BOF Posted March 11, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 11, 2011 Is that a cooked dal in amongst it or is it mince? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Its mince Bri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerlad Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Mince you say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Is that the VT Yoof on a day out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 11, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 11, 2011 I know its a British Dish / Not a proper curry etc etc but I cooked a Chicken Tikka Masala from scratch the other day from the I love Curry Cookbook by Anjum Anand. I've done a few other from there too and they've been superb every time. Another Curry Book recomendation is Easy Curry by the queen of Indian cooking Madhur Jaffrey. (First Indian cookbook I ever owned was by her) The slow baked beef in yogurt from the Maddhur Jaffrey book was out of this world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerlad Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I've got a couple of Anjums books. She's ace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 11, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 11, 2011 I got that "Curry Easy" book for Chrimbo I'll try the baked beef dish on your recommendation Bicks. That book is particularly good for all the side dishes (relishes, cachumbers etc) and starters like soups etc. Though it's a little lacking in pictures for each dish (I don't know why I like seeing what it should look like. I just do ). Try her sweet pepper, ginger & fennel soup. Very easy and very tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 i have a great recipe for "dry potatoes with garlic and ginger" that I picked up from a madhur Jaffrey book years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 So, and this is not a link to the "mince" theme, anyone like faggots? (Sorry to disappoint our US cousins, but it's not what you think). Used to have them when I was a kid, really liked them, but they were some industrially processed whatever in tin foil trays. I thought I would try it from scratch. The first thing is to find the wrapping, which is caul fat, which is found around kidneys, just thrown away these days. Tried the farmers' market, the girl had never heard of it, phoned her dad, who said he could get it. Tried the best butcher in town, who used to stock it but don't now, but could order it in for 2-3 days time. Called back and got the caul fat, hearts, liver, pork belly. And then made some real faggots. 'Er indoors looked distinctly queasy at the sight of the mixture and the caul fat, tried it, then had seconds. Had it with the traditional mash and peas, and onion gravy made from 9-hour simmered beef marrowbone stock. Recipe: about 300gm each of heart, liver, pork belly, caul fat (this quantity did 12 faggots, the caul fat would probably have done double the number but I just took what he gave me and went from there). Some ground mace and allspice, chopped rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper. About 300gm of breadcumbs or oatmeal (I used half of each, just because I had some sumac-flavoured crumbs to use up. Mince the meat, mix with the herbs and crumbs, cut caul fat to wrapping size, roll up, place in oven at 180c for about an hour, and that's it. Gave off loads of fat from the pork belly, which made it easy to baste and also meant we didn't consume the fat. Pictures probably make it easier to follow than the recipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 yeh I love faggots (oooer) made some a few years back but without the wrapping, same ingredients virtually though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Gave off loads of fat from the pork belly, which made it easy to baste and also meant we didn't consume the fat. Pussy, should have drank it. But seriously, they look awesome. That plate of meat makes me so hungry. Might have to have a bash at making some myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 14, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 14, 2011 Cheers for the effort in that post Peter. Wouldn't be my cup of tea though, as I'm really not keen on heart or liver - or fat for that matter. yeh I love faggotsBloody knew it!! It was all a charade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Wouldn't be my cup of tea though, as I'm really not keen on heart or liver - or fat for that matter. The fat comes out, and they weren't at all fatty to eat. Would be even less so cooked on a rack, so they didn't sit in the fat as they cook. What lots of people don't like about heart and liver is the texture, but mincing them with other things changes that completely. Like haggis and black pudding. I feel an offal-fest coming on. I shall be like Mr Leopold Bloom, and eat with relish the internal organs of beasts and fowl. As a Dubliner, so should you. :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 14, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 14, 2011 What lots of people don't like about heart and liver is the texture, but mincing them with other things changes that completely. That is exactly what I don't like about it. So now that you say it, I've no doubt you're right re- mincing them. I just wouldn't really ever buy them in the first place. Though I probably wouldn't turn them down (minced) in a restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 14, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 14, 2011 Made a curry yesterday and used ~30 birdseye chilis rather than chili powder. Apart from a stupidly hot curry, the fundamental difference was that ... how shall I put this ... it didn't lose anything in transit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Came out lookin the same as when it went in? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 14, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 14, 2011 More from a temperature POV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 Ah, excruciatus inflammus sphincterus eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 15, 2011 Right, I've been challenged to a dinner party. My frequent claims of Indian expertise* have been taken up by some of my friends who have asked, nay demanded, to be treated to my wares this coming Saturday - them being normal people and by extension loving Indian TBH I've never done this kind of thing before but I'm up for the challenge and yesterday evening I did out my menu, whereupon it quickly dawned on me the amount of work I've taken on !! My problem is also that I am very organised and don't do things half-arsed so I'm well able to make a rod for my own back... I'm planning 2 starters, 2 mains, the usual raita, cachumber, chutney and the missus is handling the desserts (it's her gift). The various breads are the only thing that will be bought ready-made. The starters 1. Red pepper, ginger & fennel soup (that I made a few pages back in this thread) with crusty bread. 2. Chili & ginger king prawns The mains (both with selection of turmeric rice and/or chana dal) Palak gosht - Marinated Lamb with spinach My own recipe of chicken curry outlined here (but without the heat element). Sides A 'green' chutney The usual chopped tomato&onion cachumber A spinach raita to go with the Palak gosht (not to mention I'll likely have spinach left over anyhoo). I'm currently toying with a spicy popcorn side aswell which should be 'fun'. Also the usual array of poppadoms, rotis & naans. The missus can handle the desserts The soup, the chicken main & the relishes will be made a day ahead as they are better the day after anyway. And rather than ask who wants what, I'm planning on putting both starters on the table for people to pick from. And then do the same with the mains. That way rather than be 'stuck' with one meal they can pick and choose what they want from where they want, when they want. It's also a friendlier setup I think the way it will work out. It's "catering" for 8 adults of which I'm the only one who can handle heat, so it's a heat-free evening. Hopefully it will go down a storm! Any advice greatly received/appreciated. *not really, but they do know I'm 'into' it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Sounds really good. Do you do home delivery? No rice? Do none of the 8 like it? Spinach in two things - ok if they are spinach fans, but many people aren't. On the other hand, it looks very meat-oriented, so I guess the group isn't especially veggie-minded. Good idea to have things on the table for them to pick from, though maybe some sort of pakora/bhaji thing would work more easily than soup in that respect. Can also be made beforehand and heated through. I would suggest having a go at making your own naan, with a dry run a couple of days before. It's not hard, and you could make one lot of dough and then just finish it off by putting on different toppings, eg garlic and coriander or fennel and anise seeds. The "last minute" stuff would just be rolling out, putting a topping on and baking, not too much work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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