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Topics - Bob-A-Job

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1
Talk About Anything Other Than Curry / Differences Matter...
« on: August 30, 2022, 05:20 AM »
I am not one with a deep palate, I cannot tell 4,000... 400.. or even 40 teas from each other.. I try some and like what I like, I go no further.
Similarly with Curry.. there are some I like, some I REALLY like (CurryHell!) and others that just don't even warrant a second try... it is my 'taste', so to speak.  We are all different!

I have resisted the recent Balti threads because I just don't have the experience of what they are trying to reproduce and more likely the palate to tell the difference (fantastic effort Livo to overcome the former and with your experimentation and ability of the later).

I have nothing valid left to contribute.
I wish everyone the very best in your continued search for... whatever it is you are looking for.

BAJ.

2
Lets Talk Curry / Inflation costs and effects longterm
« on: June 16, 2022, 01:49 AM »
Is the cost of Cooking Oil threatening BIR?

Is the cost of Cooking Oil a bad thing?

I had a much longer statement/questions prepared but I think that was my soapbox: here, stand on yours and express your concerns, expectations, desires please.

BAJ

3
Lets Talk Curry / Another take on the 5%
« on: May 10, 2022, 03:56 AM »
We have all read this topic (which I can't find a consistent thread for - move this comment to it if you know it) over the years and thrashed it to death with opinions and possible explanations and some people have claimed to have come close.. and so I throw my hat into that ring with an observation from earlier this evening that immediately reminded me of this subject!

I have enjoyed many days out over the years and when it came to early evening, the aromas coming from 'Takeaways' and restaurants firing up ready for the evening trade have always made my mouth water, even if I couldn't immediately distinguish one style from another.

Earlier this evening, I was making my favourite from curryhell, which is the only recipe I have come across that uses a particular ingredient... during the final cooking process I used the opportunity to take some rubbish(refuse) out to the bin(garbage) and being a particularly warm, pleasant and clear night, I spent a few minutes staring up at the stars.

And so returning to my opening point, as some have discovered, we suffer from sensor overload whilst over the pan and curries have 'tasted' better the day after and food prepared by someone else always tastes better...

So maybe the missing 5% is all of that, being cooked by someone else, no sensory overload and a particular ingredient we associate with our favourite restaurant (I am sure they all tried to be unique and used more/less of some ingredients, 2 I remember well, 1 used way too much salt, the other too much ginger, yet some people liked them enough that one is still going strong 40 years later).

Add in a smatter of fondness of memory and all the vagaries that brings and I wonder.. was there ever a 5% or just some smell we associated with our favourite restaurant/dish/end of the night out?

Slightly off topic but when I used to go abroad, I could never get a 'proper' cup of tea until I was back in England.  So if you never had BIR, trying to explain it and the taste of it, even if perfect might be impossible and not as palatable as your currently much improved takeaways or best home efforts to reproduce have rewarded you with.

Conclusion.  The missing 5% does not exist, it is subjective.

4
Traditional Indian Recipes / Jasmine's Tarka Dal
« on: May 21, 2021, 04:18 AM »
During CV-19 lockdown I made a few new friends, one of which is of Indian descent and living in Houston, Texas and gave me this simple recipe she uses.
(I have added commentary where I queried with her my cooking experience and she has offered solutions).
Pictures at the end are of my last cook when I wanted a drier consistency (almost but not as dry as 'stuffing balls' you might have with Roast Chicken) as it was for a mixed platter type meal with Tandoori chicken leg, Samosa, Bhaji, Keebabs, salad, raitia and mango chutney (no pictures of that, sorry, you will have to imagine).

Jasmine's Tarka Dal
( Medium spice, Vegetarian )


Serves 2

Ingredients:

- 250ml Toor Dal (Yellow Lentils) or Masoor Dal (Red Lentils)
- 500ml water

Tempering:

- 3 Tbsp sunflower oil (or ghee if you prefer a nuttier taste)
- 1.5 Tsp Mustard seeds
- 1.5 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1.5 Tsp Urad Dal
- 1.5 Tsp Chana Dal
- 1.5 Tsp Turmeric
- a good pinch of Asafetida (I am generous and use about 0.5 Tsp)

- 2-3 Medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 Tbsp minced Ginger
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 Green chilies
- 1 small Onion finely chopped
- salt to taste

Method:

- Lightly dry roast the Toor Dal for a minute OR rinse the Masoor Dal until the water is clear.
- Add water to the Dal and simmer until soft (about 20 minutes).
- When the Dal is almost cooked, heat the oil in a seperate pan.
- Add the ingredients for Tempering and cook until the Mustard seeds start popping.
- Add Garlic, Ginger and Chilies and soften the onions (I add a little water as needed just to stop them burning).
- Add Tomatoes and Salt (if using sweet salad tomatoes, I have sometimes added a little Tamarind paste, about 0.5 tsp or just a very little lemon juice) and cook for a couple of minutes until soft.
- Add cooked Dal, mix well and cook on low until desired consistency/heated through.
- Serve

Toor Dal is my favourite! My photo's are of Masoor Dal as I didn't have any Toor Dal left at the time of cooking.


5
Lets Talk Curry / Chickpeas
« on: June 13, 2020, 02:28 AM »
I am really not sure where this fits, curry or not curry, not BIR and yet as close to 'curry' as some can get right now.

So, my wife does not eat meat and on occasions, neither do I.  This week we both watched a news broadcast that highlighted that children, especially, are suffering in India, from both CV19 and the complete loss of income for workers, meaning their parents have NO way of providing food for their children.

This distressed us both.  I remember going to 'hunger meals' at school in the mid 70's, where I received a small bread role and some cheese but paid for a full school meal.. the difference going to charity, I can't remember which now but it was important at the time, even to me as a teenager.

Back to India and CV19, we were shown what some volunteers were cooking and providing as a daily meal for some few (40-60) children per day in an attempt to keep the children fed, 1 meal instead of 3 but at least something.  It reminded me of a 'simple' chickpea dish I make for my wife (yes, no attempt to get youtube views!).

I can add it to the Vegetable Curries section of the forums but it is not BIR, I never ordered this dish before I met my wife and I did only a few times in the decades before CV19 but she has liked it for years.

If you think it is relevant, reply, if not, I will keep it as a home recipe.

6
Lets Talk Curry / How to make Kebab-house seekh kebabs
« on: May 07, 2020, 12:46 AM »
I know there are various ways to 'tenderise' meat and I presummed it wasn't just the use of a mallet...

A quick search brought up this Sheknows and only this that mentions yogurt as far as I can see.

7
Talk About Anything Other Than Curry / Simple Message - Be well!
« on: April 12, 2020, 04:23 AM »
No 'chatter'.

Simple message in all it's connotations.

Be well!

8
I have enjoyed the past BBC productions "Back in Time for Dinner" and "Back in Time for School" and I have just finished watching the latest one, Back in Time for the Corner Shop

Something for a few of you at approx 45mins of Episode 4, 1970's and descriptive again at a similar point in Episode 5, 80's and 90's  :wink:

BAJ

9
Lets Talk Curry / Aroma over taste
« on: March 12, 2020, 03:38 AM »
Most Wednesday's, I cook many meals, some for the weekend and some for the Freezer.

It has become known by my neighbours and my monthly window cleaner as 'curry night' even though we (my son and I) don't actually eat them on that night, it is just when I have the time to make the majority of future meals.

It was tonight again noted that the house smelt like a 'curry house' when they knocked on the door and when asked, they had no idea whether it was Pakistani, bangladeshi or Indian.

I am either a bad cook or have less discerning neighbours.

10
Lets Talk Curry / Most memorable Curry revelation of 2019
« on: January 01, 2020, 09:46 PM »
I appreciate most people on here probably didn't find anything new that they didn't already know but for some of us, it might be interesting...?

I can't decide between the impact of adding Methi leaves to my favourite dishes or a dish that I had never heard of before but I think the winner is...

Eastern Tandoori Chicken Patala

I hope you all learnt something new and had a good 2019 and here's to another good one in 2020.

BAJ

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