'Curry colleges'

[Pete]

'Curry colleges' to help create jobs for UK unemployed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18044462

"Curry houses in the UK which are struggling to recruit Asian staff because of tougher immigration rules, are being urged by the government to accept graduates from new "curry colleges".

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, is opening five "centres of excellence" across England, offering training to young unemployed people in Asian cookery.

Catrin Nye reports...."

Video at link. I got hungry just watching the story. Man, I love the Indian Sub Continent cooking. Bombay Bistro here in town is the closest I get these days.

[Guymullins]

Originally Posted by Pete

'Curry colleges' to help create jobs for UK unemployed

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18044462

"Curry houses in the UK which are struggling to recruit Asian staff because of tougher immigration rules, are being urged by the government to accept graduates from new "curry colleges".

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, is opening five "centres of excellence" across England, offering training to young unemployed people in Asian cookery.

Catrin Nye reports...."

Video at link. I got hungry just watching the story. Man, I love the Indian Sub Continent cooking. Bombay Bistro here in town is the closest I get these days.

Isnt it surprising how rare Indian food is in the USA. It is not as if there isnt a strong following of highly spiced and hot foods like Mexican food. I know most Texans love their chillies as well.

[mojaveman]

Have developed a taste for spicy Indian cuisine too. I'll have to get over there one of these days.

[mark46th]

I usually prefer a native to make whatever ethnic food I am eating. I walked into a Chinese restaurant in Cedar City, Utah. The cook was a gwai-loh opening a can of Chung King noodles....

[Richard]

There are some family owned Indian, Middle Eastern, and Asian restaurants around here whose menus are whatever 'Mom' fixes that day. The food is outstanding and the customer base loyal. I try to avoid chain restaurants as much as possible.

Richard

[Streck-Fu]

There is a pocket of ethnic restaurants here in town that I love to visit when I can. Everything from a great Peruvian place to traditional Szechuan complete with the entire Chinese family with children occupying a corner table before the dinner service. Good god they make some spicy and flavorful food.

[Pete]

When I was knocking around in Pakistan we got a lot of a red curry based dish - pretty spicey. It's taste is very similar to one of the dishes I get at the Bombay Bistro.

The base was a red powder that contained a number of spices - and I guess mostly red pepper. I asked and was told the mixture was called Mer-itch - that's the best I can type it.

I looked up some Indian recipes and found they are not for the causual cooker. The spice list was a little long and would be good only if you planned to do it more than a couple of times a year.

[Richard]

Pete,

I'll never forget the spice merchants in the 'shuk' in Jerusalem - you'd better know what you're doing as the choices were nearly overwhelming.

Richard

[Streck-Fu]

Originally Posted by Richard

Pete,

I'll never forget the spice merchants in the 'shuk' in Jerusalem - you'd better know what you're doing as the choices were nearly overwhelming.

Richard

I spent a few week in Penang, Malaysia in 2008 and there was an Indian neighborhood with 2 full streets dedicated to such shops. The aromas dominated that area. It smelled awesome. And the the street venders sold those really good curry pastries....

Damn, I just ate lunch and am hungry again.....

[Guymullins]

Originally Posted by Pete

When I was knocking around in Pakistan we got a lot of a red curry based dish - pretty spicey. It's taste is very similar to one of the dishes I get at the Bombay Bistro.

The base was a red powder that contained a number of spices - and I guess mostly red pepper. I asked and was told the mixture was called Mer-itch - that's the best I can type it.

I looked up some Indian recipes and found they are not for the causual cooker. The spice list was a little long and would be good only if you planned to do it more than a couple of times a year.

We have many Indians who have been here for many generations, but have kept the Indian cooking alive. The spice shops will all prepare a pre-mix for the type of curry you prefer, and you can buy in bulk. It will keep indefinitely in an airtight container. Be careful to specify mild, medium, hot or Mother-in-law though. This is the chillie content. The rest of the spices remain in the same ratios.

[mojaveman]

Originally Posted by mark46th

I usually prefer a native to make whatever ethnic food I am eating. I walked into a Chinese restaurant in Cedar City, Utah. The cook was a gwai-loh opening a can of Chung King noodles....

Hey Mark,

Have you ever driven down Artesia Blvd? It's been awhile but at least that's where I remember little India being. Having all of the different cultures represented here is at least one good thing about Southern California. Real Indian food is great.

[mark46th]

Yeah- That area of Artesia has become little India. My wife taught in Cerritos for 30 years. The East side of town is now Korean, the West side is Indian. When my family first moved to California in 1956, we called that whole area "Dairyland".

[Guymullins]

Natal Curry Eating Contest


-



For those of you who have lived in Natal, you know how typical this is!

They actually have a Curry Cook-off about June/July.

It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the Royal Show in PMB.

Judge #3 was an inexperienced food critic named Frank, who was visiting from America.



Frank: "Recently, I was honoured to be selected as a judge at a Curry Cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and so I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to the Beer Garden when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Natal 'Indians') that the curry wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted".

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CURRY # 1 - SEELAN'S MANIAC MONSTER TOMATO CURRY...

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice smooth tomato flavour. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy s##t, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These people are crazy.



CHILI # 2 - PHOENIX BBQ CHICKEN CURRY...

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of chicken. Slight chili tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavour, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich manoeuvre! They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.



CURRY # 3 - SHAMILA'S FAMOUS "BURN DOWN THE GARAGE" CURRY...

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse curry. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of chili peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call 911. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drain Cleaner. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting pissed from all the beer.



CHILI # 4 - BABOO'S BLACK MAGIC BEAN CURRY...

Judge # 1 -- Black bean curry with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a curry.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Shareen, the beer maid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 200kg woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?



CHILI # 5 LALL'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER...

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong curry. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Average beef curry, could use more tomato. Must admit the chili peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Shareen saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw them



CHILI # 6 - VERISHNEE'S VEGETARIAN VARIETY...

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety curry. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulphuric flames. I am definitely going to sh!t myself if I fart and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Shareen. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone ice cream.



CHILI # 7 - SELINA'S "MOTHER-IN-LAW'S-TONGUE" CURRY...

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre curry with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. (I should take note at this stage that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably).

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with curry which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least, during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing - it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.



CHILI # 8 - NAIDOO'S TOENAIL CURLING CURRY...

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending. This is a nice blend curry. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced curry. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the curry pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor man, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot curry?

Judge # 3 - No Report

[smp52]

Originally Posted by Pete

When I was knocking around in Pakistan we got a lot of a red curry based dish - pretty spicey. It's taste is very similar to one of the dishes I get at the Bombay Bistro.

The base was a red powder that contained a number of spices - and I guess mostly red pepper. I asked and was told the mixture was called Mer-itch - that's the best I can type it.

I looked up some Indian recipes and found they are not for the causual cooker. The spice list was a little long and would be good only if you planned to do it more than a couple of times a year.

Meerch is the subcontinental word for chilli/pepper. It varies a tad between Urdu and Hindi, but typically if someone says it's got meerch, it's packing some heat.

Garam Masala is the typical all-spice blend.

The basic spices to get you close are the following:
Cumin powder
Cumin seeds
Garam Masala
Mustard Seeds
Black Pepper
Red chili powder (or Cheyenne Pepper)
Salt
Turmeric

Honestly, there are some really good spice blend mixes that they sell which pretty much takes the pain away from managing a large spice rack. While we cook a bunch and have our own spice rack, we also keep spice mixes from the following brands:

Everest (Indian)
Shan (Pakistani)
Rasoi Magic (the most painless one and pretty decent for quick Indian meals).

No shame in dipping into the above; they are popular in the subcontinent as well as with immigrants.

Good places to grab a recipe on the net:

Tarla Dalal
Manjulas Kitchen

I hope the above helps satisfy the craving. Subcontinental food tends to have a love/hate relationship to it with either people loving it, or absolutely cannot stand it. Most of the food marketed in the west tends to be Punjabi (Indian or Pakistani) centric food, which is what the Brits enjoyed the most. South Indian dishes are much more vegetarian and rice based, and good for more lighter meals.

There is a spice mix called "Meat Masala" that Everest or Shan sell, which I've used to great success on Baby Back Ribs. It makes a great spice rub and then cook the ribs the way you like em (I've used the Team Sergeant's method and, of course, people loved it). It blends well with burgers and a rack of lamb, too.

[Requiem]

Originally Posted by smp52

Most of the food marketed in the west tends to be Punjabi (Indian or Pakistani) centric food, which is what the Brits enjoyed the most. South Indian dishes are much more vegetarian and rice based, and good for more lighter meals.

According to my mom, who was raised in Mussoori in the foothills of Himalayas, Southern Indian food is much spicier (hotter) than the northern.

I'll have to try those curry brands you recommend. I haven't found one yet that I really like so I mostly don't use it. My Indian cooking tends to have a lot of mustard seed, cumin seed, turmeric, and other spices tossed in. It's worth the space they take in the cupboard.

Susan