I'm going out for a curry

[Pedronicus]

Just tell me what kind of wine to bring.

Wine is a no no. Curry + Lager = perfection

[DAZMCFC]

a spice used in many a curry over here curl is Garam massala. try and add that to the dish.

That's actually a mixture of spices.. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garam_masala )

In fact, it really is a more traditional or spicier version of what is typically marketed as "curry spices" here.

after i post that, i thought it would comeback and bite me on the arse.
i just couldn't be arsed to check it.

[DAZMCFC]

'

[jonesthecurl]

OK - Mushroom bhaji

The mushrooms should be just plain old eatin' mushrooms - no shitake, porcini, or even portobello, and certainly nothing dried and rehydrated.
If they're small buttons use 'em whole, if they're a bit bigger halve or quarter 'em.

Get out the food processor, and bung in it two cloves of garlic and a large white onion.

Puree them, then fry, stirring. (the oil should not have too much taste: canola/rapeseed or sunflower would be good) until the puree is just turnign to a light brown colour

Roast and grind a teaspoon of coriander seed and a teaspoon of cumin (as in the previous recipe). mix this, with a pinch of ground turneric and a teaspoon each of chili powder and paprika, into a paste with some soy sauce (If you can get mushroom soy, even better). Add this to the onion with splash of stock or white wine. Keep cooking at a low heat, adding a little more stock or wine in installments (between a half a cup and a cup altogether), for about 5 minutes.

The mixture should definitely move about a bit, but not be too runny.
Add the mushrooms, a few chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), and two small chilies, deseeded and finely chopped.


About a minute later, you're done. Serve hot and as fresh as possible.

[PLAYER57832]

Do you eat this "plain" or over noodles/ rice ?

[jonesthecurl]

This would be a side dish. Usually I'll serve one or two meat dishes, one rice, one potato, one bread (usually naan), two or three vegetables, depending on numbers.
For two people, i'd do one meat one rice one verg.

[sam_levi_11]

i feeeeeelllll huuuuunnnngrrrryyy.

[StiffMittens]

This would be a side dish. Usually I'll serve one or two meat dishes, one rice, one potato, one bread (usually naan), two or three vegetables, depending on numbers.
For two people, i'd do one meat one rice one verg.

I've tried making garlic naan twice in the past and failed miserably both times. Do you make your naan from scratch? If so, what's your recipe?

[jonesthecurl]

Yes, I do - the commercially available ones aren't that good.
I'll post a recipe tomorrow - right now I'm preparing for tonight's dinner guests.
Although in complete contrast I'm cooking French tonight - the main course will be Boeuf Bourgignonne, with a veggie version for the curlette.
Some of the guests are Dutch, I believe.

[2dimes]

You must put up tips also. My wife just can't get naan right. Fourtunatly there is a pakistani take out place that does the best we've had for a buck a piece. (I supose that's expensive for bread but it's fresh naan and the rest of the food is great and inexpensive) I think it might be the flour.

[DAZMCFC]

You must put up tips also. My wife just can't get naan right. Fourtunatly there is a pakistani take out place that does the best we've had for a buck a piece. (I supose that's expensive for bread but it's fresh naan and the rest of the food is great and inexpensive) I think it might be the flour.

that is not expensive. for a garlic naan from a curry house over here is between 1 pound 30 and 1 pound 60.

[CrabNebula]

Beat me to it. In fact "Masala" is a word meaning "Mixture of spices". I don't know what "Garam" means - a place name maybe?

"Garam" means "Hot" in Hindi, so "Garam Masala" translates to "Hot Spices".

[jonesthecurl]

Beat me to it. In fact "Masala" is a word meaning "Mixture of spices". I don't know what "Garam" means - a place name maybe?

"Garam" means "Hot" in Hindi, so "Garam Masala" translates to "Hot Spices".

thank you for the info.

[PLAYER57832]

Any good recipes for Naan? I have a so-so one in a cookbook and what I can find on the internet, but a personal reference always helps.

[jonesthecurl]

I promised a naan recipe before, didn't I? Sorry for the delay.

OK: first, the best naan is made with live yoghurt, not yeast. If you can't get that to work, or if you can't get live yoghurt, use yeast, but add a little plain yoghurt to the mix.

Secondly, if you can get it, the flour should include about a half "ata" flour. This may be called "roti" or "chapatti"flour. If you can't get it use a good wholemeal.

So: 12 oz stong white flour, 12 oz wholemeal/ata. Put it in a warm bowl and add the yoghurt to a well in the centre. Gradually work it into the flour with enough warm water to make a firm dough. If you've overdone it, work more flour in.

Knead the dough well, put it back in the bowl, leave it somewhere warm for a coupla hours until it's doubled in size.
Now knead it again, deflating it until its back to its original size.

Break it into 4-6 pieces and shape them. Flat and oval - if you want a really authentic touch, you should stretch them almost like pizza dough.

Now assuming that you don't have a tandor, the best way to cook them is under the broiler (that's "grill" to UK types - here a "grill" is what they call a bbq).

You want it very hot - turn it on and leave it on until it's thoroughly warmed and will cook evenly.

Brush one side with melted ghee (clarified butter) - if you haven't any, butter will do. But you can also clarify it yourself (warm it up gently in a pan, skim off the stuff that rises to the top, let it cool again). Sprinkle this with poppy seeds, and/or sesame seeds and/or onion seed. Put it under the broiler until it looks right - you will see brown bits appearing, that's good but don't let 'em turn black. Turn the naan over, brush the other side with ghee and sprinkle with seeds and cook that side.

This gives you a plain naan. If you want a garlic naan the easiest technique is simple to add a good quantity of garlic to the ghee or butter.

If you want peshawar, keema, etc, you will need to fold the naan carefully around the filling. If it's something that should be cooked, cook it first.

[jonesthecurl]

Incidentally, should you have vegan dinner guests, use yeast (assuming they don't consider yeast to be animals) and replace the yoghurt with thick coconut milk, and the ghee with a vegetable ghee or peanut oil.

[PLAYER57832]

I Secondly, if you can get it, the flour should include about a half "ata" flour. This may be called "roti" or "chapatti"flour. If you can't get it use a good wholemeal.

Is this a wheat flour or some other grain?


If you use whole wheat flour, should it be somewhat course or rather fine.. that is, more like cornmeal?

I found references, but nothing that explained the consitency.

[jonesthecurl]

It's to do with the amount of gluten I think - the "ata" is coarser, and a stoneground wholemeal is a good substitute. It's probably to do with whether the husks are left in or taken out.

[sam_levi_11]

Wow, you really are knowledgeable on curry. Pretty amazing.

[jonesthecurl]

you must have some good curry places in your area, Sam.
have a chat with the people in the kitchen (not the owner) - you could learn a lot.

[sam_levi_11]

you must have some good curry places in your area, Sam.
have a chat with the people in the kitchen (not the owner) - you could learn a lot.

Yeah, there are quite a few good ones, i might just do that.

[jonesthecurl]

So, do people want more recipes?
and if so, do you want quick ones or more like the raan?
I have a kicking beef one with so much spice in it's frightening, which cooks for a long long while and is amazingly mild at the end of the process.

[StiffMittens]

So, do people want more recipes?
and if so, do you want quick ones or more like the raan?
I have a kicking beef one with so much spice in it's frightening, which cooks for a long long while and is amazingly mild at the end of the process.

I'd love to see more recipes. Truthfully, I'll probably never make raan, but having that recipe gives me ideas to experiment with other dishes. So I'd be interested in seeing recipes for more involved, exotic dishes. But if you have some quick and easy ones, I'd love to see those too.

[CrabNebula]

"Ata" normally refers to coarser wheat flour, the one made by including husks as jonesthecurl said. While the fine wheat flour, also called Maida is normally used to make "Paranthas" and "Pooris", though it is an all purpose flour.

[Pedronicus]

I'd like more recipies. It will drive my girlfriend mad that I have CC open, to refer to, when cooking.