2012 Cooking Club Week 2b: Indian Resturant curries

homemadecider

Hi Curry Addict

I enjoy the flavours of Indian food but the amount of oil always puts me off, I hate that film of grease on top of Indian dishes. Just wondering if I were to make your curry base with a big reduction in the amount of oil would it still work ok? What's the miminum amount of oil I could get away with do you think?

Thank you!

Curry Addict

homemadecider wrote: »

Hi Curry Addict

I enjoy the flavours of Indian food but the amount of oil always puts me off, I hate that film of grease on top of Indian dishes. Just wondering if I were to make your curry base with a big reduction in the amount of oil would it still work ok? What's the miminum amount of oil I could get away with do you think?

Thank you!

I agree, its shameful tbh. not just the amount of oil but the quality in general of 90% of the indians in my area has fallen badly in recent years.

i posted an updated curry base (p14 of this tread) with the oil reduced to the bare minimum 0.003%. When making the individual curries you can get away with 2 tbs of oil to start so oil content isn't an issue in these recipes and the flavour doesn't suffer! so i think you can make them in full confidence that they are very healthy. Note, the korma and the tikka masala are a bit indulgent thought but the rest are grand.....

Dubl07

homemadecider wrote: »

Hi Curry Addict

I enjoy the flavours of Indian food but the amount of oil always puts me off, I hate that film of grease on top of Indian dishes. Just wondering if I were to make your curry base with a big reduction in the amount of oil would it still work ok? What's the miminum amount of oil I could get away with do you think?

Thank you!

I agree that too much oil is off-putting but recent research is showing just how many nutrients need oil or fats to have optimum absorption in digestion. Our generation has been brainwashed with hype that fats are bad. The backlash is beginning. Spinach for example is much better for a body when prepared or dressed with butter oil like ghee rather than simply steamed.

jimfinoc

We are looking for dips that we have with poppadoms before our main course. My wife makes up a few different ones but it would be nice to try something different.

Overflow

In your original curry gravy recipe, how much curry gravy does this recipe make ? Or how many ladles ?

Thanks

Curry Addict

Overflow wrote: »

In your original curry gravy recipe, how much curry gravy does this recipe make ? Or how many ladles ?

Thanks

i'm guessing as its a year and a half since ive made it and i usually made a double portion. I think it should yield 3.5 liters of base.

the current version yields approx 6-6.5 liters.

Curry Addict

jimfinoc wrote: »

We are looking for dips that we have with poppadoms before our main course. My wife makes up a few different ones but it would be nice to try something different.

I don't have any on hand. its a long time since we made them! id suggest books from atul kochhar or vivek singh for good recipes.

irishproduce

I am looking forward to trying this at the weekend.
From time to time Aldi and Lidl do bags of onions for very reasonable prices so that would be a good time to start making bases and freezing.
I looked through the whole thread but didn't see a recipe for onion bhaji, has anyone chanced it at all?

Dizzyblonde

irishproduce wrote: »

I looked through the whole thread but didn't see a recipe for onion bhaji, has anyone chanced it at all?

There's a recipe in post #7 in this thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79205512

Edit: there's one here too http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=87254676

Curry Addict

irishproduce wrote: »

I am looking forward to trying this at the weekend.
From time to time Aldi and Lidl do bags of onions for very reasonable prices so that would be a good time to start making bases and freezing.
I looked through the whole thread but didn't see a recipe for onion bhaji, has anyone chanced it at all?

Hi Irishproduce, make sure you use the recipe in post #202 for the base as its updated and better than the original! It takes a few hours of cooking time so its something that you just tip along slowly, perfect for a lazy afternoon. good luck with it and let us know how u get on.

BaZmO*

Curry Addict wrote: »

Hi Irishproduce, make sure you use the recipe in post #202 for the base as its updated and better than the original! It takes a few hours of cooking time so its something that you just tip along slowly, perfect for a lazy afternoon. good luck with it and let us know how u get on.

Do you want me to edit your first post to include a link to post #202?

PigeonPie

Just read through this whole thread, curry addict you are amazing! I am soooo excited to try out your recipes. Thanks for taking the time to put up all those fab recipes

Curry Addict

BaZmO* wrote: »

Do you want me to edit your first post to include a link to post #202?

great idea BaZmo please do :pac:

BaZmO*

Curry Addict wrote: »

great idea BaZmo please do :pac:

Done!

irishproduce

Curry Addict wrote: »

Hi Irishproduce, make sure you use the recipe in post #202 for the base as its updated and better than the original! It takes a few hours of cooking time so its something that you just tip along slowly, perfect for a lazy afternoon. good luck with it and let us know how u get on.

I printed it today at work. Another poster provided a word doc with your recipes and as i kept reading i came across the healthier version so stuck it onto the back of the print out

irishproduce

Curry addict, maybe a silly question.
Can i just halve the recipe for the curry base?
7 litres of base seems like a huge amount for just my wife and I.
If I halve every part of the recipe, I don't halve the cooking time do I?

Curry Addict

irishproduce wrote: »

Curry addict, maybe a silly question.
Can i just halve the recipe for the curry base?
7 litres of base seems like a huge amount for just my wife and I.
If I halve every part of the recipe, I don't halve the cooking time do I?

after you make your first 2 curries you will have enough for about 10 curries each left which is a good yield for the time spent. I would recommend not halving it but if you do, the base will work fine with half the ingredients. The cooking time remains the same though.
For freezing I use freezer bags and put 6 ladles of base in each, for 2 portions at a time.

irishproduce

Ok, thanks.
I am starting tonight. Hoping to have the whole lot done between hours of 7 - 11 this evening.

Here is my shopping list which covers just about everything in your guide. Hopefully I can find everything now. My wife is going to kill me if she sees the receipt but hopefully she will be impressed with the food. She isn't as mad into indian food as me but she has a serious penchant for Sagwala which I will have a go off eventually.

Ginger
Garlic
Ground coriander
Ground cumin
Ground turmeric
Garam masala
Curry powder
Fresh coriander
Bay leaves
Cinnamon sticks
Star anise
Cumin seeds
Cloves
Fenugreek leaves
Chilli powder
Green chillis
Creamed coconut
Ground almonds
deggi mirch/ Kashmiri chilli
Mace/ Javitri/ جاوتری/ जावित्री
Cardamom
Cardamom powder

Carrot
Onions
Cream
Vegetable oil
Green pepper
Plum tomatoes
Natural yogurt

Curry Addict

if there is an asian shop in your area, thats the place to go, you will get best value there. You will have a lot left over so make sure you keep all your spices fresh as you will need them for next time!

BaZmO*

Curry Addict wrote: »

if there is an asian shop in your area, thats the place to go, you will get best value there. You will have a lot left over so make sure you keep all your spices fresh as you will need them for next time!

Yeah, don't buy all that stuff in the likes of Tesco, it'll cost a fortune.

irishproduce

When you say Asian, are you referring to a Chinese type shop or halal Arabic type place?
I am in Limerick and we have two halal Bangladeshi owned places, one Afghanistan owned place and we also have a Chinese supermarket. I could go into them all and tick off as I go I suppose but for speed, it would handy to know what is going to be in each place.

Curry Addict

irishproduce wrote: »

When you say Asian, are you referring to a Chinese type shop or halal Arabic type place?
I am in Limerick and we have two halal Bangladeshi owned places, one Afghanistan owned place and we also have a Chinese supermarket. I could go into them all and tick off as I go I suppose but for speed, it would handy to know what is going to be in each place.

the Bangladeshi shops should have all of it!

eisenberg1

Curry Addict wrote: »

the Bangladeshi shops should have all of it!

Hi, in your opinion, what is the best way to store dry spices?
Airtight container in fridge?

Curry Addict

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Hi, in your opinion, what is the best way to store dry spices?
Airtight container in fridge?

I posted a pic of my setup in this tread somewhere Airtight kilner jars is a good option but you would need a big fridge!

iwantmydinner

irishproduce wrote: »

Ok, thanks.
I am starting tonight. Hoping to have the whole lot done between hours of 7 - 11 this evening.

Here is my shopping list which covers just about everything in your guide. Hopefully I can find everything now. My wife is going to kill me if she sees the receipt but hopefully she will be impressed with the food. She isn't as mad into indian food as me but she has a serious penchant for Sagwala which I will have a go off eventually.

Ginger
Garlic
Ground coriander
Ground cumin
Ground turmeric
Garam masala
Curry powder
Fresh coriander
Bay leaves
Cinnamon sticks
Star anise
Cumin seeds
Cloves
Fenugreek leaves
Chilli powder
Green chillis
Creamed coconut
Ground almonds
deggi mirch/ Kashmiri chilli
Mace/ Javitri/ جاوتری/ जावित्री
Cardamom
Cardamom powder

Carrot
Onions
Cream
Vegetable oil
Green pepper
Plum tomatoes
Natural yogurt

Amazing post - I think I''ll take the plunge and get these while I'm in Dublin for the weekend! Will be visiting my recently-returned-from-SE Asia-friend and her Persian fiancé so they can help me in the Asian shops

Can't wait to finally try your recipes, CA!

eisenberg1

Curry Addict wrote: »

I posted a pic of my setup in this tread somewhere Airtight kilner jars is a good option but you would need a big fridge!

Ok, cheers. .....................great job by the way.

Loire

Hi CurryAddict,

firstly, an amazing series of posts - thank you

Regarding the improved method for making the paste you mention

"The onions are then slow cooked on minimum heat for 2.5 hours"

Is this something that could be done in a slow cooker?

Thanks,
Loire.

Curry Addict

Loire wrote: »

Hi CurryAddict,

firstly, an amazing series of posts - thank you

Regarding the improved method for making the paste you mention

"The onions are then slow cooked on minimum heat for 2.5 hours"

Is this something that could be done in a slow cooker?

Thanks,
Loire.

Hi Loire, thanks for your kind comments. I have never used a slow cooker but i would imagine a slow cooker would be perfect for this as the slow reduced heat is whats required to draw the particular flavour from the onions. If you try it, you should start to smell an unmistakeable acidic type smell after a couple of hours.

Loire

Curry Addict wrote: »

Hi Loire, thanks for your kind comments. I have never used a slow cooker but i would imagine a slow cooker would be perfect for this as the slow reduced heat is whats required to draw the particular flavour from the onions. If you try it, you should start to smell an unmistakeable acidic type smell after a couple of hours.

Thankyou kindly!
Loire.

irishproduce

Wow. That was some dinner tonight! Rogan josh and a korma! Lovely stuff