:01 AM
Unfortunately my wife was mainly wait staff, not kitchen although she did help out. However, she did learn a lot there and on top of that she was an exchange student to Sri Lanka for 12 months living with a host family in Colombo. The family network connections was how she got the job back here.  We enjoy many different styles of food, which I prepare mostly as she is simply too busy.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Curry addict bob on June 10, 2015, 10:38 PM
As a rule of thumb in my opinion the curry tastes even better if left in the fridge and eaten the following day

Bob.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Secret Santa on June 10, 2015, 11:53 PM
Never had a BIR curry that improves on standing. A madras tasted the same when "fresh" as when heated up (or not) the next day.

Home cooked curries, on the other hand, definitely seem to benefit from at least an overnight wait. But so do traditional stews.

So what's the beef? It can only be that the pre-cooking used ubiquitously in BIRs effectively builds in the stewing stage.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: livo on June 11, 2015, 02:22 AM
You are probably 100% correct there with the distinction between BIR and Traditional SS.
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Pugs on June 19, 2015, 09:00 AM
I reckon it does especially traditional style curries maybe not a BIR from the local
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Kattis on June 30, 2015, 10:54 AM
Ok so we often hear people talk about leaving a curry to develop in flavour, or for the spices to intensify!

Is there any truth in this theory, or are we just approaching the dish the following day with fresh senses?

The above is my opinion it's just my senses dulled from cooking, but it would be interesting to here members thoughts and opinions.
yeeeee back to a proper forum flipping bircurries what a bunch of control freaks :D :D :D

i think it is as you say a bit of both ... the more you cook the more you taste .. you certainly dull your taste buds :) some say sniffing coffee powder helps ?? no idea :D :D :D
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: PappaT on July 30, 2015, 05:16 PM
That is a good question. I suspect it may be a bit of both. If I have a very long session of cooking curry I find that my senses are very dulled, but I do think that the dishes change a bit when left over night. I find the same thing happens with other types of dish too and also when I have had a shorter session.

I make scented candles for a living and when I started I found I couldn't smell the fragrance so I would put more and more in. People loved the incredible scent in my candles but Icouldn't enjoy them. It was only when I was talking to an old candlemaker who asked where my fresh coffee beans were? I replied I don't have any so he gave me a jar of them to sniff.
After that I could smell the fragrances and my candles got cheaper to make.

The curry is the is the same. when we use the spices all the time we de-sensitise our nasal passages so sniff the coffee every now and then, it works.

Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: hamidge on July 31, 2015, 07:46 AM
Sniffing coffee works they use it in perfume shops its like a sorbet for ya snout  :D
Title: Re: Do spices developing after a curry is cooked and rested?
Post by: Donald Brasco on July 31, 2015, 08:41 AM
Flat leaf parsley is the palate cleanser of choice of professionals onion tasters. It should be chewed between each sample being tasted. Might also work for resetting your taste buds if chewed after cooking a curry and before eating it.