Restaurants and stuff

He's been sacked due to inactivity. @Allotment Bantam is now the official restaurant critic of Bantam Talk

 

I am slacking. I don't suppose anyone is terribly interested in restaurants in the beautiful small Portuguese town of Tomar in the Ribatejo region. If you happen to find yourself there it is stuffed with some lovely local restaurants. If you venture there ask me for some recommendations
Went there for a week recently, lovely place

 

Me.
We're driving down to Comporta for a couple of weeks and staying 2 nights in Santarem en route.
Recommend away.

 

OK, here is the Vindaloo Recipe I posted in message 2293.

A couple of things before you start - have your main pre-cooked ingredients ready. I used paneer and mushrooms, but my lad did it and used chicken and green peppers.

Second make some base gravy. I make this recipe from The Curry Guy - once it's made I freeze it in plastic takeaway style tubs or foil containers. Once it's defrosted dilute it with water 50%. The base sauce is easy to make and I freeze two ladles full per tub which gives me about 8 tubs.

As for the recipe, I've adapted it from a recipe by Julian Voigt of the Curry Recipe Academy.

Ingredients:

• 2 dried Kashmiri chillies chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic/ginger paste
• 5 tbsp tomato paste (which is 1 tbsp tom puree mixed with 4 tbsp water)
• 0.75 tbsp of mixed powder
• 0.5 tsp methi
• 1 heaped teaspoon chilli powder or 0.5 tsp Mr Naga Chilli Pickle (I get mine from the Indian store in Wakefield)
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 0.25 tsp cardamom powder
• Fresh coriander + stalks
• Juice of 1 lime and 0.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Tomato Wedges

Method is basically:

Cook chopped Kashmiri chillis in 2 tbsp oil on a low heat for a minute til the oil colours.
Add finely chopped onion - let it cook/soften for a few minutes
Add ginger/garlic paste
Add tomato paste
Add mixed powder, methi, black pepper, cardamom powder.
If using chilli powder add at this stage (if using Mr Naga don't add it yet).
Add pre-cooked ingredient to coat in the sauce.
Add 1 ladle of diluted base gravy. Now turn the heat up.
Add fresh coriander and finely chopped stalks.
Add Mr Naga now if using.
Add lime juice and vinegar
Add 1 ladle of diluted base gravy
Add tomato wedges. (I also added a handful of frozen petit pots at this point).
Add more base gravy if desired for consistency.
At the end add in 1 tsp of garlic/ginger paste.

Finish off with chopped coriander.
Let the curry catch on the pan as this adds to the taste - don't stir it unless you have to.

If anyone tries it let me know how you get on!

 

This is top drawer, and also textbook Countdowners content.

it does look very good.

 

Cheers mate. The recipe called for a tablespoon of chilli powder but I tone it down just a touch, and if you don’t use chilli powder the Mr Naga packs a good punch!

 

Base Sauce recipe link wasn’t added. Here it is:
https://greatcurryrecipes.net/2013/12/31/make-indian-restaurant-style-curry-sauce-large-batch/

 

Our favourites were:
O Tabuleiro - recommend their Arroz de Peixe.
Landeira. I had sea bass here, very good.
Restaurante Beira Rio - run by the son of the owner of Landeira. I had beef here.
The usual format is bread, cheese and meat nibbles, then a vegetable soup, then main course, then pud.
We also went to a cheap and cheerful place that did piri piri chicken and not much else, Casa dos Frangos, very good though. Their soup was fab, chicken and giant couscous consommé.
Have a great time. There is lots to see in Tomar, which was the headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal, lots of history.

 

1. Lamb & Spinach Karahi. From the Karachi curry house recipe via Rick Stein.
   
2. https://www.realyorkshireblog.com/post/the-karachi-bradford-s-oldest-curry-house-and-a-favourite-of-rick-stein
   I use a lot more spinach than in the recipe and also add chick peas. I buy ‘mixed mutton’ (half on and half off the bone) from an Asian shop on Emm Lane. It’s become a bit of a signature dish for me. I freeze it and take it when I go to bluegrass festivals. Always goes down really well with my musician mates. I don’t bother with the green chilli puree as I like it medium heat, which it already is without the extra chillies.
3. 

 

Looks like the cost of living crisis is really starting to bite in the restaurant thread!

 

Thank you.
Tomar is on our 'visit' list.

 

A bit out of our area, but stayed at The Old Hall Inn at Chinley in the Peak District.
Food was excellent both here and at the Paper Mill Inn opposite, run by the same owner.
I enjoyed a harissa lamb croquette in tomato sauce for starter on the 1st night, with an asparagus, pea and watercress risotto served with sea bass for main. OH had a good rib eye steak. The Paper Mill does pie and pizza but also has a series of pop up kitchens, it was an Asian one whilst we were there. Great gyozas.
The rooms are good. Good wine list and a great selection of beers according to OH.
Staff are lovely.
If you are keen on walking they lend out maps and GPS devices for a series of local walks.

 

Good to know they're still worth a visit as I've been thinking of a Peak District jaunt. I included them in this article a few years ago:

https://confidentials.com/manchester/ten-pub-getaways-across-the-north-of-england

 

Great minds think alike on here - really enjoyed my visit a couple of years ago. Still pubby enough but very good scran.

 

Jay Rayner just given Bavette a rave review. It will be even harder to get a table on a weekend now .

Come on @millario , can't have Southern softies getting reviews in before you!

 

Rayner is a populist, @millario, different gravy