Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Starters & Side Dishes => Starters and Side Dishes Chat => Topic started by: chriswg on June 19, 2010, 03:40 PM
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I'll move this thread over to the new section once it is up and running.
I'm doing the Kebab group test today and I have some results in from some of the others too. Once I have all the info I'll post the results. Mine are all in the fridge hardening up ready to BBQ this evening.
Axe - yours better be worth it, they were even more time consuming than CA's!
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8ZixU3Nbf9c/TBzVtSlXFDI/AAAAAAAAAcs/sf11SEMFfUs/s288/2010-06-19%2015.00.02.jpg) (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UEIxLoSieKqdgwJOTvrF0BU5aJ-LdBMbSyl3gnAxO98?feat=embedwebsite)
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Chris,
From left to right, who's is who's?
Ray :)
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What an awesome tea!
Left to right - CA, Razor, Dipuraja, Curry Dev, Axe.
I'll save my thoughts on the results until everyone has group tested them. I wouldn't want to affect peoples scoring with preconceived ideas. All I'll say is that for me two of them stood out as excellent and one was pretty poor.
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8ZixU3Nbf9c/TB0RNHpnKEI/AAAAAAAAAdA/PdJb4tfcayI/s800/2010-06-19%2018.55.12.jpg) (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PoJSlo0OON2f8cpBvyMyaRU5aJ-LdBMbSyl3gnAxO98?feat=embedwebsite)
By the way Branston Hot Chilli and Jalapeno relish tastes a lot like kebab shop chilli sauce. I ate these kebabs in pitta breads with the relish and raw onion, I didn't have any lettuce unfortunately for that authentic kebab shop taste.
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Chris,
That looks like kebab heaven mate ;D
Ill have to get my arse in gear and get cracking on this (world cup, taking up alot of my time)
I don't think that I've got Axe's recipe, has he posted it?
Ray :)
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Looks good :) im at the hospital tomorrow visiting but i'll get mine finished Monday.
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Mine are all in the fridge hardening up ready to BBQ this evening
How many of the recipes say to put them "in the fridge to 'harden up'" Chris?
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Chris,
I have a few of concerns with this method of recipe assessment (although I think it's great that you and others are actually attempting to do something positive):
a) You seem to have selected only 5 out of the 10 kebab recipes on the forum. How did you decide which to try? Is it fair on the other 5 recipe posters that you haven't tried theirs? For instance, I know that Haldi's recipe is most likely from a British Indian Restaurant but you don't seem to have included this? It would seem to me to make sense to include Hadli's recipe in which case?
b) Some of the recipes are for "sheek kebabs" and some are for "shami kebabs" (e.g. Axe's). Are you, therefore, really comparing like for like?
c) You say (above) that you've put them all in the fridge to "harden up". Only 1 of the 5 recipes (i.e. Curry Dev's) says to do this? If so, how closely are you (and others) following the recipes? If not closely, won't your results be influenced by such deviations?
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Hi CA,
Mine also asks for the keema to be placed in the fridge for 1 hour, albeit that it is further down in the thread, post #6.
As for the other 5 recipes for seekh kebabs, no problem, they can also be done in the future, but I don't see another 5 in there CA?
With that said, I don't see a recipe from Haldi in the kebab section either? I think the only one that is missing is possibly Vin daloo's Sheek/Shami kebab. The thing with his recipe, is that he specifies "spice blend" but not which one! So this would be a different taste for each of the testers IMO.
I think that you are correct in how we treat each test though. We really all need to agree a consistant method or do them exactly to the recipe providers spec although, I do think that all the kebabs would benefit from 1 hours marinating in the fridge, and make them much easier to manipulate! I can see why Chris has done them this way though, it would be a nightmare if all 5 kebabs had a different cooking method.
I must say though, I'm really not comfortable with reviewing my own recipe. Would I underrate them as to not come across as biased? or would I overrate them because I want people to try them?
I would like to think that I'm an honest sort, but chefs and amateur cooks (like me) will all put their own dishes on a pedestal above others, and it's this that worries me :o
Anyway, this is the first test, so there is bound to be teething problems at the start but, hopefully, we can get them ironed out as we go along!
Ray :)
P.S,
Sorry for answering on Chris's behalf ::)
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When i said i would join in with this i said i would follow the recipe to the letter regardless of what my common sense says.
If the recipe says mix then cook, then i mix then cook.
If the recipe says allow to rest/marinade or whatever then ill do that.
It is obvious that a piece of meat thats had spice added to it will taste different when left to rest than it would when freshly mixed. Its a shame because of the 5 recipes were using only 1 has a resting period.
Its the same with the cooking method, i didn't really like the appearance of one kebab but were not judging on looks.
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PandJ
Mine asks for an hour in the fridge also but unfortunately, it's mentioned further down in my thread. I need to ask a mod to edit my recipe if they can?
Ray :)
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Okey dokey :)
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I don't see another 5 in there CA?
You're right Ray. On closer inspection (sorry about that, I breezed through them before), some other recipes (i.e. Stefblacs) are chicken kebabs. CurryDev seems to have posted two of the same recipe. And Haldi's is a mixture of starters (including kebabs, but no kebab recipe, per se)
Vindaloo's recipe uses Bruce Edward's spice mix (he says so later in the thread). So, apart from the 2 Stefblac chicken kebab recipes, Vindaloo's recipe seems to be the only other kebab recipe omitted from the test.
The question remains though, how do/will you (i.e. the panel) decide on which recipes to test? It will become far more difficult for things like curry bases, madras, etc.
I must say though, I'm really not comfortable with reviewing my own recipe. Would I underrate them as to not come across as biased? or would I overrate them because I want people to try them?
I think it would be prudent for a tester not to comment on their own recipe; just do the others?
Anyway, this is the first test, so there is bound to be teething problems at the start but, hopefully, we can get them ironed out as we go along!
I agree, it should prove interesting to see how it develops....
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Hi CA
If you have a look here - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4715.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4715.0) and here http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4716.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4716.0) that should answer your question of which recipes are tried.
Regarding the cooking method, I decided that we could either spend another month debating the best way to do this, or I could just refrigerate and BBQ them all. I assume that no one would disagree that a BBQ is the best way to replicate the BIR coking method in the absence of a Tandoor.
If other reviewers want to cook as per the recipe then that's good too. The important bit is their comparison against the other recipes, not against other reviewers.
Ray - definitely review you own recipe too. I'm sure you will be your own harshest critic, but if you think it's the best then score it the highest.
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Hi Chris, i do this on a regular basis with about 12 to 17 people, taste testing everything (on weekends mainly and my wednesday darts night) that i do from Balti to Madras and the starters, plus the breads (naan breads are giving me hell, dont think my oven gets hot enough).
Then i go away and read the "views" of my friends and come to a kind of "best of" type chart with nearly every recipe recieving a "mark" from out of 120 if 12 people are taste testing and so on.
The comments can be quite different and sometimes the "reviews" can be near enough the same, very weird sometimes.
It also gives you a kind of proud feeling when these friends are telling the truth about your cooking and they actually like it (well sometimes any way ).
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well ive cooked and marked the kababs, it was the first time i ever cooked kababs and had fun doing them.. my presentation isn't good but it was just a taste test with me and the wife..
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/Fish1964/IMG00009-20100621-1323.jpg)
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/Fish1964/IMG00006-20100621-1100.jpg)
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o256/Fish1964/IMG00016-20100621-1840.jpg)
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Fi5H,
Great work mate. Have you posted your results to chriswg? PM him and clarify the rating system if you wish to put your thought forward.
Absolutely bloody brilliant.
Ray ;D
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thanks razor, yea he sent me a pm i think i got the rating system correct and sent them to him.. btw good luck with yours.
Fish
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Hi Fi5H
btw good luck with yours.
:o :o :o oh no, what does that mean :o :o :o You've got me paraniod now hahahaha
Ray ;D
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This is all GREAT. I think you are all doing a brilliant job Im really looking forward to seeing the results. So good to see something positive on the forum Keep up the good work lads ;D
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Well done to both of you so far, excellent work. Hope to have mine done this weekend, all being well. :)
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The results so far are intriguing. It's looking like a 3 horse race with one donkey limping at the back.
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I will be getting mine done this weekend. Still undecided on, should I grill or BBQ? I think BBQ would give the better flavour, but not practical for winter, so I think I will grill.
Ray :)
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If it's any consolation Ray, I will be grilling too.
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I don't think the method matters as long as they are all cooked the same way. I can thoroughly recommend NOT following Dipurajas method of wrapping in foil and oven cooking unless you like raw lamb and crunchy onion!
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I've now got results from myself, Fi5H and peterandjen with Axe and Razor hopefully having a chance for their kebab feasts this weekend.
It's still pretty close at the top but with one pulling ahead by a nose.
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with one pulling ahead by a nose.
Ah that'll be the secret ingredient then! ;D
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with one pulling ahead by a nose.
Ah that'll be the secret ingredient then! ;D
'snot at all(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/xx_dominatrix_xx/tongue.gif)
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do we know who the best yet as i'm wanting to try soon out later on the bbq :-*
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Hi Smadkitty,
I think that they will all be pretty good either way, so until the results come out, I would just pick and go for it ;D
Ray :)
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are the final results in yet chris?
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Hi Fi5H,
I'm pretty sure Chris has all the results now, I think he may be waiting for Admin to set up the section, before he publishes them.
Chris,
Have you heard anything from Admin?
Ray :)
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I had a seekh kebab yesterday, and forgot how much I liked them.
Looking forward to the results, as I now feel like making them....
-- Josh
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I'm pretty sure Chris has all the results now, I think he may be waiting for Admin to set up the section, before he publishes them.
I haven't as yet been able to do the test and hope to complete this weekend. I was unable to complete this last weekend as planned unfortunately. Apologies to everyone.
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I haven't heard back from Admin yet. I guess it will take a bit of time, it probably isn't a 5 minute job.
I'll publish them here as soon as I have the last results in and then move it to the new section once Admin has set it up.
We need to start thinking about Chicken Tikka next for the July test.