curry diary

Curry Diary: Forward To Fourteen

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So I am on Japanese Curry version #14.

My current quest is to figure out the sweetness issue.  Between the spread, the maple syrup, and the wine (all critical components to the taste I’ve developed) it’s gotten a bit too sweet.  So now I’m trying that terrible task – figuring what to reduce.

That is a BIG pain in cooking.  Adding is easy.  Taking away is easy.  Adding more is challenging.  Reduction?  The worst, because it’s a case of “almost right but . . .”

It’s even more of a pain when you remove because you added something else (in this case, the wine).  If it was a matter of “yeah, I need less of this” that’s one thing.  I need less of SOMETHING because of something new . . . there’s a real pain.

Now beyond my complaining, this is also going to be educational because of the different components I can change.  I’m going to reduce the wine last, if at all, since that gave such a boost to the complexity.  I’m trying reducing Maple Syrup, which is promising, but tones down the interactions surprisingly.  I’m also looking at the spread, which may be more than I need considering the other liquid components, and because it’d reduce some of the oily/salty tastes.

I’m thinking that my quest is going to go on for quite awhile longer – let’s not kid around here, I enjoy the heck out of doing this.  So I’ll probably be trying and tweaking for awhile, and even if I get something I like, I’ll probably keep experimenting.

But we’ll enjoy the ride together!

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

 

 

Milestone Curry #4: Red Wine and More Cocoa Powder

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So my latest experiments led me to the conclusion that a richer Japanese Curry was possible if I used more cocoa powder and some red wine.  The Cocoa powder had already worked wonders and red wine was a known ingredient in some curries (along with fruit juices).  So here’s the latest – and as you may have guessed, it’s a milestone.

  • 4 tablespoons low-fat vegetable spread (I’m just going for this now since the goal is low sodium, low fat)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder. (S&B CURRY)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste.
  • 1 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp garlic
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth OR replacement broth below
  • 1/2 cup red wine (shiraz and zinfandel are good)
  • 2 1/4 tsp cocoa powder (about 3/4 a tablespoon)

Broth Substitute (I didn’t really change the spice mixture so you may want to tone it down a tad – I used storebought broth this time)

  • 2 1/2 cups water.
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp sage
  • 1/4 tsp marjoram
  • 1/4 tsp thyme, ground
  • 1/4 tsp basil
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dill weed, ground
  1. Melt the Spread over low heat in a pot of your choice.
  2. When the spread is melted, add the flour, curry powder, tomato sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, cocoa powder, red pepper and black pepper. Mix thoroughly; I mash, fold, and mix until the color is consistent.
  3. Turn the heat to medium-low.
  4. Now, you want to brown the roux, and there’s a bit of an art to it. What I do is let it cook like a pancake, about 20-45 second until one side browns, then mix it up, fold it into a “pancake” and let it cool again. You may have to play with the heat, but the goal is to basically brown it/fry it slowly. This is needed to develop the flavors.
  5. Eventually it will get crumbly and crack – and you’ll see it visibly brown when it’s let to sit.
  6. Add the vegetable broth and wine to the roux. Turn the heat up so the mixture boils mildly. Do this incrementally so you don’t overdo it or underdog it.
  7. While waiting for it to boil, and when it boils, with a whisk, mix the broth and roux. It also helps to use a spatula to crush chunks of roux against the side of the pan. This can take a bit of effort. In general while mixing, I moderate the heat to get the mild boil.
  8. Stir regularly so it doesn’t adhere/burn.
  9. I wait until the sauce thickets – it reduces by about a fifth. The key I use is when it’s not “boiling” but has the bubbly “bloops” of a thicker sauce. This can take awhile – I find it needs a minimum of 15 minutes, though between heat, time, size of pan, etc. it can vary.  Taking time is good as it also boils away the alchohol.
  10. Serve or put in freezer containers.

The result?

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Curry Diary 8/14/2013: More Cocoa Powder

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Well been on a roll with the Japanese Curry testing – because I’m going to make it for friends this weekend, and two have lived in Japan, so it’s a big test.  Also, hey, curry.

So my latest experiment is just modifying proportions, and using that Big Mess of curry to try adding 50% more cocoa powder.

Now cocoa powder is a fascinating spice.  It’s bitter, earthy, and rich – and it interacts with ingreedients in fascinating ways.  If you’ve tried different kinds of chocolate, used it in chili, etc. you know what I’m talking about.  My energy bars mix vanilla, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and peanut butter together to make oatmeal into bars – and the taste is really hard to describe.

Cocoa powder’s bitterness can work against you like any spice if you’re not careful, so you also don’t want to overdo it.  The first time I tried cocoa powder in my Japanese Curry I put in too much and the bitterness became an unpleasant edge, despite the richness of the overall taste.  I cut it in half and was pretty satisfied with the result – my last Milestone Curry with the cocoa and maple syrup roasted together in the roux is quite a good testimony to what it can do.

But I began wondering if in my quest for richness and depth (OK, kind of an obsession) if maybe I’d cut it too much.  So I upped the cocoa powder to 50% more as noted.

The result?  It definitely added what I was looking for; richer, deeper, more complex without a noticeable increase in bitterness.  Like several of my tweaks I think it enhanced the sense of spiciness, but as noted cocoa powder is a wonderfully complex spice.  It’s also a good reminder how the “parts” of a spice’s taste can vary with combinations and preparation – I thought it would add more bitterness.

So another lesson is I probably cut too much in the first place.  Each spice works differently and has to be adjusted differently.

I also have to wonder what I could do with cocoa powder and Mexican or Indian food . . .

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.