Any curry lovers/chefs in the house???
25 July 2013, 01:32 PM
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Any curry lovers/chefs in the house???
Afternoon ladies, I'm after a new wet and dry blender for my spices etc and was wondering if anyone can recommend me a good 'un? Got a blender at the minute, but its absolutely useless, I get get better results with my pestle and mortar. Heard quite a few people use coffee grinders, this maybe a better option
Don't want to spend silly money, seen a few for over £300 which is just a no no for me...
Don't want to spend silly money, seen a few for over £300 which is just a no no for me...
25 July 2013, 01:57 PM
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yeah, I watched the series and just ordered the book today. Loved watching it to be honest, every "curry" that was shown looked great, even the korma.. Cheers for the link Urban, is that what you use?? Also, how did you find the book? I've got loads of Indian cook books at home, but most are a proper handful to get to grips with..
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25 July 2013, 02:19 PM
#8
yeah, I watched the series and just ordered the book today. Loved watching it to be honest, every "curry" that was shown looked great, even the korma.. Cheers for the link Urban, is that what you use?? Also, how did you find the book? I've got loads of Indian cook books at home, but most are a proper handful to get to grips with..
The book is very simple for most things, in fairness the veggy stuff doesn't interest me.
Some of the recipes are pretty complicated and I'll avoid those, but they are for dished that I wouldn't fancy anyway - like biryani.
Some of the things are so easy incredibly easy though, however some ingredients are a bit hard to get hold of.
25 July 2013, 02:28 PM
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Yeah, I know what you mean, these things just speed up the prep time though. I also end up with seeds everywhere apart from the bloody bowl..
25 July 2013, 02:34 PM
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Yeah, thats what I bought.
The book is very simple for most things, in fairness the veggy stuff doesn't interest me.
Some of the recipes are pretty complicated and I'll avoid those, but they are for dished that I wouldn't fancy anyway - like biryani.
Some of the things are so easy incredibly easy though, however some ingredients are a bit hard to get hold of.
The book is very simple for most things, in fairness the veggy stuff doesn't interest me.
Some of the recipes are pretty complicated and I'll avoid those, but they are for dished that I wouldn't fancy anyway - like biryani.
Some of the things are so easy incredibly easy though, however some ingredients are a bit hard to get hold of.
Why would you not fancy a biriyani?
25 July 2013, 02:34 PM
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Yeah, thats what I bought.
The book is very simple for most things, in fairness the veggy stuff doesn't interest me.
Some of the recipes are pretty complicated and I'll avoid those, but they are for dished that I wouldn't fancy anyway - like biryani.
Some of the things are so easy incredibly easy though, however some ingredients are a bit hard to get hold of.
The book is very simple for most things, in fairness the veggy stuff doesn't interest me.
Some of the recipes are pretty complicated and I'll avoid those, but they are for dished that I wouldn't fancy anyway - like biryani.
Some of the things are so easy incredibly easy though, however some ingredients are a bit hard to get hold of.
25 July 2013, 02:57 PM
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25 July 2013, 03:24 PM
#15
lol at the professional spice boys
I just get the packs from the local indian supermarket, I mostly use a hot madras curry powder, garam masala, mixed herbs, tarragon, with fresh chillies and corriander, if I want something a bit different I use some genuine tai green, red or yellow curry paste and coconut cream on the block and grate it in, and generally have maybe 30 different spices to hand, never used a book, my dad taught me how to make the jamaican stuff and the indian type curries I knock up are all my own creations.
where's the fun in reading a book to cook from, get experimenting all the best food is made that way.
Always done it this way and all my mates think my curries are top draw, but then again they also like greasy kebabs, so not much of a recommendation.
One thing I do think is important though is to make your own chapatis, and learn how to cook rice properly,
seen some proper ropey rice knocked up by people that spent hours on the curry, and serve it up with some dodgy nann bread out of a pack.
I just get the packs from the local indian supermarket, I mostly use a hot madras curry powder, garam masala, mixed herbs, tarragon, with fresh chillies and corriander, if I want something a bit different I use some genuine tai green, red or yellow curry paste and coconut cream on the block and grate it in, and generally have maybe 30 different spices to hand, never used a book, my dad taught me how to make the jamaican stuff and the indian type curries I knock up are all my own creations.
where's the fun in reading a book to cook from, get experimenting all the best food is made that way.Always done it this way and all my mates think my curries are top draw, but then again they also like greasy kebabs, so not much of a recommendation.
One thing I do think is important though is to make your own chapatis, and learn how to cook rice properly,
seen some proper ropey rice knocked up by people that spent hours on the curry, and serve it up with some dodgy nann bread out of a pack.
Last edited by ditchmyster; 25 July 2013 at 03:28 PM.
25 July 2013, 04:05 PM
#16
Well the biriyani in the book is too dry for me for a start, I like sauce.
Grinder only for dry ingredients, usually what happens is garlic/ginger/wet ingredients are blended together with the ground stuff.
I've only been dabbling with this cooking lark, its probably a novelty right now.
Yes, some ingredients are a pain to find. Although I live just on the outskirts of Manchester, and have an abundance of Indian grocery places which are fantastic. Just one more question regarding garlic and ginger paste: Can you make that in the coffee grinder too? Also, do you make a batch and store the rest, or just make it as and when you need it? Not too sure how long it would last in the fridge
I've only been dabbling with this cooking lark, its probably a novelty right now.
25 July 2013, 05:10 PM
#18
Chapatis are soooooo easy, look into it no baking involved, just mix the flower with water, kneed into dough, roll them out and plonk onto chapati pan (or even a frying pan will do) heat for a few min's flip it like a pancake and then take it out put it over a flame and watch it rise, flip again for a few seconds on the other side and jobs a good un, fresh warm chapati.
It's easier than making pancakes or yorkshire puddings.
and as if by magic;
It's easier than making pancakes or yorkshire puddings.
and as if by magic;
Last edited by ditchmyster; 25 July 2013 at 05:13 PM.
25 July 2013, 05:14 PM
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Chapatis are soooooo easy, look into it no baking involved, just mix the flower with water, kneed into dough, roll them out and plonk onto chapati pan (or even a frying pan will do) heat for a few min's flip it like a pancake and then take it out put it over a flame and watch it rise, flip again for a few seconds on the other side and jobs a good un, fresh warm chapati.
It's easier than making pancakes or yorkshire puddings.
It's easier than making pancakes or yorkshire puddings.
It's not flower you use, you use wheat flour!LOL
25 July 2013, 05:18 PM
#20
FYI, it says either Atta or chapati flour or both on the bag, I just buy 10kg at a time and that lasts about 3 months and costs less than a fiver, between that and a 10kg bag of rice at circa £15/18 I can eat curry 4/5 times a week for 6 months.
Last edited by ditchmyster; 25 July 2013 at 05:21 PM.
25 July 2013, 05:21 PM
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TBH, he could knock one out (I mean, chapatti) with just the plain flour from Tesco. If he doesn't have a proper chapatti rolling pin, he can use a pasta roller or even an empty beer bottle for a roller to knock one together.
25 July 2013, 07:06 PM
#22
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I now use a rice cooker, decent rice every time
Pataks do some nice curry pastes if you don't want to make your own.
25 July 2013, 07:15 PM
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25 July 2013, 07:35 PM
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Lol, your right of course, but I thought he'd have the sense to check what flour to use.
FYI, it says either Atta or chapati flour or both on the bag, I just buy 10kg at a time and that lasts about 3 months and costs less than a fiver, between that and a 10kg bag of rice at circa £15/18 I can eat curry 4/5 times a week for 6 months.
FYI, it says either Atta or chapati flour or both on the bag, I just buy 10kg at a time and that lasts about 3 months and costs less than a fiver, between that and a 10kg bag of rice at circa £15/18 I can eat curry 4/5 times a week for 6 months.
Have to have bit of oxtail sometimes, Jamaican style.
25 July 2013, 08:30 PM
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I bought the Hairy Bikers Curry book, and it's fab! Would definitely recommend it.
25 July 2013, 08:33 PM
#26
25 July 2013, 09:06 PM
#28
For those that struggle this is the easiest way to cook any quantity of any kind of rice.
1 cup of rice per person is a tad too much unless your a rice monster, 1 and a half is enough for 2 people, but if cooking for 1 you'll need to put 1 cup to cover the bottom of the sauce pan.
Put what ever quantity you want in but obviously use a big enough pan so as not to let the rice overflow.
Then rinse it in cold water to wash away the dusty starchy looking stuff, takes about 3/4 goes swirl it with your hand and mix it up a bit till the water come clearer.
If it's 1 cup or 20 cups of rice makes no difference at all, fill the pot with fresh cold water until it's about 1 inch above the rice.
Add salt to taste half a level teaspoon is way too much for me but some salt lovers will be fine with that, obviously add a little bit more if your cooking enough for more than 4 people.
Put on medium / high heat until it boils an froths up and is about to over flow.
Remove it from the heat and then turn it down to the lowest possible flame you can make your cooker go to, until it almost wants to go out.
Put the pot on that and wait 20 mins.
DO NOT TAKE THE LID OFF FOR A LOOK TO SEE HOW IT"S DOING.
IT"S FINE LEAVE IT ALONE.
turn off and let it sit for 5 mins, and hey presto perfect rice.
DO NOT POUR BOILING WATER OVER IT,
it's clean and ready to eat.My work is done.
25 July 2013, 09:41 PM
#29
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I remember getting of a bus, on a journey from Srinagar to Jammu, and eating a plate of pure Patna rice, cooked in an old oil drum at a roadside "cafe"
It was the most fantastic taste, I can still feel it on my palette 30 years later
It was the most fantastic taste, I can still feel it on my palette 30 years later