Currying Favour

T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Scott said:
I love a curry...... but curry is not created equal.

Now, this is just my jurisdictional experience... but..... I find hot curries in Scotland hotter than those in England. I always wondered how on earth there were so many below the border folks able to rattle a Vindaloo/Phal without any sweat.... until I tried one in England, and I was genuinely gutted at how "mild" it was. Now don't get me wrong, it had me sweating..... but I polished it off no bother. Up here I need 2 goes at a proper Phal to finish it and I wouldn't even say I'm enjoying it that much.

Up here, the hottest I tend to enjoy is a Madras. Even then it varies by Curry house to Curry house for me as some are proper hot, and some are palatable. When eating out I tend to save myself from the sweats and just go for a South Indian Garlic Chilli Chicken (probably my favourite now).

For a proper experience though, head on into your local takeaway and ask them if they will do a curry pizza for you, or a Calzone. Been doing them up here since the early 2000s (locally to me) yet I'm always surprised to find that folks haven't even considered this (from Glasgow and the surrounding areas, unsure about south of the border).
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Unfortunately, you never know what you're going to get until you start to eat it.

My mate in Birmingham follows one or two chefs as they move from one restaurant to another, and is always going on about how great their curries are...hot but flavourful, fresh herbs/chillis, etc. But then goes and orders fish masala!!!

German curry houses are about the mildest I've ever eaten in - I've never seen a Phal offered, and even their Vindaloo is like a Madras.

Even the two most local ones to me are completely different in heat/spice levels for the same thing, so I just stick to the one I like best.

Scott said:
A great starting point is a South Indian Garlic Chilli Chicken Pizza/Calzone. It just ticks so many of my favourites boxes in one sitting. My eyes glass over like a shark with the first bite.
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Doesn't that make a mess of the deep fat fryer?
 
T

TonyCarter

VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
Scott said:
Like I said.... dessert ;)
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We had a Scottish chef at one of our smaller sites in Corby.

One morning he came in to start the breakfast prep and noticed us all sitting in the dining room working on materials for that day's workshop (we'd actually been there since about 7am the previous morning).

He had a chat with us, and then said he'd put on a special 'pudding' for us at lunchtime...which turned out to be deep fried Mars bars with Mars bar ice cream.

It was lovely for about 2 minutes, and then I could feel my arteries collapsing and my eyeballs rolling into the back of my skull o_O

Although that could have just been a reaction with the deep fried spam fritters and croquettes I'd had just before.
 
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Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
I had a similar resulting experience.

When it became the rage to deep fry them, I went round to my chippy to get one and try it...... It was 50p and the Mars Bar was 3x the size of the current ones....... anyway, I had one bite and the immediate sugar rush was intense. What an experience, what a treat. It was polished off in no time and I was straight in for another.

I think I got around 3/4 through the 2nd one before my entire body went into glucose overload. Whatever it is about a melted mars bar entering the system... it hits fast. It was like some sort of overdose or toxic shock. I couldn't even finish the last bite so it went in the bin.
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Bigfoot said:
…and pizzas, folded and battered - The Scottish Calzone or pizza crunch
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You know this is something I've still never had. A £1 frozen pizza dumped in batter and a fryer has never appealed to me........ ooo the irony :ROFLMAO:

It's the £1 frozen pizza that is what has me lacking that appeal though, not the deep fried batter.
 
Scott

Scott

Behold The Ford Mondeo
Moderator
Bigfoot said:
The Bervie Chipper in Stonehaven claims to have invented this deep fried delight.
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I remember years ago I read that it was from Aberdeen. There have been a few claims.

I think a local place to me, shut down now, could claim to have invented the curry pizza....... they aren't here to fight that good fight though. My town definitely invented the Sugar Top though. It's the only place I know where you can still get them.
 
slimbob

slimbob

Enthusiast
I live next door to a large Indian family who are fantastic neighbours. They also own a few Indian restaurants locally. The smell that diffuses from their own kitchen into my garden or inside my house if the windows are open is out of this world! Bear in mind this is from their own kitchen and what they eat. It is absolute torture I want to hop over the wall and join them.

I can eat very hot food no problem and, in my youth, it was almost a challenge to try and eat the hottest curry I could to beat my mates. But I don’t enjoy it as much as say a Biryani. I only drink water when I eat a curry, years ago I made the very stupid decision to have a coke which of course ruined the whole damn thing!

My Dad who is a curry lover also introduced me to lime pickle. Not sure if you get lime pickle of different strengths hotness wise but the one, he gave me almost blew my head off as I applied it very liberally with my curry.

Must confess I do love curry!!
 
B

Bigfoot

Grand Master
Scott said:
I remember years ago I read that it was from Aberdeen. There have been a few claims.

I think a local place to me, shut down now, could claim to have invented the curry pizza....... they aren't here to fight that good fight though. My town definitely invented the Sugar Top though. It's the only place I know where you can still get them.
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Stonehaven is about 15 miles south of Aberdeen, so probably close enough. It is worth visiting at New Year for the Fireball Festival.
 
Martinr36

Martinr36

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
This is an extremely nice Lime & Chilli chutney

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rouchie

rouchie

Rising Star
If you ever find a store selling dry Ballachung, try some with any asian dishes with rice, it is a most excellent accompaniament! We used to have to travel to Croydon to find it but now our local Indian/Asian store stocks it :) Which reminds me, we need to restock!
I also like a spoon of Crispy Prawn Chilli with pretty much any noodle or rice disk as well (when I have no Ballachung)
 
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