jema Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Posts: 28238 Location: escaped from Swindon
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Posted: Fri Jun 09, 23 7:11 am Post subject: BIR base gravy and spice mix |
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About time I posted something on this.
The first ingredient is a general spice mix that can be used in most curries.
1 part garam masala
3 part Cumin
4 part curry powder
3 part paprika
3 part coriandar
3 part turmeric
for the base gravy, to make enough for about 3 curries.
grate about 2 inches of root ginger and 8 or so cloves of garlic, gentry fry these with about 3 tbsp of the spice mix and a tbsp of tomato puree.
Put into a muslin bag, a few cloves, a star anise, a few crushed cardamom pods, a inch or so of cinnamon, a couple of bay leaves, a bit of all spice. Basically a mix of aromatics.
Roughly dice about 4 medium onions.
I also add other veg, say a carrot or two, a small potato, peppers only if they might otherwise be wasted.
Last but not least I have taken to about two thirds of a cup of red lentils.
In these amounts we are getting a filling nutritious sauce, but one where you wouldn't know there were lentils or any of the other veg playing a role.
We will also want a tsp or two of salt, certainly don't over salt though.
Add water, about a litre.
I pressure cook in the instant pot on low for 40 mins.
Then don't forget to remove the bag before blending.
It will keep in the fridge for over a week.
Last night I did a garlic chilli chicken for 4 with I think about 4 chicken thighs.
Threw diced onion, ginger, whole garlic cloves and the chicken, fried off for a few minutes on low.
added spice mix, salt, chilli powder, kashmiri chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, tin on chopped tomatoes, about 8 sliced and deseeded green chillis, and a few cups of the gravy.
cooked in advance on low for about 20 mins, reheated to coincide with the rice.
Incidentally I presoak rice then use a 1 to 1 ratio, and pressure cook for 1 minute, then waiting 10 mins before depressurising.
I like this method as it's all about the prep making it very lazy to get to a final result which has a lot of layers of flavour.
Indian restaurants do things a little differently, with more tomato as tomato is a pretty generic ingredient. Since I am not trying to spin out dishes in double quick time I can integrate what tomato I want in the dish as I make it.
Equally Indian restaurants will be adding precooked meat, again I have no need to do that. |
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