Ok for 8 year old to have chicken vindaloo?

Soldato
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But they aren't Indian they should be called indo British cuisine.

That way you could have Indian restaurants which only do authentic. And identify as authentic traditional Indian Vs Indo British.

Naans aren't even Indian either for example. Neither is chicken tikka. They are Indo Persian cuisine.

The traditional North Indian Punjabi breads are

Makki di roti (yellow chapati) normally only ever consumed with saag
Roti (chapati)
Paratha (various types)
Poori
Bhattura normally consumed with chickpeas only or chickpeas and potatoes.

Nobody makes naans or chicken tikka at home in India. Not in a normal home anyway.

My English Indian mate's wife is from India, cannot beat getting back from the pub when she reheats a few veggy dishes from back home, daals and stuff, and chucks us freshly scratch made chapatis to go with them.
 
Caporegime
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Is authentic always better?

Nope (ditto with most foods).

Granted if you're some hipster who places value on stuff simply because it is deemed to be "authentic" or indeed if you're Indian or similar and have been brought up with certain dishes then perhaps you'd place more value on them.

I guess the non-authentic stuff is perhaps more variable with plenty of decidedly mediocre or bad options. I mean there are plenty of random British-Indian curry houses out there slopping out mass produced/pre-prepared, wholesaler bought curry. These are like the Wetherspoons dinner/low end Carvery option.

An actual restaurant in India or similar will much more likely be making things from scratch... ergo any authentic restaurant in the UK is likely going to be a step up from the typical low end British-Indian options.

That doesn't mean that you can't get an Indian restaurant making British-Indian dishes to a high standard or indeed some sort of fusion restaurant.

My current local has some non-typical chef's specials and does make a decent effort at the British-Indian dishes. A previous local when I lived elsewhere used to have a tandoori oven, you could pre-order the day before and they'd marinate your chicken overnight & then slow cook it.

Authentic places can be fairly basic (even if a step up from the low end British curry houses) - in some places they can be mostly vegetarian, I had quite a few Daals in Nepal for example... I remember one place (outside of Kathmandu) where it was something like 20 rupees (basically 20p) and you'd get a tray with some rice and they'd come round and slop out some Daal/curry for you... it was all vegetarian/lentil stuff, essentially eat what you want though as they'd come round and top you up, we asked about meat and that was extra (though only like an extra 10p or something) and was a single portion of like curried goat. The chef/cooks in a place like that are just churning out the same small number of dishes they've learned to cook day in day out, it's good but it isn't necessarily anything special.

So I don't see any reason why some keen chef setting up say a fusion restaurant can't make "better" food than a typical authentic place if they were to put the effort in and experiment etc...
 
Associate
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Nope (ditto with most foods).

Granted if you're some hipster who places value on stuff simply because it is deemed to be "authentic" or indeed if you're Indian or similar and have been brought up with certain dishes then perhaps you'd place more value on them.

I guess the non-authentic stuff is perhaps more variable with plenty of decidedly mediocre or bad options. I mean there are plenty of random British-Indian curry houses out there slopping out mass produced/pre-prepared, wholesaler bought curry. These are like the Wetherspoons dinner/low end Carvery option.

An actual restaurant in India or similar will much more likely be making things from scratch... ergo any authentic restaurant in the UK is likely going to be a step up from the typical low end British-Indian options.

That doesn't mean that you can't get an Indian restaurant making British-Indian dishes to a high standard or indeed some sort of fusion restaurant.

My current local has some non-typical chef's specials and does make a decent effort at the British-Indian dishes. A previous local when I lived elsewhere used to have a tandoori oven, you could pre-order the day before and they'd marinate your chicken overnight & then slow cook it.

Authentic places can be fairly basic (even if a step up from the low end British curry houses) - in some places they can be mostly vegetarian, I had quite a few Daals in Nepal for example... I remember one place (outside of Kathmandu) where it was something like 20 rupees (basically 20p) and you'd get a tray with some rice and they'd come round and slop out some Daal/curry for you... it was all vegetarian/lentil stuff, essentially eat what you want though as they'd come round and top you up, we asked about meat and that was extra (though only like an extra 10p or something) and was a single portion of like curried goat. The chef/cooks in a place like that are just churning out the same small number of dishes they've learned to cook day in day out, it's good but it isn't necessarily anything special.

So I don't see any reason why some keen chef setting up say a fusion restaurant can't make "better" food than a typical authentic place if they were to put the effort in and experiment etc...
Thanks for the considered reply.

I agree. Authentic isn't necessarily better tasting, it's just better at being authentic.
 
Caporegime
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Chicken tikka is always marinaded overnight sometimes even for 2-3 days.

It's nothing special to marinade chicken overnight.

As for authentic not being better tasting. Only recently has the newer higher quality places even compare.

Dishoom, chaakoo and tuk tuk are the top tier I've tried in Glasgow and Edinburgh. And I've tried plenty.

I can guarantee you a traditional curry cooked by a competent Punjabi chef would destroy anything you get in an Indo British restaurant.

I ran one for 5 years and I have loads of friends and they all absolutely love my cooking. One even begs to come over every time I see him at the gurdwara.

There was someone who called me out on here. I posted pics and they weren't seen again and I tagged them 3 times.

Would be good to find that thread again I can't remember who it was.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/chicken-jalfrezi.18840547/

Pics available in the thread above

@Wizzfizz

Still waiting
 
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Soldato
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Cor, that sounds great. The fresh chapatis seals it!

I was thinking about quitting the corporate world and setting up a small business with her as the executive chef, honestly, she does amazing food, so simple, so cheap but once she's cracked the ghee open and got frying, nobody leaves the kitchen.
 
Caporegime
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My English Indian mate's wife is from India, cannot beat getting back from the pub when she reheats a few veggy dishes from back home, daals and stuff, and chucks us freshly scratch made chapatis to go with them.

Yeah you and your mate are lucky to enjoy the pleasures.

It's mental how a lot of people look down on vegetarian food. The perfect daal with a nob of butter is a glorious thing.

You should see if you can try aloo Shimla mirch, aloo gajra, saag with makki di roti, mooli paratha, methi paratha, sabji paratha

Indian yogurt, achar and Indian salad on the side.
 
Associate
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I was thinking about quitting the corporate world and setting up a small business with her as the executive chef, honestly, she does amazing food, so simple, so cheap but once she's cracked the ghee open and got frying, nobody leaves the kitchen.
You haven't profited enough from her cooking already? :p
 
Soldato
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I love spice, but the next day impact isn't great.

I usually go for a Lamb Naga as got bored of my vindaloo - eye watering but loads more flavor. I'd let a child try some of my vindaloo, but I wouldn't order them a full one until they have tried it. Simple really.... not rocket science.

I cant touch any of the chain takeaway pizzas anymore, it just makes me feel like absolute crap the following day. Honestly prefer a supermarket one at this point.
I can echo this, I think it's a result of the obscene salt and sugar content in chain takeaway pizzas.

I've woken up feeling hungover after having one of those before.
 
Capodecina
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I relate to the kid in the OP - when I was a child my dad used to have vindaloos and phals, and I thought it was really impressive and wanted to do the same. I wasn't allowed to though, but I was allowed to work my way up from milder curries. I think the hottest I got was madras, maybe jalfrezi.

Nowadays vindaloo is my staple, and I rarely have a phal, but that's because of the quality of it. There was a place down the road which used to do an amazing phal, a lot of heat and flavour, it was almost fruity and tasted like habanero. It was one of the best curries I ever had, but now they've changed chefs. I also did some serious research into the best curry to have for my 40th and went to a place in Brick Lane, but it just tasted of curry powder, I didn't even finish it. So vindaloo is a safer bet for me.

I have a colleague who cooks traditional Indian and it is quite different from restaurant-bought stuff. I like both.
 
Soldato
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You haven't profited enough from her cooking already? :p

:D

It'd be mutually beneficial, she loves cooking anyway plus, coming from India with no family, she lacks confidence and a life outside of his friends and family, both my missus and I think it would do her the world of good to realise she's got a talent and worth outside of being a wife!
 
Soldato
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Since we’re talking about high quality curries etc....ever tried a Bombay Badboy Pot Noodle? All you can taste is fire...wonder if anyone really likes them
Seem pointless to me
 
Associate
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:D

It'd be mutually beneficial, she loves cooking anyway plus, coming from India with no family, she lacks confidence and a life outside of his friends and family, both my missus and I think it would do her the world of good to realise she's got a talent and worth outside of being a wife!
Sounds a good shout then :)
 
Caporegime
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:D

It'd be mutually beneficial, she loves cooking anyway plus, coming from India with no family, she lacks confidence and a life outside of his friends and family, both my missus and I think it would do her the world of good to realise she's got a talent and worth outside of being a wife!

Cooking at home and cooking for a commercial premises is completely different.
 
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Since we’re talking about high quality curries etc....ever tried a Bombay Badboy Pot Noodle? All you can taste is fire...wonder if anyone really likes them
Seem pointless to me

I remember Pot Noodles being better like 10 years ago. I had one recently (for shame) and it was just watery, tasteless rubbish. Maybe it's because they reduced the amount of salt and sugar that made them vaguely palatable back then?
 
Caporegime
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I remember Pot Noodles being better like 10 years ago. I had one recently (for shame) and it was just watery, tasteless rubbish. Maybe it's because they reduced the amount of salt and sugar that made them vaguely palatable back then?

Nope. Just 10 years ago you were probably at uni and either ravenous, smashed or hungover.

I know I used to eat some utter crap.
 
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