Topic: Tomato puree - or ketchup???

[Dylan]

I often use a mix of 1 part ketchup/2 parts puree thinned down with a little water. I find this works well.

[bryan@232]

   The one time I've eaten in a BIR in Scotland, everything tasted of tomato ketchup. Even the onion salad came covered in the stuff.

[blade1212]

The onion salad was probably spiced onions. Often used to accompany popadoms up here.

Recipe as follows

1 large onion sliced
4 tbl ketchup
1 tbl mint sauce
1 tsp salt
1tsp chilli powder

mix in a bowl, leave standing in the fridge for 1 hour........ magnificent !!

[pete]

I have never seen tomato ketchup in any of the kitchens, I have been in.
I've seen the mint.
I know they use  mint sauce for the raita yoghurt mix.
It also is part of the tandoori marinade.
I have tried cooking with kethcup and it's never taken the meal to another level.
Restaurants serve chips
Maybe it's just to go with that?

[Curry King]

Ive tried ketchup once before but it just tasted like my normal curry but with ketchup in it, I could taste thats what it was and im fairly certain ive never had a takeaway curry with ketchup in.

[pete]

I used Asda standard tomato puree from a tube last night
The results were so ordinairy
I think getting the right puree is very important
My best results have been using canned tomato puree from Asian shops

[steve e]

Hi All.
Went to my local takeaway last week for a chicken tikka masala,as I am satisfied with the KD
base I turned my attention to the matter of the red paste which is cooked following the
garlic/ginger stage i get on well with the young waiter and asked him what was in the red
mixture in the ice cream sized tub, he said " I dont know all of it, but there is definetely
water, sugar,and many other things added to it." So logically looking at this, I summise the following.If this paste was pre cooked in large quantities with its appropriate spice combination it is simply a matter of garlic/ginger,red paste mix, base sauce to consistency and garnish finished dish,also i read recently that if tomato is cooked slowly (caramelised) it retains its water content and reduces acidity, which i have always found to be an undesirable back taste. I have also seen large tins of tomato paste at my local asian food store made by EUROFOODS check out there website for details.will persue the red paste mystery. steve e

[ifindforu]

A few people have mentioned tomato ketchup being used in curries, this is probably the case if the stuff they use is not as thick as puree you get from a tube.? Last time i went to the indian wholesalers i noticed, next to the large tubs of pataks pastes were? large plastic containers of heins tom ketchup, right next to an equal sized colemans mint sauce.? we dont get bottles of ketchup on the table in birs, so it got to be goin somewhere.

you are correct but the only thing ive seen them put tomato ketchup in is onion chutney.And that is the cooks optional

[blade1212]

A BIR owner told me his chef uses ketchup in the final dish.

[ifindforu]

Hi All.
Went to my local takeaway last week for a chicken tikka masala,as I am satisfied with the KD
base I turned my attention to the matter of the red paste which is cooked following the
garlic/ginger stage i get on well with the young waiter and asked him what was in the red
mixture in the ice cream sized tub, he said " I dont know all of it, but there is definetely
water, sugar,and many other things added to it." So logically looking at this, I summise the following.If this paste was pre cooked in large quantities with its appropriate spice combination it is simply a matter of garlic/ginger,red paste mix, base sauce to consistency and garnish finished dish,also i read recently that if tomato is cooked slowly (caramelised) it retains its water content and reduces acidity, which i have always found to be an undesirable back taste. I have also seen large tins of tomato paste at my local asian food store made by EUROFOODS check out there website for details.will persue the red paste mystery. steve e

hi I bileve the mixture you seen them put in to the tikka masala is the marinade from making chicken tikka