Topic: Visit to owwner and chef of Glasgow Bir

[Panpot]

I have (weather permitting) a meeting on the 18th of January with the owner and chef of one of Glasgow's top Birs. He has agreed to have the chef help me by answering a few questions I may have. He has asked me to email him ahead of the meeting what the questions are. I am more than willing to pick up on any you guys would like me to raise so feel free to contribute. My meeting is about a separate matter but within reason he is prepared to help. Bye the way I have stayed away from the site over the festive season so happy new year to you all, it's amazing how many new posts have appeared in that period, its great to share with so many enthusiasts. PP

[two-sheds]

Hi panpot

can you ask him for any tips to get really aromatic pileau rice. I get a fair result but no where near my favourite bir.

many thanks

[Panpot]

Cheers Two- Sheds I have it on my list too although I use one of the recipes here and it is superb I printed it off about four years ago and dint know who posted it but it begins "I was talking to a chef about cooking restaurant rice " some of the guys might know the actual post but it does it for me until I ask the Chef. PP

[Unclebuck]

Hi PP and happy new year to you and your family..

Can you ask him for his Naan bread recipe

Thanks UB

[Curry on up the Kyber]

Pure dead brilliant PP!

Nan bread and some chutneys would be excellent, thank you very much.

Any speciality dish would be good too.

In fact, anything would be greatly appreciated. ;D

[Secret Santa]

Panpot, if they do thali (lots of small curries, rice, tikka etc.), can you ask them how they manage to make so many tiny amounts of different curries all at the same time please?

[Stephen Lindsay]

Panpot

Looking forward to hearing how you get on, Naan bread and Chicken Chasni for me please!

[joshallen2k]

Hi Panpot, you're a star for getting these "ins" with BIRs!

The list already provided is surely a handful, but if I had to ask for specific recipes, I personally would ask for:

- Naan dough mix
- Tikka Masala
- Curry Base
- Madras (and differences to Vindaloo)

Good luck with it.

-- Josh

[chriswg]

Hi Panpot

Happy New Year to you too.

If you get a chance to really get a detailed breakdown of his bhaji cooking method it would be much appreciated. Mainly I'd be interested to know:

a) Do they marinate the onion in the spices before adding the gram flour
b) Approximately what temperature do they cook the bhajis at
c) Do they always twice cook them - once in the morning, once when ordered
d) Do they add potato to them
e) How thin are the onions sliced (wafer thin so they are almost see through, or a good few mm)

I hope the meeting goes well. Have fun!

Thanks.

[JerryM]

Panpot,

your a very lucky chappy.

i've not yet done justice to your recent Ashoka info.

i've got a bit side tracked - i feel as if i've hit a brickwall. in the past i could think of things (i call gaps) and see what was needed to move fwd. i've ended up revisiting the malik video in a lot of detail. that much that i'm now bogged down with it. i'll post once i've got somewhere.

what does seem to jump out from it though are:
1) they dollop spice in (when used ~50% of dishes). ashoka uses east end garam (curry powder to me). my TA use mix powder and i think other spices all in very small amounts. the question - an overview of spicing used at his BIR and perhaps thoughts on the other methods.

2) they use a lot more ingredients than i do. most are easy to identify and known to us. some are impossible to work out. the question - are there any ingredients not know to us. i'm thinking mainly pastes. i was taken aback by my local TA not only using chilli sauce but making it themselves.

just your report on the day will be good enough for me though.