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January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
- steveparadox
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1267
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 7:05 pm
- Favourite Curries: Garllic Chilli, Naga, Tarka Daal, Aloo Chaat
- Location: Surrey, England
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
@RShome: "Elachi" anyone would think you were Indian! It's Cardamom mate!
Good to hear your thoughts on the dish. Personally, I'm a fan of crushed chillies, texture and all!
How has everyone found the tomato level, it seems on the high side compared to most other dishes (usually expect 2 tbsp maybe 3 of mixed puree/water)...?
Good to hear your thoughts on the dish. Personally, I'm a fan of crushed chillies, texture and all!
How has everyone found the tomato level, it seems on the high side compared to most other dishes (usually expect 2 tbsp maybe 3 of mixed puree/water)...?
Last edited by steveparadox on Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Rusty
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1346
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:30 am
- Favourite Curries: Vindaloo
- Location: Adelaide South Australia
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Hi Rshome your vindaloo looks excellent,
Cheers Rusty
Cheers Rusty
The best day of the week to prepare onions for a base gravy is a Fryday
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- BHUT JOLOKIA
- Posts: 4354
- Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:38 am
- Favourite Curries: Chicken Vindaloo
- Location: Warrington, North West England
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Thanks Steve, but surely you mean CardamoM. Ah I'm such a pedant!
Regarding the Tomato Paste, I'm reasonably certain that the 2 Chef Spoons (4 TBSP) of Tomato Paste means 1 TBSP Tomato Puree diluted with 3 TBSP of water. I agree it could be a dangerous assumption to make if 3 TBSP of Tomato Puree were used.
Rusty & GreyBeard: Thanks.
Regarding the Tomato Paste, I'm reasonably certain that the 2 Chef Spoons (4 TBSP) of Tomato Paste means 1 TBSP Tomato Puree diluted with 3 TBSP of water. I agree it could be a dangerous assumption to make if 3 TBSP of Tomato Puree were used.
Rusty & GreyBeard: Thanks.
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- PIMENTO
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2016 6:22 pm
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
I've just tried this, but being the wuss I am, I left the chillies out. I love the flavours of curries rather than the heat. Plus I didn't have any chillies in, otherwise I'd have put 2-3 chillies in.
But what I gorgeous flavoured curry this is. And so easy. I left the chillies out, and didn't put the chilli chutney in, I substituted it with mango chutney.. Absolutely lovely flavour.
Steve
But what I gorgeous flavoured curry this is. And so easy. I left the chillies out, and didn't put the chilli chutney in, I substituted it with mango chutney.. Absolutely lovely flavour.
Steve
- Greybeard
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1604
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 11:18 pm
- Favourite Curries: Dopiaza, Kashmiri, Madras or Garlic chicken
- Location: Somewhere north of Watford but south of Inverness
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Many years ago, when Austin Allegro's were still occasionally seen on British roads, I used to have a regular Monday night ritual to help me cope with my first day back on the working week. My friend John and I would take turns to buy 2 beef or lamb Phal's and lots of Naan bread from the local Indian takeaway, and these were duly consumed with much gusto. It was during this period that I learned that no matter how much yoghurt doogh, beer or milk that was drunk the only escape from the pain was preparation. The theory my friend and I postulated was that the drier your mouth was, the less opportunity arose for the spices to dissolve and be absorbed by the mucous membranes. Certainly, this prophylactic measure became the standard operating procedure for Phal night.
Sadly, my Phal days are over. After a long flight back from New Zealand to the UK, I started suffering the most incredible stomach pain and when I got home, the only relief I could find was overdosing on Pepto-Bismol. A trip to the doctor later, and after a television camera was inserted into my stomach, it was discovered that I suffered from an excess of Helicobacter pylori, which eats away at the protective lining of mucus in the stomach, leading to ulcers. After a course of antibiotics, I was back to my normal self again, but I realised that over indulging would cause me a lot of pain, so although I love really hot curry, I now err on the side of caution. The same implies to a number of cuisines, for if I pig out too much the indigestion and resulting discomfort brings back very bad memories. In the 70's, my mother suffered from stomach ulcers, and the house was littered with boxes of Bisodol and bottles of Milk of Magnesia. As she used to say, “I might love that dish, but it doesn't love me”. So fiery curries – although I love them dearly – I am very wary of.
So the GB household tends to lean towards medium rather than hot curries. Mrs GB doesn't like too much heat, so I was concerned that 1 TBSP of chilli powder (albeit Kashmiri) along with mix powder and pepper would be too much. My mix powder is quite spicy, and combined with a fully loaded base that is definitely “edgy” I was concerned that a Vindaloo would be a step too far, certainly my daughter would not be involved as anything past a Korma is too much. So it was down to the two semi-octogenarians to perform the taste test.
For the prep, I decided to use some beef stewing steak, as I have this belief that the richer darker meats are better suited to the hotter curries. The slow cooker was pushed into action, and a base stock of turmeric, mix powder, garlic, tomato, methi, coriander some spare veg and a touch of salt prepared. The beef was added, and once it was tender, stored overnight in the fridge. The potatoes cut into large chunks were added next, and once just slightly more than par boiled, joined the beef in fridge.
Writing recipes out is always a risky business, not only are you sharing something special to you that others may not appreciate, but sometimes little details get lost in the translation. In the Internet age, you might take your tablet into the kitchen (something I never do), remember the recipe (something I rarely can), or go the old fashioned route. Print it out. It was then, once reading the bit of A4 in the kitchen that I realised there was an omission – when do you add the spuds? As I had omitted the chilli pickle, it seemed appropriate to throw the potatoes at that point instead.
Cook off wise, there was no surprises, other than the transposition of when the spices are fried off. This, I believe, has a major impact on how this dish turns out. The “regular” order is oil, garlic, spices, tomato but this recipe goes for oil, garlic, tomato, spices. This is something I generally avoid, although I can appreciate the logic behind cooking the rawness out of the tomato purée. The downside for me is that the oil doesn't have the chance to react with spices properly. Only time would tell. The only danger zone is not allowing the vinegar to cook off properly, in which case the curry will be far too acidic.
Mrs GB was in a huff, so I didn't get a score out of ten (and didn't ask). I got a sulky “That was a good curry”, hopefully I will get a more mathematical response tomorrow lunchtime when the little that was leftover Mrs GB has for lunch. As for me, I am now going to go into rant mode. How, in the name of chilli powder, can you throw 1 TBSP of chilli powder, some whole kashmiri chillies, a strong mix powder, fresh finger chilli and pepper and get such a beautifully balanced curry? I have put 2 TSP of kashmiri chilli in curries in the past, and Mrs GB has complained. There has to be a really subtle technique thing lurking here. It is not the quantity (or indeed the freshness, all my spices are spoiled rotten in the care stakes). It is how these essential oils are released, and the harshness / violence of the heat. As always, technique is everything.
As to this curry, as cooked it was sublime. For me, the heat level was just so, and the combination of a slight warmth to the forehead and a beautiful warmth in my stomach was just right. If I was less of a wuss, I would have used some Deggi Murch rather than Kashmiri chilli powder. Like a decent aged Scotch whiskey, this curry warms the cockles of your heart. You know by drinking spirits you are on dangerous ground, and a vindaloo has always got a warning label attached. This rendition though, is not some rough-house brew. It doesn’t catch your throat, there are no regrets despite the number of fork filled curry mouthfulls you consume. Vindaloo is often called the king of curries, and this example deserves a special throne.
Sadly, my Phal days are over. After a long flight back from New Zealand to the UK, I started suffering the most incredible stomach pain and when I got home, the only relief I could find was overdosing on Pepto-Bismol. A trip to the doctor later, and after a television camera was inserted into my stomach, it was discovered that I suffered from an excess of Helicobacter pylori, which eats away at the protective lining of mucus in the stomach, leading to ulcers. After a course of antibiotics, I was back to my normal self again, but I realised that over indulging would cause me a lot of pain, so although I love really hot curry, I now err on the side of caution. The same implies to a number of cuisines, for if I pig out too much the indigestion and resulting discomfort brings back very bad memories. In the 70's, my mother suffered from stomach ulcers, and the house was littered with boxes of Bisodol and bottles of Milk of Magnesia. As she used to say, “I might love that dish, but it doesn't love me”. So fiery curries – although I love them dearly – I am very wary of.
So the GB household tends to lean towards medium rather than hot curries. Mrs GB doesn't like too much heat, so I was concerned that 1 TBSP of chilli powder (albeit Kashmiri) along with mix powder and pepper would be too much. My mix powder is quite spicy, and combined with a fully loaded base that is definitely “edgy” I was concerned that a Vindaloo would be a step too far, certainly my daughter would not be involved as anything past a Korma is too much. So it was down to the two semi-octogenarians to perform the taste test.
For the prep, I decided to use some beef stewing steak, as I have this belief that the richer darker meats are better suited to the hotter curries. The slow cooker was pushed into action, and a base stock of turmeric, mix powder, garlic, tomato, methi, coriander some spare veg and a touch of salt prepared. The beef was added, and once it was tender, stored overnight in the fridge. The potatoes cut into large chunks were added next, and once just slightly more than par boiled, joined the beef in fridge.
Writing recipes out is always a risky business, not only are you sharing something special to you that others may not appreciate, but sometimes little details get lost in the translation. In the Internet age, you might take your tablet into the kitchen (something I never do), remember the recipe (something I rarely can), or go the old fashioned route. Print it out. It was then, once reading the bit of A4 in the kitchen that I realised there was an omission – when do you add the spuds? As I had omitted the chilli pickle, it seemed appropriate to throw the potatoes at that point instead.
Cook off wise, there was no surprises, other than the transposition of when the spices are fried off. This, I believe, has a major impact on how this dish turns out. The “regular” order is oil, garlic, spices, tomato but this recipe goes for oil, garlic, tomato, spices. This is something I generally avoid, although I can appreciate the logic behind cooking the rawness out of the tomato purée. The downside for me is that the oil doesn't have the chance to react with spices properly. Only time would tell. The only danger zone is not allowing the vinegar to cook off properly, in which case the curry will be far too acidic.
Mrs GB was in a huff, so I didn't get a score out of ten (and didn't ask). I got a sulky “That was a good curry”, hopefully I will get a more mathematical response tomorrow lunchtime when the little that was leftover Mrs GB has for lunch. As for me, I am now going to go into rant mode. How, in the name of chilli powder, can you throw 1 TBSP of chilli powder, some whole kashmiri chillies, a strong mix powder, fresh finger chilli and pepper and get such a beautifully balanced curry? I have put 2 TSP of kashmiri chilli in curries in the past, and Mrs GB has complained. There has to be a really subtle technique thing lurking here. It is not the quantity (or indeed the freshness, all my spices are spoiled rotten in the care stakes). It is how these essential oils are released, and the harshness / violence of the heat. As always, technique is everything.
As to this curry, as cooked it was sublime. For me, the heat level was just so, and the combination of a slight warmth to the forehead and a beautiful warmth in my stomach was just right. If I was less of a wuss, I would have used some Deggi Murch rather than Kashmiri chilli powder. Like a decent aged Scotch whiskey, this curry warms the cockles of your heart. You know by drinking spirits you are on dangerous ground, and a vindaloo has always got a warning label attached. This rendition though, is not some rough-house brew. It doesn’t catch your throat, there are no regrets despite the number of fork filled curry mouthfulls you consume. Vindaloo is often called the king of curries, and this example deserves a special throne.
Last edited by Greybeard on Sun Jan 08, 2017 1:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: Typos and missing words
Reason: Typos and missing words
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
- Rusty
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1346
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:30 am
- Favourite Curries: Vindaloo
- Location: Adelaide South Australia
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Hi GB great write up and excellent looking curry, the chillies on top must have been hard to swallow
Cheers Rusty
Cheers Rusty
The best day of the week to prepare onions for a base gravy is a Fryday
- Alchemist
- BHUT JOLOKIA
- Posts: 4581
- Joined: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:50 am
- Favourite Curries: Lamb Jalfrezi
- Location: West Yorkshire, England
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Not being one for very hot curries I approached this with some trepidation. The amount of chilli seemed very high, but reassured with the comments from Greybeard and his better half I pushed on regardless (using Kashmiri Chilli powder of course, I'm not entirely stupid!!).
Raw King Prawns were the ingredient of choice and these went in at the same stage as the meat would have done, as they looked sturdy enough to stand up to the length of cook required. Towards the end I decided the 1.5 tsps of sugar I added was not quite enough to balance the chilli so added another .5 and things then balanced out much better. I also aimed for a fairly runny sauce so reduced the heat towards the end so it did not reduce too quickly.
All went swimmingly until at the end after I had carefully pour the finished curry into the container I spied the boiled potatoes! Back into the pan everything went to give the potatoes their moment in the sun (well the heat of the pan).
I've yet to consume the whole thing and am hoping it will somehow shift a stinking cold I have picked up. I allowed myself a prawn and some of the curry sauce and was very pleased with the outcome, a restaurant quality dish to be proud of :thumb:
Raw King Prawns were the ingredient of choice and these went in at the same stage as the meat would have done, as they looked sturdy enough to stand up to the length of cook required. Towards the end I decided the 1.5 tsps of sugar I added was not quite enough to balance the chilli so added another .5 and things then balanced out much better. I also aimed for a fairly runny sauce so reduced the heat towards the end so it did not reduce too quickly.
All went swimmingly until at the end after I had carefully pour the finished curry into the container I spied the boiled potatoes! Back into the pan everything went to give the potatoes their moment in the sun (well the heat of the pan).
I've yet to consume the whole thing and am hoping it will somehow shift a stinking cold I have picked up. I allowed myself a prawn and some of the curry sauce and was very pleased with the outcome, a restaurant quality dish to be proud of :thumb:
- Attachments
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- Vindaloo.jpg (91.3 KiB) Viewed 22986 times
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- Vindaloo 2.jpg (83.78 KiB) Viewed 22986 times
- Greybeard
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1604
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 11:18 pm
- Favourite Curries: Dopiaza, Kashmiri, Madras or Garlic chicken
- Location: Somewhere north of Watford but south of Inverness
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
That was a great idea to go for the KP's there, Mrs GB can't abide the things so the closest I ever get to any is photos on the forum here
Hope the cold gets better soon, Alchy. I forgot to mention that I also went straight in at 2 TSP of sugar, while at face value that seems too much it works really well complimenting the tartness of the vinegar and lemon.
Hope the cold gets better soon, Alchy. I forgot to mention that I also went straight in at 2 TSP of sugar, while at face value that seems too much it works really well complimenting the tartness of the vinegar and lemon.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
- Rusty
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1346
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:30 am
- Favourite Curries: Vindaloo
- Location: Adelaide South Australia
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Nice work Alchy looks great
Cheers Rusty
Cheers Rusty
The best day of the week to prepare onions for a base gravy is a Fryday
-
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1296
- Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:11 am
- Favourite Curries: Ceylon, Madras
- Location: Perth, WA
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Thanks for giving this a go and taking the time to repot back fellas. The photos and write ups are all excellent.
I can confirm that I always add 2 tsps of white sugar, I also never measure the malt vinegar, but I know I add way more than 1 tbsp. I find allowing this curry to rest before consuming is best (probably about the time it would take to pick up from the takeaway and bring it home)
I notice most people leaving out the chilli pickle, if you can find Priya red chilli pickle, please do add a good teaspoon, it really does make a difference.
I can confirm that I always add 2 tsps of white sugar, I also never measure the malt vinegar, but I know I add way more than 1 tbsp. I find allowing this curry to rest before consuming is best (probably about the time it would take to pick up from the takeaway and bring it home)
I notice most people leaving out the chilli pickle, if you can find Priya red chilli pickle, please do add a good teaspoon, it really does make a difference.
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Making this tomorrow, may go with half the amount of vinegar too, not a big fan of too much vinegar, will post up results!
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
This looks lovely - i'll be trying it out at the weekend - thanks!
- Rusty
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1346
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:30 am
- Favourite Curries: Vindaloo
- Location: Adelaide South Australia
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Made this 4 times already and it's only the 13th, I think I like it
Cheers Rusty
Cheers Rusty
The best day of the week to prepare onions for a base gravy is a Fryday
- steveparadox
- BIRD'S EYE
- Posts: 1267
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 7:05 pm
- Favourite Curries: Garllic Chilli, Naga, Tarka Daal, Aloo Chaat
- Location: Surrey, England
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Made as per recipe other than:
White vinegar as I had no malt
Potato omitted - I can't remember the last time I was served a vindaloo with any potato.
Oil reduced to 2.5 tbsp
The heat level of the dish was not at all overpowering. In fact if I were to cook again I'd add some extra hot chilli powder too. The overall taste was too sharp for my liking. I'm guessing this is due to the amount of vinegar combined with the chilli pickle and lemon. I am leaving the dish for about 8 hours and will try again to see if it becomes more rounded to my liking.
White vinegar as I had no malt
Potato omitted - I can't remember the last time I was served a vindaloo with any potato.
Oil reduced to 2.5 tbsp
The heat level of the dish was not at all overpowering. In fact if I were to cook again I'd add some extra hot chilli powder too. The overall taste was too sharp for my liking. I'm guessing this is due to the amount of vinegar combined with the chilli pickle and lemon. I am leaving the dish for about 8 hours and will try again to see if it becomes more rounded to my liking.
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- SENIOR MODERATOR
- Posts: 3884
- Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 10:29 am
- Favourite Curries: Chicken Vindaloo
- Location: Co.Cork, Ireland
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Late I know, I made this tonight & have to say it was delicious. I was somewhat dubious of adding vinegar & a small amount of lemon juice but it works. I did add two teaspoons of sugar which I thought balanced it beautifully. I did use Kashmiri Chilli powder in place of the tablespoon of chilli powder. I had a tangle over Christmas with a very hot Vindaloo that played hell with my Farmers, the nether regions are still a bit tender, so I needed to reduce the chilli heat.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a pic, it smelled so good I was at it before I thought.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take a pic, it smelled so good I was at it before I thought.
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- PIMENTO
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 4:11 am
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
This recipe looks amazing, will be cooking it this week, all my partner eats is Vindaloo... so this is perfect. Thankyou
- Cory Ander
- SENIOR MODERATOR
- Posts: 9521
- Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:52 pm
- Favourite Curries: King Prawn Phal
- Location: Perth, Western Australia
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Please let us know how you and your partner find it, Bridgette....plus photos, if you can....
CA (aka Admin)
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- PIMENTO
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 4:11 am
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
Hello, being fairly new to authentic Indian, i had a couple of questions regarding the ingredients for the Vindaloo recipe that has been posted?
Could someone please inform me as to what is Methi?, g/g paste? base gravy? mix powder? and lastly what is the measurements for: ch spoons for tomato puree?
Sorry for the numerous qustions, thankyou in advance.
Could someone please inform me as to what is Methi?, g/g paste? base gravy? mix powder? and lastly what is the measurements for: ch spoons for tomato puree?
Sorry for the numerous qustions, thankyou in advance.
- Cory Ander
- SENIOR MODERATOR
- Posts: 9521
- Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:52 pm
- Favourite Curries: King Prawn Phal
- Location: Perth, Western Australia
Re: January 2017 - British Indian 2 go Vindaloo
"Methi" is fenugreek. In this case, dried fenugreek leaves (I think?).
"g/g paste" is garlic and ginger paste
"base gravy" is curry base - the base sauce/stock used by most British Indian Restaurants (BIRs)
"mix powder" is spice mix - or bespoke curry powder/masala, if you will
You should probably use British Indian's base gravy and mix powder. You can use others, but the resultant curry will be different.
A "chef's spoon" is generally of 30ml capacity (unless otherwise stated)
You might like to check out our Beginners' Guide and Frequently Used Terms & Acronyms.
Features of British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Cooking and Typical British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Cooking Process should also help.
"g/g paste" is garlic and ginger paste
"base gravy" is curry base - the base sauce/stock used by most British Indian Restaurants (BIRs)
"mix powder" is spice mix - or bespoke curry powder/masala, if you will
You should probably use British Indian's base gravy and mix powder. You can use others, but the resultant curry will be different.
A "chef's spoon" is generally of 30ml capacity (unless otherwise stated)
You might like to check out our Beginners' Guide and Frequently Used Terms & Acronyms.
Features of British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Cooking and Typical British Indian Restaurant (BIR) Cooking Process should also help.
CA (aka Admin)
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