Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => Vindaloo => Topic started by: fstr n u on June 24, 2017, 04:01 AM
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Curry patrons,
I was able recently to "audit" the kitchen of a 5 star Indian Chef while travelling and had to swear on my only |born child| i wouldn't share secrets i learned in this kitchen. In witnessing what i did i can say i was shocked by the fact there was no base gravy for the Vindaloo or Murgh Makhani. Much of what what i've seen so far on this forum in terms of information was thrown out of the window.
i will focus on the Vindaloo here.
I came across 2 spices and an onion method i haven't previously seen before which i'll mention below....
The curry i sampled was a vindaloo chicken with a coconut enriched base....and it was simply amazing.
In the Vindaloo what i think i can share is that the base didn't have the "thick" gravy base you all have worked to achieve. This one was slightly more liquidity in nature with flakes of desiccated coconut and seeds from some sort of pepper. It was a more oily tomato base and i'll take a pic of it when i next can do so (from the restaurant). The spices i learned about were "meat masala" and "deggi mirch". As best i can understand the meat masala is a pre-prepared masala mix and the deggi mirch similar to that of a kashmiri chilli powder. There were also elements of salt, cumin seeds and fenugreek leaves,
For onions, the onions are cooked in oil to a translucent state and turmeric powder added...then blended to make an onion paste.
In the gravy there is a mix of oil, bay leaf, cinnamon stick(s), cumin seeds, ginger/garlic pst, crushed tomatoes,onion paste, heavy cream salt, water and coconut shavings. I learned the "seeds" came from the Chilli Garlic Sauce added to the sauce/gravy
1. Have any of you come across Deggi Mirch or Meat Masala in your restaurant style curries?
2. I remember reading about seasoned oils...what i saw was Canola Oil and the chef mentioned sometimes using an oil seasoned with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamon as an option?
3. Have you seen onions precooked in only only oil and turmeric to give color?
4. Versus using coconut milk, the chef recommended using heavy cream and desiccated coconut (sweetened) to make the sauce sweeter...have you heard of this before?
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In witnessing what i did i can say i was shocked by the fact there was no base gravy for the Vindaloo or Murgh Makhani. i will focus on the Vindaloo here.
The curry i sampled was a vindaloo chicken with a coconut enriched base....and it was simply amazing.
So base or no base?
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Curry patrons,
I was able recently to "audit" the kitchen of a 5 star Indian Chef while travelling and had to swear on my only |born child| i wouldn't share secrets i learned in ?
Was this Chef working for Sainsbury's??? ;D I would advise having a read through the forum.
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I was able recently to "audit" the kitchen of a 5 star Indian Chef while travelling and had to swear on my only |born child| i wouldn't share secrets i learned in this kitchen. In witnessing what i did i can say i was shocked by the fact there was no base gravy for the Vindaloo or Murgh Makhani. Much of what what i've seen so far on this forum in terms of information was thrown out of the window.
You can't have read much of this forum if that's what you think, i.e that your observations negate most of the tips on here,
What do you mean by 'audit' in the context of a kitchen visit? Was the chef a phony self-awarded five star chef? In the UK or in India, for example? If he was a chef at a five star hotel in India then your observations might carry more weight..
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Sigh. Three such negative response to an interesting message from a new member. Will this forum never learn ?
** Phil.
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Not that new a member, Phil........
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12 posts, joined less than a year ago. To me, that is a new member, someone whose input is to be welcomed even when it does not accord with the received wisdom.
** Phil.
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So I assume you have welcomed him/her after one of said 12 posts?
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Of course. By asking a polite question concerning one of his posts rather than dismissing his ideas out of hand.
** Phil.
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Hit the nail on the head Phil
Probably the main reason why newbies like me are reluctant to post, harsh chastisement does not encourage participation.
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Of course. By asking a polite question concerning one of his posts rather than dismissing his ideas out of hand.
** Phil.
I asked if there was a base or not, because OC seemed to contradict himself :) I don't see that as a 'negative response'.
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Sigh. Three such negative response to an interesting message from a new member. Will this forum never learn ?
** Phil.
Hi Peripatetic Phil, I'm sorry to be harsh. Unfortunately from your post and onwards you have completely derailed the OP thread! Why did you just not give him/her a chance to respond? I'm sure they can take the sarcasm and reasonable remarks, It would be appreciated if admin could remove all off topic posts made after George's post.Then hopefully the Op can respond as they see fit..And we can return to the topic.
LC.
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rather than dismissing his ideas out of hand.
The OP dismissed most of this forum out of hand when he/she said it throws the content out of the window, Why do you ignore that but, instead, lay into anyone who dares to challenge the OP's comment? If he/she can answer my earlier questions, then I may be prepared to take the observations more seriously. littlechillie is right.
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1. Have any of you come across Deggi Mirch or Meat Masala in your restaurant style curries?
2. I remember reading about seasoned oils...what i saw was Canola Oil and the chef mentioned sometimes using an oil seasoned with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamon as an option?
3. Have you seen onions precooked in only only oil and turmeric to give color?
4. Versus using coconut milk, the chef recommended using heavy cream and desiccated coconut (sweetened) to make the sauce sweeter...have you heard of this before?
There's nothing new there fstr n u. It's typical of North American style Indian restaurant cooking but not typical of British Indian restaurant cooking. The method is closer to an "authentic" vindaloo with shortcuts for the restaurant to get things cooked quickly. I use deggi as my main chilli spice and I have seen all sorts of prerepared onion variations, fried with added turmeric being just one. Meat masala could be any one of a plethora of generic spice mixes, otherwise known as curry powder. A typical one used over here is MDH kitchen king.
Similarly with the double cream (heavy cream) with sweetened, desiccated coconut it's just one more variation on adding some sort of cream with some sort of coconut flavouring. I wouldn't personally use desiccated coconut because I don't like the texture it leaves even after blending but some might call that a feature and pay good money for it. Each to their own.
As far as base thickness goes we moved away from thick bases years ago on this forum and thin soup like bases (BIR style) are the norm now.
Seasoned oil - take your pick there are several methods on the forum and rapeseed oil (canola oil) is the cheapest high smoke-point oil so gets used quite ubiquitously. Flavouring with cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamom (and possibly cloves) is a basic seasoned oil and would occur "naturally" in a home cooked Indian meal where the curry would be started with this combination.
All interesting observations but they really just bring out the differences between the North American way of doing things and the BIR way which is what this forum is more focused on.
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It seems to have been George that started it this time. Hardly surprising, yet quietly customary. Not sure about no base though.