Butter Chicken & Tikka Paste

[Lucyluu]

My brother can't eat chillies but loves indian food. So I make up the Tikka paste and curry powder without the chillies. Still tastes great without the heat.   

[shan_k]

Just a (dumb) question - for tomato puree do you use tomato paste? or tinned crushed tomatoes? I just got this book for christmas and loads of the recipes use tomato puree - I want to make sure I am using the right thing.

Cheers

[cookie1]

Welcome to the forum shan _k. I don't know about anyone else but I use tomato paste. It's readily available.

[judydawn]

Recipes that state a small quantity of tomato puree annoy me - why would you open a whole jar/can of tomato puree for just a few tablespoons?  Don't know how many times I have had to freeze the rest of it - so much easier to use a small quantity of tomato paste then puree. Do you dilute the paste Cookie?

[JulieO]

Judy, you'll probably find that in UK recipes, tomato puree is actually the tomato paste that we know here. 

[knittercook]

Marking this one for future reference as I am not near my normal computer and can't print it off yet, sounds delicious  

[shan_k]

Thanks Cookie - I had hoped it would be paste, just making sure it wouldn't be too rich

Cheers

[judydawn]

I don't know where the recipes come from Julie but from now on, it will be tomato paste in my recipes.

[cookie1]

No Judy I don't dilute it at all. I just have to remember to make something to use the rest of the tomato paste up before it goes mouldy in the fridge.

[Twitterpated]

I always buy tomato paste in a jar. Once opened I store in the fridge upside down. Never goes mouldy this way.

[JulieO]

Cookie, I had the same problem so I now buy these sachets.  There's 4 in a box, each holding 50g (about 2 tbs) which is the norm for most recipes.  

[judydawn]

After I've opened a jar, I spread mine out over clingwrap, wrap it like a parcel, freeze it and just cut bits off as I need it. Tried the ice-cube tray method but too messy and time consuming.

[Moo2]

Judy, that's brilliant!  I would never have thought of that and I am always throwing out half full jars of tomato paste.

[judydawn]

So was I Moo2 until I thought of doing this.

[Meagan]

I have always used tomato purée and the vacuum sealed the rest in 70/80g quantities for future butter chicken quantities.

As for tomato paste I either do the upside down jar thing or lay baking paper on a chopping board, spoon blobs onto it, put it in the feezer and then put the blobs into a snap lock bag. Great for adding to bolognaise sauces etc.