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Curry Mixes etc Any Ideas
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dollylovesshoes
05-04-2012
My closest friends (English) have lived in the States for over 20yrs now but they still crave a curry (restaurant type) In the past I've taken them out mixes etc for her to cook over there...... obviously as time has gone on food prep gets better and there maybe food mixes out there that can perhaps *hit the spot*....

I'm due to visit in May can anybody suggest anything that may hit that spot with them.....in the past I've taken out the usual curry mixes as such but that was a few years ago now....


Any suggestions welcomed...Thankyou folks....
JulesF
05-04-2012
Pataks curry pastes are really good and come in all sorts of varieties. There's a thread here at the moment where most people agree that they are the best if you're not making a curry from scratch. Get the pastes though, not the ready-made sauces.

Or maybe you could take a selection of spices so that she can experiment with making her own curries? It's really not hard at all. There are loads of recipies on the web that you could look at to give you an idea of what you need.
diablo
06-04-2012
My favourite general purpose curry powder is Kohinoor Madras, which no longer seems to be available now.

I have tried a lot of others but to my taste they aren't as good. Stuff I made with the Kohinoor seemed to taste much like the best curries I used to get from Indian takeaways and restaurants.

Most standard curry powders usually contain coriander, cumin, black mustard seeds, dried red chillies, black peppercorns, turmeric and fenugreek seeds in varying proportions by brand. The Kohinoor, on the other hand had turmeric, red chillies, cumin, coriander, asafoetida, amchur , fenugreek and nutmeg.

So maybe get one of the standard curry powders and get the extra asafoetida and amchar from Spices of India - or Tesco if they have a big spice display. Those bitter tasting spices make all the difference even though you only add a tiny amount. I assume your friends already have nutmegs and something to grind it with.
dosanjh1
06-04-2012
Originally Posted by dollylovesshoes:
“My closest friends (English) have lived in the States for over 20yrs now but they still crave a curry (restaurant type) In the past I've taken them out mixes etc for her to cook over there...... obviously as time has gone on food prep gets better and there maybe food mixes out there that can perhaps *hit the spot*....

I'm due to visit in May can anybody suggest anything that may hit that spot with them.....in the past I've taken out the usual curry mixes as such but that was a few years ago now....


Any suggestions welcomed...Thankyou folks....”

They can't get curry in the states
whoever,hey
06-04-2012
Why cant they get curry in the states? Its not an english food.
dollylovesshoes
07-04-2012
Thanks for replies!


Don't really want to take jars,my friend really doesn't like cooking,I can't see her mixing all the different spices :

She works late hours so weekends she cooks but likes quickness,hence me asking about mixes. To her spending too much time over the cooker gives her palpitations :

Yes you can get curry over there but they have nothing like the selections we have here and indiannrestaurants are few!
indianwells
07-04-2012
I know you don't want to take jars but Lloyd Grossmans Balti sauce mixed with chopped fresh toms and fresh coriander comes very close to what you get in a British Indian restaurant. Fresh chilli's to adjust the heat you like and it's the closest i've got without grinding your own spices.
dollylovesshoes
07-04-2012
Originally Posted by indianwells:
“I know you don't want to take jars but Lloyd Grossmans Balti sauce mixed with chopped fresh toms and fresh coriander comes very close to what you get in a British Indian restaurant. Fresh chilli's to adjust the heat you like and it's the closest i've got without grinding your own spices.”

Thanks Indian I'm taking out lots of stuff for her,just means that jars take up room in suitcases and more liable to get broke!!
degsyhufc
07-04-2012
Why doesn't she just buy pastes/sauces online?
Aarghawasp!
07-04-2012
You could make up zip lock bags of dried spice mix using ideas from the other thread. All she'd have to do is add the wet ingredients. You'd have to explain that at the airport though!
whoever,hey
07-04-2012
Originally Posted by degsyhufc:
“Why doesn't she just buy pastes/sauces online?”

she doesn't cook.
degsyhufc
07-04-2012
Originally Posted by whoever,hey:
“she doesn't cook.”

Then what's the point of taking a paste or mix over?
Quote:
“In the past I've taken them out mixes etc for her to cook over there”

dollylovesshoes
07-04-2012
Anything that is quick basically,even when she does a spaghetti bog everything gets thrown in!! yes I know!!! Not like most of us cook!!
diablo
07-04-2012
Originally Posted by dollylovesshoes:
“Anything that is quick basically,even when she does a spaghetti bog everything gets thrown in!! yes I know!!! Not like most of us cook!!”

You'll have to show her how to do it dolls, frying off the onions (maybe bought ready chopped?) in some oil and then adding the spices to brown for a few minutes - that's the most important bit.

Doesn't take that long really, six minutes? - and then throw in the rest of the stuff leave to cook as in the recipe.

(best to first brown off the meat first too and drain in a sieve but that takes extra time!)

Can't just bung evrything in a pot for a proper curry.
dollylovesshoes
08-04-2012
Originally Posted by diablo:
“You'll have to show her how to do it dolls, frying off the onions (maybe bought ready chopped?) in some oil and then adding the spices to brown for a few minutes - that's the most important bit.

Doesn't take that long really, six minutes? - and then throw in the rest of the stuff leave to cook as in the recipe.

(best to first brown off the meat first too and drain in a sieve but that takes extra time!)

Can't just bung evrything in a pot for a proper curry. ”

Dabs I've done that in the past ie:show her what do do but she still does the same!!
degsyhufc
08-04-2012
Originally Posted by dollylovesshoes:
“Anything that is quick basically,even when she does a spaghetti bog everything gets thrown in!! yes I know!!! Not like most of us cook!!”

I've made chilli con carne like that after seeing it on a US tv show and it worked out very well.
e.g.
Put the mince in a pan and add the water/stock and stir it to make a slurry.
Add veg, tomatoes, spices, seasonings etc.
Turn on the heat and cook for an hour.
whoever,hey
08-04-2012
Sounds like she is a lost cause, across the atlantic, cant be bothered too cook. You must be a really good friend.
whoever,hey
08-04-2012
Originally Posted by dollylovesshoes:
“Anything that is quick basically,even when she does a spaghetti bog everything gets thrown in!! yes I know!!! Not like most of us cook!!”

I also cook like that sometimes. Its called a one-pot recipe.
*Topaz*
09-04-2012
I'd say if you want to buy authentic curry mixes the best place to buy them from is in an Asian store - I've bought Shan powder curry mixes from stores - I've even seen them in the ethnic aisle of some supermarkets and apparently this is a popular brand in Asian households - however because they cater to an Asian palate some of the mixes are very hot - so I wouldn't follow the recipes on the back of the boxes which recommend using half a packet I find less is more with these mixes but most of them I've tried I've liked.
dollylovesshoes
09-04-2012
Originally Posted by degsyhufc:
“I've made chilli con carne like that after seeing it on a US tv show and it worked out very well.
e.g.
Put the mince in a pan and add the water/stock and stir it to make a slurry.
Add veg, tomatoes, spices, seasonings etc.
Turn on the heat and cook for an hour.”

Yes degs that's what she does,spag Bol and chilli!

I have to laugh though!she knows and admits she is terrible on the cooking front!! Oh well I will Just keep looking round.
dollylovesshoes
10-04-2012
Actually I bought some *Shana* curry sauces, they are in a packet packed in a slim box, I bought about 3 of em but forgot to take em last year! Have to get rid cos of sell by date, perhaps I'll get a few of them.......have to be careful cos too many could be weighty.....
indianwells
10-04-2012
Originally Posted by degsyhufc:
“I've made chilli con carne like that after seeing it on a US tv show and it worked out very well.
e.g.
Put the mince in a pan and add the water/stock and stir it to make a slurry.
Add veg, tomatoes, spices, seasonings etc.
Turn on the heat and cook for an hour.”

Three words I never thought i'd see on a cooking forum!
c4rv
10-04-2012
Originally Posted by indianwells:
“Three words I never thought i'd see on a cooking forum!”

why ? its a common cooking term.
dollylovesshoes
10-04-2012
Personally I hate short cuts etc! But I know me mate any short cuts! Oh well
sinead6uk
10-04-2012
I've tried quite a few curry kits from curryfrenzy.com and the jalfrazi and bhuna are really good. you still need to add garlic ginger onion chilli's etc but they could get the frozen or jarred stuff to save time?

I really fancy a curry now!
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