Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I am cooking tonight for four visitors. Everyone loves spicy, so have decided I'll give making a curry a go. Can anyone recommend how someone like me who mostly cooks meat and two veg can go about cooking a fresh curry with (mostly) fresh ingredients? I am pretty good at doing the basics, but the thought of buying spices and crushing them scares me a bit. Are there any alternatives to buying the spices in some sort of box in the supermarket? Or a paste maybe? How long do I cook for? Any help much appreciated.


Louisa.

I'm pushed for time at moment so can't really help, otherwise would help with advice on spices/ingredients/method.

One thing that springs to mind though - do you really want to be doing this first time when guests are coming ?!?

Here's a recipe I made on Monday, but you do have to make your own garamm masala, it's described in Telegu (from Andhra Pradesh) with English subtitles:

How about a Thai green or red curry? Really easy to find good pastes (try the oriental supermarket on Hanover Park beside Morrison's car park), then you just need coconut milk and lots (lots) of fresh coriander. Pick up some of their frozen starters too. You must get the sticky Thai rice too, not the same without it.

M&S do a good range of curry mixes. A sort of triangular box contains one packet of dry spices, one small jar of paste, one jar of sauce. With instructions.


I tried the madras one a couple of days ago. I used lamb and added a chopped onion, two medium aubergines (sliced and fried beforehand) a can of coconut milk, a can of chopped toms, two cans of chick peas and a chopped bunch of coriander. Its quite a wet mix to be begin with, but allow to simmer for between 60 and 90 minutes and it will be lovely.

Go into SMBS


There's a Shan brand of ready made spice mixes. They don't look much but are good and reliable. They can be a little salty but I usually bulk up the fluids (low salt/salt stock) or some tomato pasata and ad a can of coconut milk (the thick stuff often from Thailand)

Onions and ginger and garlic is usually good, along with a few chunks of potato


My son is 13 and makes these often.

PeckhamRose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I did not know powders lost their flavour over

> time. I had better get cooking a LOT.

> Kahns Bargains is my fave shop!


The flavour compounds are generally volatile oils, so grinding helps them dissipate faster. Whole spices lose flavour as well, but much more slowly.

appreciate its a tad late - but foolproof chicken curry:

2 onions - sliced - soften with:

5 cloves

5 whole cardamum seed

1 whole dried red chile

2 table spoons of whole cumin seed


once onion soft


add skinless chicken - boneless and/or thighs/drumsticks

brown off

add 2 table spoons of turmeric powder

stir through so powder absorbed


add two tins tomatoes - chopped/plum - whatever

big squirt of tom puree

season

simmer for as long as possible - min 45 mins up to hours..... with lid on wonky


top up with water if necessary


serve with rice and naan and jobs a good'un

Alan Medic Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A tad late? Louisa, your audience awaits the

> outcome.


This thread was a 'beard' for Louisa, to keep her looking safe for Admin


The flan effect near got her busted, so this smokescreen was created.

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Alan Medic Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > A tad late? Louisa, your audience awaits the

> > outcome.

>

> This thread was a 'beard' for Louisa, to keep her

> looking safe for Admin

>

> The flan effect near got her busted, so this

> smokescreen was created.


You old cynic. Given all the generous input she received from forum members, it's unimaginable that the request was a smokescreen. I'm sure we will have an update very soon from Louisa. Beard....huh!

Two tablespoons of turmeric powder is a MASSIVE amount of turmeric for a curry, unless it's to feed like 40 people !

It will give a normal-sized curry a overly massala-y taste and I'd expect turn it day-glo orange !

Perhaps two teaspoons was meant ? (Even that's a lot..)

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Two tablespoons of turmeric powder is a MASSIVE

> amount of turmeric for a curry, unless it's to

> feed like 40 people !

> It will give a normal-sized curry a overly

> massala-y taste and I'd expect turn it day-glo

> orange !

> Perhaps two teaspoons was meant ? (Even that's a

> lot..)



K.K. is absolutely right. Turmeric id VERY over powering. A curry for 4 people 1 teaspoon is ample.


All ground spices should be mixed with water to form a paste so as not to burn when frying..


Foxy

Thanks every so much everyone for your input.


I used fresh chicken breast, and I took a lot of the elements you suggested above. As it was experimental I used quite a bit of coriander and fresh garlic, also fresh chillis and a lot of them. The only element I cheated with a little was the spices which were condensed in a paste. I am slightly upset I didn't go the extra mile and next time I certainly will give it a go. Pretty shocked at just how light and fresh a homemade curry tastes compared to a curry house one. I used two whole packs of vine tomatoes too.


Despite using 6 whole chillis with seeds in, the curry was not especially hot by the standard we compare it with something you'd get in a restaurant. But the freshness was something you couldn't replicate, and it was still hot enough to satisfy. For next time, if I am using prawns for example, at what stage do I add them so that hey cook reasonably well but aren't rubbery? Chicken was a safe bet.


KK I didn't use tumeric but I think the paste probably contained some?


Louisa.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Line speed and the strength of your Wi-Fi signal are two separate things.  The first is determined by the type of connection (fibre/copper etc) to the outside world and the second is the connection between the device (printer/TV/laptop/tablet etc) and the router. If you are connecting a device to the router using cables (as Alec1 is) then this is will give the best possible connection but isn't practical for many without a degree of upheaval and even then not all devices (tablets for example) will allow a wired connection. So you relying on the quality of the Wi-Fi signal from the router to the device and this will depend on the quality of the router, the type of Wi-Fi connection (the frequency), line of sight etc - many different things.  This is why some people opt for a "mesh" type setup which is supposed to give a solid quality of Wi-Fi signal around the house with little or no blackspots.  It's expensive though and still requires the devices that send and receive the signal (like the plug-ins you have) to be wired to the router.
    • We have had a few cat flaps over the years but none have been electronic. They just have a small clip that you turn to lock or open.  Some come with a magnet and a matching magnet that the cat wears on its collar  This prevents other cats entering.  I've not used these as I don't like the idea of a cat wearing a collar. Cats do like to be out at night and you need to encourage yours to return after a late evening sortie. Calling,rustling treat wrappers worked for ours but he seems to have now got into the habit of coming back about 9pm. without this.        
    • Having had several cats over the past 40 years - mainly rescue, we have a tried and tested routine, Initially confined to one room with litter tray/food/water - we take it in turns to stay for a few minutes several times a day so they become familiar with our scent. They are gradually introduced to the rest of the house. We have a wire cat basket and we place cat in basket and take them outside, over a few days we place basket in different areas of the garden - grass area/gravel area, patio area etc - different flowers/plants. Some of the more nervous cats we walk around the garden on a lead. They get use to the scent of the garden. We have a cat flap in the back door so they have full access - If we need to keep cat in - just block off the cat flap so they cannot escape! We are now down to one elderly cat - who during the summer just laid on the garden chairs and came in for food, but as weather getting colder prefers to sit on a worktop in the kitchen looking out into the garden. So we are back to the cat litter as she is reluctant to go out in the rain/cold.  
    • With fibre you are paying for the speed, which is the number, yours is 300 so if you did a lot of gaming, for example, you would want the fastest possible.  If it's just office work or maybe streaming on Netflix you likely won't need as fast, but, if there are a lot of people in your house all doing their own thing on different devices, then faster speeds are better.  I don't rely on my Wi-Fi much other than when I am using my mobile.  I use Ethernet cables to connect up everything, I Have one cable running from my router, along the skirtings and through a hole I drilled in the wall to another room.  I have attached the plusnet speed guide which gives you an idea of how it works.   
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...