Topic: Are we there yet.

[emin-j]

Hi All ,

Looking back through previous posts even back to 2005 it's easy to see that the same Questions , Recipes , and Idea's are still being tried or asked and we are almost in 2010  I am a relative newcomer to the Curry Scene and really enjoy the forum but to me it seems we are getting nowhere and just chasing our tails  Has the elusive BIR ' taste ' been achieved ? Can anyone honestly say their Curries are as good if not better than their T/A ? I have concentrated for the past Year only on Madras and very recently Chicken Korma ( thanks to George for Korma recipe  ) and on many occasions my Madras Curries have bettered my local T/A but not quite matched our favourite T/A , can anyone list any Positive points that they have learned in their quest for BIR perfection ?
such as -

1. Do you need to Flambe a Curry to achieve ' the taste ' I think not and that is from  experience in my favourite T/A kitchen  watching my Madras being made also backed up by Spice as Nice 's recent kitchen experience plus much time spent by me watching Malik 's and East Indian T/A 's webcam.

I think we need to start putting down some ' definite's ' rather than clutching at straws and after 5 - 6 years surely we have The answers 

[Cory Ander]

Looking back through previous posts even back to 2005 it's easy to see that the same Questions , Recipes , and Idea's are still being tried or asked and we are almost in 2010 

That's very true EminJ.  I think it is largely to do with the continual arrival of new members to the forum and/or the BIR curry cooking scene.  Hence the many repeated questions and "retreading of old ground"

I am a relative newcomer to the Curry Scene and really enjoy the forum

Q.E.D. EminJ!  You will find that the topic of THIS thread is, in fact, an often repeated topic too! 

but to me it seems we are getting nowhere and just chasing our tails 

I'm not sure that's strictly true eminj.  There are a lot of repetitions, and circular debates, for sure.  However, I'm sure many members (particularly "novices") have learnt heaps from this forum and that their BIR curry making abilities have improved, no end, as a consequence. 

I suppose more "experienced" members reach a limit with what they can achieve and, therefore, experience some "frustrations" with "ongoing progress" or apparent lack of.

I do agree that, without a breakthrough of some sort (which, for me, would be the contributions to the forum of a proficient BIR chef, or two.....or, better still, working side-by-side with a proficient BIR chef, or two) many of us may have reached our own personal limit.

Has the elusive BIR ' taste ' been achieved ?

I can honestly say that I can produce the taste and smell of a BIR curry...I'm sniffing it on my shirt now, in  fact!   

Can anyone honestly say their Curries are as good if not better than their T/A ?

I can honestly say that, in my opinion, my curries (and a range of them) are up there with many BIRs...but, to my mind, are not up there with the best (this is where my personal limit is at, right now...I want them to be up there with the best)

Can anyone list positive points that they have learned in their quest for BIR perfection ?

I think answers to this question would be very interesting.  I'm sure, for most members, they would be numerous.

I think we need to start putting down some ' definite's ' rather than clutching at straws and after 5 - 6 years surely we have The answers 

That's a laudable aim emin but, as you've probably recognised, members of this forum (and I suspect any cooking forum) cannot agree on hardly anything! 

I suspect there ARE no definites, only opinions!  For instance, I believe the "myths" document is a myth in itself!    You will ALWAYS find someone who disagrees!  That's in the nature of cooking, perhaps?    :

It seems to me that we each have our own experiences and opinions and use those as the basis for cooking our curries.  I guess it is the refinement of these opinions, techniques, etc, through discussions on this (and other) forum (s), that constitutes the learning that members gain from this (and other) forum (s)?

So "Are we there yet?".......I suspect many members have barely begun, some are well on their way, some have arrived at their own personal destination (which, I might add, are many and varied) and some will continue to strive to arrive at their own personal destination...

Would be very interesting to see others' views......

[joshallen2k]

I'd pretty much agree with CA's response.

I too would say my curries are as good as many I've had from BIRs, but not as good as the best.

But that's where it get's subjective. For example, Secret Santa is adamant on recreating a 1980's curry (which I for one have never had). Others are of the opinion that the no-base, "nouveau" Indian cuisine is what they are seeking to recreate, and prefer that particular taste.

We can't even agree on what goes into a base!

I also agree that the next breakthrough will be from a BIR chef or two as a regular, open contributor to CR0. A number of members seem to be having success with building relationships and having them share. Maybe its time to take the ask to the next level. (Spice-as-nice?) I've even suggesting that a PAID engagement might be an option.

I found a website for the Bangladeshi Restauranteurs Guild: http://www.gbruk.org.uk/

Malik's videos etc give us some gleaning of info, but not a single member in a 50 mile radius has been able to ascertain whether their curries are good or crap!

-- Josh

[Mikka1]

If I may? :

Just because a recipe is posted it doesn't mean that particular recipe will be liked by everyone. Are we there yet? I'm not, I want absolute perfection, absolute, nothing less.

I trust most people think they could walk into a job at a restaurant judging from replies? I couldn't. But I will perfect 7 dishes this year to my tastes.

[Cory Ander]

I trust most people think they could walk into a job at a restaurant judging from replies?

That seems to me to be a bit of a strange comment/interpretation Mikka?  I don't think Josh is suggesting that and neither am I! 

What I was trying to suggest is that, for me personally, I feel that I need to work AND LEARN from BIR chefs to further develop my BIR cooking skills.  After all, there is only so much one can acquire from reading about how to do practical things (whether they be sports, carpentry, curry cooking, etc, etc......)

[Mikka1]

On the contrary I think Josh pointed out some good things and I agree with them too. I think I did ask some time what dishes were said to be as good as or as good as can get so newcomers could be forwarded to them straight away, even me too. (I know this is a gray area).

So could we? I have a preference for bases from what I can tell at the moment, so only a quick look through will tell me these days if I should try  it but its not so easy for new people. I'm just trying to cook damned good Indian food regardless of heritage frankly so my thought process on it changes which makes it a little more difficult, I don't have a BIR for instance...

Hmmm Having thought about that I'm wasting my time here then  ;D
No worries but as above I think it would help new people.

That seems to me to be a bit of a strange comment/interpretation Mikka?  I don't think Josh is suggesting that and neither am I! 
What I was trying to suggest is that, for me personally, I feel that I need to work AND LEARN from BIR chefs to further develop my BIR cooking skills.

[emin-j]

Thank's for your replies Guys all very interesting 

[Mikka1]

I just want to add that I've tried a lot of recipes and probably 80% of them are in fact really good.  From here in particular there have been a few but two of note.

I liked CA's Vindaloo and Bruces base, Which I prefer at the moment because it allows for movement in spices. There are others too which I cannot recall at the moment? I like my own food tremendously and I think I pull it off so far as I can tell but there is still something not right with the final product.

It's not that I am not cooking it properly. A minute here or there doesn't matter so long as you don't burn anything or overcook your meat produce, it's something I am not adding now. That's all there is to it. Something simple, something that I know but I cannot nail it. For my final personal Vindaloo to be correct I have to find what it is that I'm not adding?

I cooked what I thought was a stormer last week. Heck it was good!  ;D
But placed next to theirs... Well you get where I am coming from on it? The wrong vinegar? Perhaps.... Hot Mango Chutney defo delivers a punch. I'm looking for something small now but very big by comparison. Next week could see me cracking it having thought a little about it.

Anyway long and short. YES there are some DAMNED FINE curries on here that should be recommended to people, and personal choice will always be prickly.

[JerryM]

Malik's videos etc give us some gleaning of info, but not a single member in a 50 mile radius has been able to ascertain whether their curries are good or crap!

i really don't like stoke (that's the fc - football club). i will make an effort though to get the car to malik's without the family suspecting. it'll be over the hols when i annually visit my beloved homelands.

as for the post is it the royal we or the individual we that's being sort. there's a big difference for me.

[emin-j]

Hi JerryM ,
My post came about by following links in a couple of threads and then realizing the links were going back to 2005 ! And the info then was still current info now  It just got me thinking in the last five years have any real steps been made towards ' the taste ' , but as CA rightly pointed out , many individuals Curries have improved greatly in that time .