Hi,

I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
carrots but without the power?

Thanks,
Luke.

wrote in message 
news:cfdd8690-98df-4af3-a577-bd2a4dcfd6eb@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
> when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
> overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
> carrots but without the power?
>
> Thanks,
> Luke.

Are you a rabbit?

Col  wrote  on Mon, 5 May 2008 20:48:13 +0100:


>  wrote in message 
> news:cfdd8690-98df-4af3-a577-bd2a4dcfd6eb@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but
>> find that when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the
>> carrot flavour overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I 
>> can stil have the carrots but without the power?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Luke.

> Are you a rabbit?

There is an Indian dessert made from carrots. I forget its name 
but I find most Indian desserts oversweet anyway.

-- 

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: 
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 5 May, 20:48, "Col"  wrote:
>  wrote in message
>
> news:cfdd8690-98df-4af3-a577-bd2a4dcfd6eb@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>
> > Hi,
>
> > I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
> > when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
> > overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
> > carrots but without the power?
>
> > Thanks,
> > Luke.
>
> Are you a rabbit?

It's not just carrots - cauliflower and potatoes too.

Have you got anything constructive to say?

On May 2, 4:05 pm, "lucret...@lycos.co.uk" 
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
> when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
> overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
> carrots but without the power?
>
> Thanks,
> Luke.

Hello Luke,

Which Patak's paste are you using? My preferred one would be the
Madras. You don't say how you are making the curry - is it tomato
based, coconut milk, etc? I've made tomato based vegetable curries
using Pataks Madras paste and a variety of veg including carrots, and
I don't recall them being oversweet. You could try adding a souring
agent such as tamarind or mango powder. Curry leaves would also add a
'deeper' note.

Best wishes, and good luck. :)

Wendy

On 6 May, 12:21, Ruby Hare  wrote:

> Hello Luke,
>
> Which Patak's paste are you using? My preferred one would be the
> Madras. You don't say how you are making the curry - is it tomato

Usually the Madras as it's the right strength and the Vindaloo is
usually weaker.

> based, coconut milk, etc? I've made tomato based vegetable curries

Nah, I normally just use the basic recipe from the jar, paste, tin of
chopped tomatoes, onion and then whatever else, chicken usually but
every now and then mixed vegetables.

> using Pataks Madras paste and a variety of veg including carrots, and
> I don't recall them being oversweet. You could try adding a souring
> agent such as tamarind or mango powder. Curry leaves would also add a
> 'deeper' note.

I normally par boil before putting in, but I've also tried from raw
but the carrots overpower everything else, it's not like I'm using a
lot of carrots either.

Thanks,
Luke.

Quoting from message 

 posted on 6 May 2008 by lucretia9@lycos.co.uk
 I would like to add:

> I normally par boil before putting in, but I've also tried from raw
> but the carrots overpower everything else, it's not like I'm using a
> lot of carrots either.

Do you buy "dirty" carrots or washed carrots - the unwashed carrots do 
have much more flavour than the washed ones.

I'm not sure of the difference in flavour between the baby carrots and 
mature ones as I don't use baby carrots.

-- 
.ElaineJ.  Home Pages and FAQ of uk.food+drink.indian can be viewed at 
.Virtual.  http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ejones/ufdi/index.html 
StrongArm  Under construction, FAQ, recipes, tips, booklist, links
.RISC PC.  Questions and suggestions please, email or to the newsgroup

On May 6, 6:04 pm, "lucret...@lycos.co.uk" 
wrote:

> Usually the Madras as it's the right strength and the Vindaloo is
> usually weaker.

Weaker? How do you mean?

> > based, coconut milk, etc? I've made tomato based vegetable curries
>
> Nah, I normally just use the basic recipe from the jar, paste, tin of
> chopped tomatoes, onion and then whatever else, chicken usually but
> every now and then mixed vegetables.

Don't forget the garlic and ginger!

Wendy

In message , Elaine Jones 
 writes

>I'm not sure of the difference in flavour between the baby carrots and
>mature ones as I don't use baby carrots.

Me neither, but experience of *other* "baby" veg suggests they would 
likely be sweeter

Carrots today are much sweeter than in my childhood and even then they 
were a "treat" and I received them rather than sweets!!
-- 
Rex M F Smith

On 7 May, 01:30, Elaine Jones  wrote:

> Do you buy "dirty" carrots or washed carrots - the unwashed carrots do
> have much more flavour than the washed ones.

Generally ones in bags in supermarkets, these have been washed.

> I'm not sure of the difference in flavour between the baby carrots and
> mature ones as I don't use baby carrots.

No idea.

Luke.

On 7 May, 11:42, Ruby Hare  wrote:

> > Usually the Madras as it's the right strength and the Vindaloo is
> > usually weaker.
>
> Weaker? How do you mean?

The Madras is usually hotter. I don't know why, it should be the other
way around.

> > > based, coconut milk, etc? I've made tomato based vegetable curries
>
> > Nah, I normally just use the basic recipe from the jar, paste, tin of
> > chopped tomatoes, onion and then whatever else, chicken usually but
> > every now and then mixed vegetables.
>
> Don't forget the garlic and ginger!

Why? There should be some in there already, if the type of curry calls
for it.

Luke.

On 7 May, 14:45, Rex M F Smith  wrote:

> Me neither, but experience of *other* "baby" veg suggests they would
> likely be sweeter
>
> Carrots today are much sweeter than in my childhood and even then they
> were a "treat" and I received them rather than sweets!!

I've never used baby carrots, just the big-uns in the bags.

Luke.

lucretia9@lycos.co.uk  wrote  on Wed, 7 May 2008 09:04:52 -0700 
(PDT):

>> Do you buy "dirty" carrots or washed carrots - the unwashed
>> carrots do have much more flavour than the washed ones.

> Generally ones in bags in supermarkets, these have been
> washed.

>> I'm not sure of the difference in flavour between the baby
>> carrots and mature ones as I don't use baby carrots.

> No idea.

I just raised the energy to look for it and the Indian Carrot 
Dessert that I mentioned is Gajjar Ka Halwa. There are a lot of 
dessert recipes at
      www.indiasnacks.com/category/38/Desserts.php - 21k -


-- 

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: 
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On May 2, 8:05�am, "lucret...@lycos.co.uk" 
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
> when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
> overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
> carrots but without the power?
>
> Thanks,
> Luke.

I use Patak's Mild Curry Paste a lot for vegetable curries. Other
ingredients: an onion, diced tomatoes, garam masala and sour cream or
coconut milk. Can't imagine carrots overpowering.

On 7 May, 17:05, "lucret...@lycos.co.uk" 
wrote:
> On 7 May, 11:42, Ruby Hare  wrote:

> > Don't forget the garlic and ginger!
>
> Why? There should be some in there already, if the type of curry calls
> for it.

Because IMO it vastly improves the flavour in a paste-made curry.

Wendy

On Thu, 8 May 2008 05:45:25 -0700 (PDT), Ruby Hare
 wrote:

>On 7 May, 17:05, "lucret...@lycos.co.uk" 
>wrote:
>> On 7 May, 11:42, Ruby Hare  wrote:
>
>> > Don't forget the garlic and ginger!
>>
>> Why? There should be some in there already, if the type of curry calls
>> for it.
>
>Because IMO it vastly improves the flavour in a paste-made curry.

I nearly always start with onion, some garlic and some ginger, varying
the proportions as required, before using curry paste, and then also
add more turmeric, cumin, coriander, chilli etc. as I feel required.
Sticking to a basic paste and following the recipe on the jar with no
additions gives a very bland result, IME. 

Oh, and very rarely do we use just one curry paste - mixing two allows
a much better control of flavour, as some of them can be a bit
single-flavoured on their own.

And on the carrot front, I can't help wondering why the OP wants to
add carrots, when they clearly don't like the flavour they give. I
don't often use them in curry, but certainly do so on occasion, and
when used in moderation have never found them overpowering.

-- 
  _______
.'_/_|_\_'.  Ace (b.rogers at ifrance.com)
\`\  |  /`/  
 `\\ | //'   BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
   `\|/`
     `

On May 2, 11:05 am, "lucret...@lycos.co.uk" 
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
> when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
> overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
> carrots but without the power?
>
> Thanks,
> Luke.

Carrots are supposed to impart sweetness. If you make any type of
tomato based sauce, you add grated carrot during cooking to counter
the tartness of some of the tomatoes high in acid.

It is no different when you are making Curry. If you do not like the
sweetness, you counter it by adding some tart acid such as tamarind or
lime juice or Amchoor (dried tart mango powder).
Yogi

wrote in message 
news:c9f700e1-3526-4faa-a205-d708d3326604@j22g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> On 5 May, 20:48, "Col"  wrote:
>>  wrote in message
>>
>> news:cfdd8690-98df-4af3-a577-bd2a4dcfd6eb@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> > Hi,
>>
>> > I've made a few vegetable curries using Patak's paste but find that
>> > when I add carrots the curry is too sweet and the carrot flavour
>> > overpowers everything else. Anyone know how I can stil have the
>> > carrots but without the power?
>>
>> > Thanks,
>> > Luke.
>>
>> Are you a rabbit?
>
> It's not just carrots - cauliflower and potatoes too.
>
> Have you got anything constructive to say?

Yes. Take one medium sized carrot, wash it, peel it and then shove it up 
your arse.