Topic: Akhini - anyone using it (spice tasting trials)

[JerryM]

Is anyone using akhini.

I use parker21 mouchak recipe and make 2 litres as the start point when making base.

I put 5g of cinnamon in a copy cat of harilor curry and was taken aback by how strong it tasted. I use just same amount in akhini for base and don't see the same strenght.

In short2 questions:
1) will the strength increase if the whole spice spends longer at a simmer. I currently gently simmer the akhini for 20 mins. The harilor curry whole spice probably cooked for 3 hrs. I guess im thinking tea bags

2) does anyone use a different mix to mouchak akhini

[Naga]

I last used an akhni stock when the Zaal/Az base was my standard. I use JBs base exclusively now.

If it was  5g of powdered cinnamon then that would be a whole lot of cinnamon for one dish, but using 5g of cassia bark? I wouldn't consider that such a small amount was particularly excessive.

[JerryM]

Naga,

It was 5 g of bark ie cassia/Cinnamom. 

There are the 2 things on my mind. 

The parker21 akhini is something I'd never thought to investigate - not broke so to speak. To get to best though maybe a tweak might exist. Hence I plan to play around with the akhini spices next (sorted on mix spices thanks to Haldi)

The 2nd things goes back to me using spice ball in base - gut feeling always says to me this produced best taste. I now use the tgad roast chef masala in place. The harilor curry experience with the bark I could not explain - hence the question. The uncertainty being - did I get more flavour from longer cooking or did I stew the flavour.

Will have search for the zaal akhini - seem to remember a plate of whole spice but other than that was not aware of  zaal akhini recipe. Many thanks for pointer.

[Naga]

Jerry, the Zaal videos are here and the written instructions are here.

Here's how I wrote it down at the time - hope it's helpful:

Zaal Restaurant Curry Base

Makes: around 16 x 350ml portions

Ingredients

For the base vegetable stock

4kg onions, chopped (to fill pot

[mickdabass]

Hi Jerry
I spent quite a lot of time using a balti base from rcr. The Akhini stock was as follows:

1 litre water
3 star anise
10 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
8 bay leaves
4 x 1" pieces of cassia bark
& 2 knorr veg stock cubes.

The longer you boil it, the darker the Akhini stock - like you say the teabag theory!

Regards

Mick

[ELW]

Hi Jerry ,

Two I've tried from CBM

Formed part of his Little India base I think:

4 Asian Bay Leaves
1x 2.5 inch Cassia Bark
2 Green Cardamon
0.5 Black Cardamon
Pinch of Fennel Seeds
Pinch of Cumin Seeds
300 ml of Water

CBM From a Place called Curry Mahal in Sidcup:

4 x bay leaves
2 x 1 inch pieces of cassia bark
5 x cardamon pods
4 x cloves
3/4 pint of water


Kushi:

3 cloves
6 x 1 inch pieces of cassia bark
3 - 4 pieces of mace
3 - 4 green cardamom pods
2 star anise
3 bay leaves, dried

Muslin net boiled with onions

Think about 30 minute simmer is good enough . All good, but personally I'd only add about 1/2 ltr to 3 kg onion

ELW

[chewytikka]

[Madrasandy]

Lol ;D

[JerryM]

Guys many thanks - fantastic help really appreciated. I have plenty to go on now. Will report back.

I consider this post now sorted.

Ps for info I currently see the spice tasting in 4 parts:

1) mix spices - sorted
2) akhini - next up
3) chef masala - have done lot work on this in the past
4) base spicing

Thinking then to put all 4 together. Still a long time/way to go and letting the tasting take me where gut feeling says. 

trouble is I do expect/hope  unknowns will crop up where I will struggle to know which is the BIR path. For example is chef masala/gm needed in mix pwdr. So far ive changed my opinion and now think not. Only at the end of the tasting when I convert the "test tube" learning back into BIR will I know for sure.

Having real good fun and as we know that's all that counts. I'm cooking my existing BIR just the same and not changing a thing until the time comes. At moment it feels like best of both worlds - try to strive for best BIR whilst sticking to what I already do and know

[Ghoulie]

sometimes in my 'chemical' sphere, certain combinations produce a synergistic measurable effect i.e 2+2 = 5, not 4 as expected.

It would not surprise me to learn / find that certain spice combinations enhance one another in an unexpected taste way.