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  1. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    it is true that beef is not eaten in most states, in fact only in Kerela is it freely available, but in the other states, for those who wish to eat meat (state depedent, but from 15% - 60% eat meat, though not necessarily every day) there is water buffalo. The commonest meat (other than fish) is...
  2. W

    ISO Mild curry paste recipes

    those are eggplants (aubergine, baigan, brinjal), did you not wonder why they were so-called? lol:lol:
  3. W

    ISO Mild curry paste recipes

    hopefully, here is a pic of some of the ingredients. The pea aubergines are at 9 o'clock, the culantro right at the back, behind the pak choy, the galangal at 3 o'clock. and here is one I made earlier. Thai red chicken and pea aubergine curry
  4. W

    ISO Mild curry paste recipes

    although there are other minor variations, the main difference between red, yellow and green curry pastes is the colour of the chillies. If you don't want the chillies, here's my recipe I use (with chillies in, of course). It relies on fresh ingredients, if you are unable to source these, its a...
  5. W

    Spices

    Claire, I would say it will depend on the spice, and how and where it is stored. Ground spices will deteriorate faster, as they are exposed to the air/moisure more. Whole spices will last longer, and if you can grind your own on demand, this would be the better option. Watch for µorganism...
  6. W

    Chicken bhuna/chicken balti

    a balti anything is/were completely made up dishes said to originate from Baltistan, in Northern Pakistan; in truth, they originated in the curry triangle, around Birmingham, UK. They are just the same old stuff, served up under a different name, sometimes in a small wok, sometimes in a bucket...
  7. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    combine the last two posts, and you have it in a nutshell, IMHO. 'Curry' is not one dish, but hundreds of different dishes, as in Italian dishes like pasta or rissotto. In India you would be hard put to find the word 'curry' on any menu, except those catering for the tourists. Therefore, unless...
  8. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    well, a billion Indians can't all be wrong, maybe you haven't tried the real deal, in good ole ethnic US of A.:ermm:
  9. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    I was really talking about corporate food, McD, KFC and so on. They really are poor, IMHO. UK corporate food is just as bad, or is it just fast food in general the world over? quality pared to the bone for the sake of the bottom line. No, I've had some excellent 'street food' in some countries...
  10. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    I enjoy Thai curries too, in fact I have eaten my third in as many days, but I had a chat with my local Thai store owner (who is a good cook in her own right) and she agreed that no paste is as good as a paste made from fresh ingredients. It is not difficult, it just might be difficult to source...
  11. W

    ISO: Middle Eastern Spice Mixes

    I understand, at least you have admitted your ignorance of these matters, its a pity most chefs don't do the same! My suggestion to you is to start simply, with a few spices, learn how to use them, what goes with what, and most importantly, how to maximize the flavours. Throwing heavy spice...
  12. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    My advice to you, Bliss, is not to experiment (this is where most people go wrong IMHO) get a very good recipe book on basic Indian food, and follow the instructions very carefully. Thai curries use little spice, relying more on fresh ingredients for the flavours. Japanese curry is usually made...
  13. W

    Persian Kabobs

    in other countries, using ground/minced meat for kebabs is very different from making it with whole meat. And while chunks of meat are usually marinated first, the ground/minced meat has other flavours added to it before cooking. How do you get the other ingredients to stick to the steak? Sumac...
  14. W

    Ethnic foods in general

    Andy, they don't do burgers at all, because they have their own versions, a huge variety of fried kebabs. You are correct about the beef, only found in Kerala, everywhere else it's buffalo (and the 'mutton' is mostly goat). Having said all that, there are many Indian dishes that have been...
  15. W

    Persian Kabobs

    Wondering what makes this Persian, surely it would have been lamb or goat? Whats in the seasoning? Waaza
  16. W

    Ethnic foods in general

    I'm smiling at the term ethnic in this context.:smile: In India, they have McDonald's, but have changed all the crappy burgers etc. for better tasting local variants. Obviously, they can't stand the 'ethnic' offerings from the US of A!:lol:
  17. W

    ISO: Middle Eastern Spice Mixes

    maybe one should say exactly what one means by 'Middle East'. Ras el hanout is typically a Moroccan spice mix, not what I would call Middle East. Ras el hanout is not used as you have used it (as a rub). Just rubbing it into meat and grilling/broiling will drive off most of the flavour as you...
  18. W

    ISO Curry and Paprika Info

    problem is, a curry powder will not let you produce a good 'curry', all it can provide is a curry powder flavoured sauce. Proper Indian food uses individual spices (or a mix of just a few at a time) because they have different properties, and need to added at different times. The problem with a...
  19. W

    Tom Valenti's Braised Shank of Lamb

    agree with most of what you say, however, have the following observations. For me, braising is done in a covered pan, in a low oven, over one to two hours, using tougher cuts of meat, on the bone, or at least, in one chunk. The pan needs heat from all sides. In India, although an oven as we know...
  20. W

    Cayenne peppers?

    I don't agree, I think climate and soil type and available fertilizer make a real difference. Loads of info on the net about this, unless you disagree, then you must be right again. :rolleyes:
  21. W

    Cayenne peppers?

    aye, grow your own, wonderful stuff, at least you know where its been, but surely Italian chillies are not as hot as real cayenne chillies? regards :chef:
  22. W

    Cayenne peppers?

    The fault, dear Breezy, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves.
  23. W

    Cayenne peppers?

    :smile: From: http://www.mobymud.com/spicy.htm Interestingly, chilli is the original spelling from the Central American Nahuatl Indians and both chile and chili are derived from it. From: http://www.chilipepper.com/AboutChilipeppers/tabid/57/Default.aspx Spelling and usage The three primary...
  24. W

    Cayenne peppers?

    but you really don't get it. Cayenne is a specific chilli pepper, there's no dispute, but what we/anyone calls cayenne pepper is a generic name for what the rest of the world calls chilli pepper, but the US doesn't because 'chilli pepper' describes that which is added to chilli con carne. Look...
  25. W

    Cayenne peppers?

    No, I am sorry. The words cayenne pepper and chilli pepper are used synonymously, they both mean ground chillies, except in America, it would seem, where chilli powder means powder for chilli con carne. It is very rare that cayenne pepper (powder) means ground powder from the cayenne chilli...
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