Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





Frying onions with garlic & ginger

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On 20/10/2010 12:10pm, Suzi wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have noticed that in most recipes you add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook until browned.

I find that when i do this the garlic & ginger brown much quicker then my onions, therefore i cannot get the onions to the stage i would like.

I now tend to add the garlic/ginger when i my onions have already browned and cook for just 5 minutes before continuing with the rest of the recipe.

Would this effect the final flavour of my finished dish?

Thanks Suzi

On 20/10/2010 12:10pm, Jan wrote:

I think that most people who don't want the ginger and garlic to burn, actually do it the way you do. They cook the onions, and then just the last couple of minutes, add the garlic and ginger.

Often, recipes aren't carefully monitored, even in cookbooks. A cookbook might tell you to fry onions until golden brown, about five minutes. I don't think that you can brown onions in just five minutes.

On 20/10/2010 01:10pm, Wilsonz wrote:

I agree, I have never got the right result cooking both together. I always cook my onions until well cooked, usually about twenty minutes or so, though I do this on a low heat. I add my Garlic and ginger which I have made into a paste and only cook for a minute or so.

On 20/10/2010 01:10pm, Winton wrote:

I think there was a phase when cookery books went through this rather romantic notion to fry the garlic first to then add other to the 'garlic infused oil.' From my experience with this method you just end up with bits of burnt bitter garlic!

As others have said, onions first, garlic and ginger later.

Winton

On 20/10/2010 02:10pm, Suzi wrote:

Thanks everyone,

Its nice to know its not just me!

Do you think it would effect the end result of the curry?

Maybe the 'well cooked' garlic/ginger adds a different dimension or would just give a burnt tone through out the dish.

On 20/10/2010 02:10pm, Lapis wrote:

when we fry onions, garlic, ginger and chilies, we are trying to do a hot oil extraction of the flavour components within. This can't be done if there is water present, as the temperature is not hot enough.

The onions need to be fried so that the water is driven off (about 80% of an onion is water) and the sulphur compounds in the onion are extracted to be available to form more flavour chemicals when/if meat is added later. The same goes for garlic, this providing more sulphur (and different) flavours for meat reactions. This can only happen in an oil environment.

The ginger undergoes chemical change whilst frying. Bright, lemony flavours in fresh root ginger root change to those found in powdered ginger, more melow and rounded.

Fresh chilli compounds, such as capsaicin, the heat providing chemicals and carotenoids, the colour proving chemicals are both extracted into hot oil.

So to maintain a water free environment, essential for hot oil extraction, fry onions first, then the ginger and garlic, and finally chilli. Then add the meat, if using. Then the spices, which also need oil extraction, especially the ones found in garam masala.

On 20/10/2010 02:10pm, Rajneesh wrote:

Very interesting.

On 20/10/2010 08:10pm, SteveAUS wrote:

Thanks for the question Suzi.....next time i'll be doing my onions first and then adding the garlic and ginger. I normally put them all in together. Will give it a go.

Cheers

Steve

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