Topic: Village Fair - Cooking for 100

[markh3565]

I've been tasked with cooking a curry sufficient to feed up to 100 people, has anyone experience of scaling the BIR cooking process we are all familiar with i.e. oil - garlic/ginger - tomato paste (50/50) - mix powder then adding gravy etc in a small pan etc.

I appreciate its generally accepted the process doesn't scale that well, so I was thinking of almost inversing the cooking process due to the volume of liquid involved.

So similar to bhagar or gravy enhancement methods frying off large quantities of g/g paste - tom puree/passata - mix powder etc then quenching with gravy and adding back into the stock pot until the right amount of spice has been added then simmering overnight!

Anymore than that I'll post some pictures of my escapades!!!

[Peripatetic Phil]

OMG -- I do not envy you one iota !
** Phil.

[Kashmiri Bob]

The forum member 976bar worked at a University kitchen somewhere (I think) producing fine looking curries en masse.  Pretty sure he'd be able to offer some advice, but he's not posted for a while now.

Rob 

[vindapoo]

I frequently cook for 20 or so people for family get togethers, what I do is use a aluminium frying pan double the size of a normal one and then cook a double batch in it. So in effect 1 cook is 5/6 meals. I do this 4-5 times (takes 30 mins) and its enough to fill a steel (catering) bucket which I then keep warm on a couple tea lights indoors. You may need more heat outdoors, a gas bbq or similar. Same deal for the rice albeit its a doddle using the pressure cooker.

[markh3565]

The forum member 976bar worked at a University kitchen somewhere (I think) producing fine looking curries en masse.  Pretty sure he'd be able to offer some advice, but he's not posted for a while now.

Rob 

Thanks Rob - yeah I remember the thread now - not been around for a while so my visits have been few and far between so hopefully he will post some wise words of wisdom 

[markh3565]

I frequently cook for 20 or so people for family get togethers, what I do is use a aluminium frying pan double the size of a normal one and then cook a double batch in it. So in effect 1 cook is 5/6 meals. I do this 4-5 times (takes 30 mins) and its enough to fill a steel (catering) bucket which I then keep warm on a couple tea lights indoors. You may need more heat outdoors, a gas bbq or similar. Same deal for the rice albeit its a doddle using the pressure cooker.

Pressure cooker - hhhmm now thats a good idea

Going to use 2 x 15 lt stainless pots on 2 large propane tar burners - so heat will not be a problem!!!

[markh3565]

OMG -- I do not envy you one iota !
** Phil.

Come to think of it Phil nor do I - I must be mad  :-X

[diverdil]

to cater for so many will be near impossible. what curry caters for all?

maybe a couple of different curries? korma, madras and maybe a generic curry

good luck and would love to know what you cook

[markh3565]

to cater for so many will be near impossible. what curry caters for all?
....

Just doing 1 generic chicken curry

I like a challenge!!!

[natterjak]

I'm sure it'll be fine Mark, good luck. How do we get an invite by the way, maybe we could up the demand to 150 portions just to put some more heat on you?!