My favourite recipe is

[Udayana]

Sourdough bread: substitute sourdough starter for dried yeast. Make the starter by putting a cup of flour in a bowl, and adding enough warm water with a level dessertspoonful of honey, treacle, syrup or malt extract dissolved in it to make a sloppy batter. Cover loosely, and leave in a warm place, such as a windowsill. Each day thereasfter, feed it with a bit more water and honey or whatever, and a bit more flour. After a few days, it should be fermenting vigorously, thanks to wild yeasts. After a week or so, add it to the liquid as described above along with 4 tbsps of your preferred sugar, and proceed as above. Rising may be slow. If you keep back a bit of the dough and freeze it, you can keep a culture going indefinitely.

I've been trying to create a starter since our yeast ran out a couple of weeks ago, but with little luck - tiny bubbles and dough not rising despite sour yeasty smell. Had decided this might be due to chlorine in the water killing any wild yeasts - anyone else noticed the strong  smell of chlorine in tap water since covid hit?.

Had not added any sugar - will try that now, thanks!

[SteveH]

Use cool boiled water - I think boiling drives off chlorine.
Just started a new starter - haven't made sourdough for yonks.

[ad_orientem]

If you keep back a bit of the dough and freeze it, you can keep a culture going indefinitely.

That's kind of how we traditionally make rye bread over here. Instead of freezing some of the dough, the dough is made in a big wooden bowl which isn't washed. The culture kind of embeds itself into the bowl. If I rwmember right it's called "juuri" which means "root".

[Udayana]

That's kind of how we traditionally make rye bread over here. Instead of freezing some of the dough, the dough is made in a big wooden bowl which isn't washed. The culture kind of embeds itself into the bowl. If I rwmember right it's called "juuri" which means "root".

I'll definitely give rye bread a try if I can get the starter ... started.

[flower girl]

Saw a video from Bon Appetite where two of their test-kitchen chefs made Roti from a fermented batter.  They made two different batters, both of which were a combination of rice flour and lentil flour. 

Jedediah Cleishbotham (  ), I thought you might be interested in this one because it involves fermentation.

[SteveH]

Saw a video from Bon Appetite where two of their test-kitchen chefs made Roti from a fermented batter.  They made two different batters, both of which were a combination of rice flour and lentil flour. 

Jedediah Cleishbotham (  ), I thought you might be interested in this one because it involves fermentation.

Sounds interesting - sort of sourdough roti!

[flower girl]

Sounds interesting - sort of sourdough roti!

I came right back in, as I realized I had got it wrong!  Not Roti.  Dosas.  It's a kind of Indian crepe you cook on a hot griddle or round pan.  So sorry.  I came in as soon as I could to correct my mistake.  Here's the video I watched:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eV1ZgwB9bY

Please try and overlook the video edits, silliness, et al.  Just look at what they are actually doing.  I'm looking forward to your inputs, as I so want to try this.

[flower girl]

Well, my dosa effort was a huge failure.  The batter and fermenting seemed to work out fine, but no matter what pan I used (and I have good ones, even my grandmother's best cast-iron frying pan) the batter wouldn't smear properly and it would stick like glue.  I can literally cook pancakes with my grandmother's pans without using oil first in the pan.  I even tried putting oil in the pan, and it would still stick.  So frustrated. 

I'm off to see if I can find a good foodie group on Facebook to see if I can get some advice.

[flower girl]

I do so hope this thread picks up.  It's always nice to hear what others are cooking.

[ad_orientem]

Getting very close to mastering my British Indian Restaurant (BIR) favourites. Spent a lot of time during corona perfecting my techniques. The key seems to be many things, especially spiced oil and base gravy. Have the house to myself next week. I'll eat curry every day. Living the dream!

[Nearly Sane]

Getting very close to mastering my British Indian Restaurant (BIR) favourites. Spent a lot of time during corona perfecting my techniques. The key seems to be many things, especially spiced oil and base gravy. Have the house to myself next week. I'll eat curry every day. Living the dream!

What ones have you been working on?

[ad_orientem]

What ones have you been working on?

Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant I nearly always order a vindaloo, but some of the ones I've been making are rogan josh, jalfrezi, bhunas and saw a good recipe for a pan fried fish. Also onion bhajis and pilau rice. Some really good youtube channels as well where I've learnt a lot. Also made my own spice blends.

[Nearly Sane]

Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant I nearly always order a vindaloo, but some of the ones I've been making are rogan josh, jalfrezi, bhunas and saw a good recipe for a pan fried fish. Also onion bhajis and pilau rice. Some really good youtube channels as well where I've learnt a lot. Also made my own spice blends.

That's great, I now fancy a curry. I usually make my own breads for them

[ad_orientem]

That's great, I now fancy a curry. I usually make my own breads for them

Sounds good. Making the bread is something I haven't got to yet. Never been a good baker. I always cheat and buy ready made from the supermarket.

[Nearly Sane]

Sounds good. Making the bread is something I haven't got to yet. Never been a good baker. I always cheat and buy ready made from the supermarket.

I'll bring the bread and the beer then

[ad_orientem]

I'll bring the bread and the beer then

 

[flower girl]

Getting very close to mastering my British Indian Restaurant (BIR) favourites. Spent a lot of time during corona perfecting my techniques. The key seems to be many things, especially spiced oil and base gravy. Have the house to myself next week. I'll eat curry every day. Living the dream!

Excellent!  I've tried chicken tikka masala with some success.  I was able to find an Indian Curry plant which grows very well here in Florida.  I would love to be able to make a good mutton biryani, and these leaves are a key ingredient. 

[ad_orientem]

Excellent!  I've tried chicken tikka masala with some success.  I was able to find an Indian Curry plant which grows very well here in Florida.  I would love to be able to make a good mutton biryani, and these leaves are a key ingredient.

Sounds nice. There are some good resources on Youtube. One I would recommend (and I think he does do a lamb biryani on the channel) is Latif's Inspired. Loads and loads of useful stuff.

[flower girl]

Sounds nice. There are some good resources on Youtube. One I would recommend (and I think he does do a lamb biryani on the channel) is Latif's Inspired. Loads and loads of useful stuff.

Thanks for the recommendation.  Have watched two of his videos. Two most important techniques I've learned: how to cook a better firm and separated rice and to take more time with each step when cooking the gravy. 

[SteveH]

Made home-made "baked" (really boiled) beans on Saturday, with "red" (really purple) kidney beans, "red" (really purple) onions, "black" (really dark browny-purple) tomatoes, red, yellow and orange "peppers" (really capsicums - no relation to the spice), and chilli (which is hot). Why is culinary language so confusing?

[SteveH]

Made home-made "baked" (really boiled) beans on Saturday, with "red" (really purple) kidney beans, "red" (really purple) onions, "black" (really dark browny-purple) tomatoes, red, yellow and orange "peppers" (really capsicums - no relation to the spice), and chilli (which is hot). Why is culinary language so confusing?

I made a huge panful, and put into four large sterilised jars. Just opened the first, and had some with rice and plum and apple chutney. Delicious! It is really chilli sin carne (vegan version of chilli con carne)

[SteveH]

Got a big pot of kimcheat (sort-of kimchi, but with inauthentic ingredients) fermenting away, containing red cabbage, rosemary, red onions, celeriac, and radish, all chopped up fine in the food processor, and 2% by weight of sea salt added. It looks and smells great. It's been fermenting for a week, and I'll jar it tomorrow.

[Harrowby Hall]

Something to do on a boring Thursday morning. I have just made a batch of my home town's contribution to culinary excellence: Grantham Gingerbreads.

Believed to be the oldest known biscuit recipe in England, they have had a resurgence in recent years - Michael Portillo interrupted one of his train journeys to try his hand at making them.

They are simple to make - using only sugar, fat, self-raising flour, ginger and an egg and baked slowly in a cool oven. They should be golden in colour, dome-shaped and hollow.

[Aruntraveller]

On the topic of biscuits. I make a batch every week with a standard 2,4,6 mix of sugar, butter, flour.

Last week however I hadn't got enough butter so I searched around for a substitute. Olive oil!

I know that doesn't sound as if it should work but it absolutely does.

250g of plain white flour, 75g of caster sugar, and 150-160 ml of Olive oil. Mix flour and sugar together then form a dough with the olive oil. Add vanilla essence or lemon for flavour with the olive oil. Chill for 30 minutes in cling film in fridge. Then form into 12 balls and flatten on a greased baking tray. Dabs of marmalade/jam on top.

Bake at 160C for 20-25 minutes. Delicious.