What can I replace this with? Alternatives and substitutions.

zippychick

Swan wrote: »

couldn't agree more

I love curry, & have 15 different curry cookbooks & around 60 herbs & spices

sometimes I'll start from scratch & roast & grind the spices & use all fresh ingredients & make something complex, other times I'll use one of Ferns (much prefer them to Patak's etc) curry pastes for a quick fix, it all depends on circumstances

as long as it tastes good, I'm happy

Isn't roasting the spices called Tarka (when done in oil)? I think....Again, I'm only learning curries Glad you share my enthusiasm. Sixty books though!:eek::rotfl:

Here, Jamies Ministry of food has loads of curry pastes you can make yourself, so i can always send some to you by PM if that's uiseful. In his recipes, he then says either use Pataks x paste, or my y paste IYKWIM? He has pastes in Korma, Jalfrezi, rogan josh, tikka masala, and vindaloo.

By the way, the spice I have never seen is called Asafetida - the sap and roots from the stem of a giant fennel like plant dries into a hard resin. Ground or whole, has a fetid aroma,good for digestion and the slight garlicy flavour it leaves behind after cooking (has been compared to the smell of truffles)

I imagined someone would ask at some point

septemberblues

What can I substitue coconut milk with? I've got dessicated coconut in the house..........................and no cash so would love a substitute! I'm thinking of sweet stuff rather than savoury.

Thankyou

Swan_2

septemberblues wrote: »

What can I substitue coconut milk with? I've got dessicated coconut in the house..........................and no cash so would love a substitute! I'm thinking of sweet stuff rather than savoury.

Thankyou

depending on what it is you're making, maybe you could use some dessicated coconut for flavour & ordinary milk for the liquid element, it would affect the texture though if it's something smooth you're making

Swan_2

zippychick wrote: »

Isn't roasting the spices called Tarka (when done in oil)? I think....Again, I'm only learning curries Glad you share my enthusiasm. Sixty books though!:eek::rotfl:

Here, Jamies Ministry of food has loads of curry pastes you can make yourself, so i can always send some to you by PM if that's uiseful. In his recipes, he then says either use Pataks x paste, or my y paste IYKWIM? He has pastes in Korma, Jalfrezi, rogan josh, tikka masala, and vindaloo.

By the way, the spice I have never seen is called Asafetida - the sap and roots from the stem of a giant fennel like plant dries into a hard resin. Ground or whole, has a fetid aroma,good for digestion and the slight garlicy flavour it leaves behind after cooking (has been compared to the smell of truffles)

I imagined someone would ask at some point

yes, a tarka is spices fried in oil & usually added at the end of the cooking or just before serving

I have 60-ish herbs & spices, only 15 curry books (& faaar too many others) but I've been collecting for a long time

but Jamie's is not one of them, so some 'hints' via PM would be very welcome

funny, Asafoetida was the one that sprung to mind when I read your previous post, as it happens I have some, mine is the powdered kind & it comes in a little yellow pot, it has a slightly sulphurous smell, but that goes away when it's cooked
I'm trying to remember what it is I use it in now :think:

really fancy a curry now :drool:

wssla00

Swan wrote: »

depending on what it is you're making, maybe you could use some dessicated coconut for flavour & ordinary milk for the liquid element, it would affect the texture though if it's something smooth you're making

I wonder if you could blend it up to get rid of the dessicated coconut? That might work....

zippychick

Swan wrote: »

funny, Asafoetida was the one that sprung to mind when I read your previous post, as it happens I have some, mine is the powdered kind & it comes in a little yellow pot, it has a slightly sulphurous smell, but that goes away when it's cooked
I'm trying to remember what it is I use it in now :think:

really fancy a curry now :drool:

Ahhh i thought you had 60- curry books :rotfl:I've looked around in many places and not seen it. I've not reaaaaaally looked in detail IYKWIM, it was just an example of something to replace. Just found it in toovar dal in my book.

Will get onto that pm today or tomo

Im off to look up coconut milk replacements!

Ok have seen the following suggestions through google

Evaporated milk with coconut essence added
The juice from inside a coconut (what do you mean you don't have one lying around?)
Soya milk (nutty flavour apparently)
Milk with brown sugar
Heavy cream

Personally, i would try blending up some dessicated coconut, and mixing with milk and fingers crossed:rotfl:

patchwork_cat

You can make coconut milk from dessicated coconut - Put 2 cups dessicated coconut in a large bowl and pour over 2 1/2 cups hot water. Allow to cool to lukewarm, then knead firmly with the hand for a few minutes and strain through a fine strainer or a piece of muslin, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. This should produce approximately 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk.
Repeat the process using the same coconut and 2 1/2 cups more hot water. This extract will yield approximately 2 cups of thin coconut milk.

Valli

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

If you've run out of gin for your G&T, it can be replaced with vodka :beer: If you've also run out of tonic, bitter lemon makes a refreshing change :beer:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
how desperate is that - one of the first posts and we know what will sub for gin!

zippychick

patchwork_cat wrote: »

You can make coconut milk from dessicated coconut - Put 2 cups dessicated coconut in a large bowl and pour over 2 1/2 cups hot water. Allow to cool to lukewarm, then knead firmly with the hand for a few minutes and strain through a fine strainer or a piece of muslin, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. This should produce approximately 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk.
Repeat the process using the same coconut and 2 1/2 cups more hot water. This extract will yield approximately 2 cups of thin coconut milk.

OOoooOOOOooOOOOOOoooH! Very good :j:A:D

jexygirl

So glad this thread appeared, and if its not too much work Zippy a list at the top sounds ace!

Anyhow, onto my question, I have a cucumber to use up, and as its dancing on ice sunday tomorrow, I have made cheese straws, and wanted to make some tzatziki dip type thing, but have no greek yoghurt, would mayo do?
cheers
Jex