
The men and women who brought curry to Birmingham - okket
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-42542081
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ArtWomb
At the risk of giving away some closely held secrets here. An absolute pro-
tip: use a Pressure Cooker when making meat based curries. In 20 minutes, you
can have a dish that tastes as if it were slow roasted all day long. Can only
speculate as to the science involved. But for goat and lamb that desired
result of a tender, rope-y texture is readily achievable by even though most
inexperienced cooks. Consult YouTube for technique. It even works great with
that Japanese-style "Golden Curry" base you can find in the international
foods section of your local grocery for $2.99 ;)

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wenc
Haha, pressure cookers aren't really a secret. They are found in most
households in India. In the U.S., for years there was an irrational fear of
pressure cookers exploding so they never really caught on until the Instapot
came along (which some people don't realize is a pressure cooker). The fact
is, pressure cooker tech is very old and remarkably safe. It's been "beta-
tested" by millions of people in India.

The science is simple: water vaporizes at 212F/100C at atmospheric pressure.
But if you increase the pressure, the boiling point increases [1]. This means
instead of cooking temperatures maxing out at 212F, the cooker lets one
achieve higher temperatures. This is why pressure cookers are able to cook
faster -- the temperatures are simply higher.

Meats cooked with pressure cookers tend to come out more tender (if you don't
let them dry out) in a shorter amount of time.

[1] Water phase diagram. Notice that on the vaporization-condensation part of
the curve, when P increases, the T crossover point also increases
[https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-chem-atoms-
first/chap...](https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-chem-atoms-
first/chapter/phase-diagrams-2/)

~~~
moonka
>In the U.S., for years there was an irrational fear of pressure cookers
exploding so they never really caught on until the Instapot came along (which
some people don't realize is a pressure cooker). The fact is, pressure cooker
tech is very old and remarkably safe. It's been "beta-tested" by millions of
people in India.

I have a feeling that the recent popularity of the InstaPot will make pressure
cookers much more popular in years to come.

~~~
r00fus
I don't. The instapot still takes plenty of time for the actual eating to be
ready as you have to wait for the pressure to release.

~~~
avtar
Why not twist the valve to release pressure quickly?

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mrob
1\. It fills the room with steam. 2\. It makes the food bubble up onto the lid
so you have to clean it (the lid usually remains perfectly clean because only
steam touches it).

I only use quick release for delicate foods like steamed vegetables.

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UK-Al05
For any non English people who might be a bit confused, Birmingham is known
for being Indian and balti (balti triangle) capital of the UK.

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JdeBP
Ladywood Road and Steelhouse Lane are relatively fairly close together. The
nearest Coleshill Street that I could find, though, is over in Sutton
Coldfield.

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overcast
The use of the term "curry" drives me nuts. It's just an all encompassing word
for Indian food, culminating in that dreadful "curry powder" spice blend the
Brits came up with. Spend some actual time in India, and you'll see there is
an infinite number of sauces and flavors.

~~~
alkonaut
To me the term Curry just means “spice mix” in some form (paste, dry) or in
the context of cooked food, a sauce based on such a mix.

It’s important to remember that when people talk about ”Indian food” in the
western world, we usually mean the British adopted version, not the authentic
stuff.

Similar to how many use the term ”mexican food” when they talk about the food
more properly named “Tex-Mex”

Perhaps there should be a Tex-Mex type term for UK-style
Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi dishes that isn’t just “Curries” or “Indian”.

~~~
wavefunction
>”Indian food” in the western world, we usually mean the British adopted
version

That seems to be the contention of Brits, at least, though it's a claim
fraught with much contention.

Many of the early Indian immigrants to the US were Punjabi and so it is the
dishes or variations of Punjabi cuisine that are considered icons of "Indian
food" in the US.

With subsequent waves of immigration from Kerala and other regions of India
and growing pressure to differentiate many more regionally-focused places have
sprung up in the US, at least for the general public.

A Chettinad restaurant recently opened near me, though I've yet to try it.

