Dean from family firm Chinthe has sent us a recipe and video that show how quickly you can make a Byan Curry using their Burmese Curry Paste, as you will see from the video, this could not be simpler to make, and I have to say it tastes incredible.
Chinthe (pronounced chin-thay) was started in 1974 by Bertie and Barbara, who were Emigrants from Burma in the 60s, they began to make and sell Burmese condiments to supplement their grocery trade. News soon spread and the demand for Chinthe products grew. They are now into the third generation of the family producing Chinthe products with the same authentic recipes passed down from their Grandparents.
FYI – Chinthe is the name for the leogryph that guards the entrances of Pagodas and Temples in Burma.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Chinthe Burmese Curry Paste 500g of Pork 2 tablespoons of oil 1½ cups of water 2 large onions
Method
Slice your onion
Cube your pork into bite sized chunks
Heat (low – medium) the oil in a deep pan. Sauté your onions by adding them to the oil for 7 – 10 minutes until they become wilted and translucent.
Add the Chinthe Burmese Curry paste and stir well. Cook the spices off for 2-3 minutes
Add the Pork, season with salt as required and mix in well
Add the water, stir well and bring to the boil
Reduce heat to low simmer. Simmer for 20-30 mins
Serve with rice or noodles
This is Dean first video recipe, we hope to have more to follow.
During the weekend the Garden Room Restaurant, Orchid Cafe and Food Hall will be serving up a chilli inspired menu, you can talk to chilli experts, learn the secrets of preparing and cooking with chillies from our chef, enjoy live traditional Mexican music everyday as well as browse a selection of food & chilli stalls and after sampling all those chilli products why not relax in our Chilli-ed Out Zone!
The main event will take place at Frosts Garden Centre – Woburn Sands, Milton Keynes although a Chilli Festival will take place at Millets Farm Centre, Oxford and at Frosts Garden Centre – Willington, Bedfordshire on the same weekend. Please see website for full details.
There will also be a huge selection of chilli products to try and buy! Including a huge variety and display of chilli plants, chutneys, hot sauces, chilli vodka, beers and ciders, locally made chilli inspired sausages, cheeses, chilli chocolate, books, seeds, dried & fresh chillies and what’s more entry and parking is completely FREE!
If you are interested in exhibiting please contact Simon Gurnett in the Marketing Department on 01908 289217.
Though it might look daunting, erecting a polytunnel is not difficult. It is simply a step-by-step process.
Preparing the site
1. The first step is to find a suitable site. There are certain requisites; firstly the land must be relatively flat or at least only gently sloping in one direction. The site must also not be shaded and have a water supply for irrigation. Shelter from the wind is desirable, as is soil that is not too stony.
2. Cutting the ryegrass pasture. If there is plenty of time a sheet of black plastic (silage plastic bought from agricultural suppliers) spread over the proposed site will also kill the grass.
3. It is easier to cultivate the soil before erecting the polytunnel.
Pounding the posts
Tunnel frames are quite simple structures, composed of posts pounded into the ground in two parallel lines, and hoops that slot into the posts, forming a line of arches. The first job in erecting a polytunnel is to pound the corner posts firmly into the ground. If they are placed in exactly the correct position the polytunnel will be easy to erect and will stand firm for many years.
Mark out where the corner posts go. If they have been measured out correctly, the two diagonals will be the same length. A simple equation called ‘Pythagoras’ theorem’ can be used to calculate the correct length of the diagonals.
If your tunnel is measured in feet (a lot still are) convert the lengths into metres before calculating the length of the diagonals; doing Pythagoras’ theorem in feet and inches is very difficult.
The Pythagoras equation is the length squared + width squared = diagonal squared
The tunnel in the photos is 14 x 40 feet. This is 4.2 x 12.2 metres
It is a wise precaution to check and double check your measurements. It is easy to make a mistake and any discrepancies at this stage will affect the quality of the rest of the job.
4. Once the exact position of the corner posts has been determined they are pounded into the ground. A sledge hammer is good for the job, but it should not be allowed to hit the metal posts directly as this will damage the rims and the hoops won’t be able to slot in. In the photo a rubber plug that fits over the post is being used. However, an old plank of wood held on top of the post does just as well.The posts should be vertical – use a spirit level to ensure this.If a post stops going into the ground when it is hit there may be a stone in the way. To remove the obstacle the post has to be pulled out (wobble it from side to side to loosen it). In most cases a stone can be dealt with by pounding a crowbar into the hole until the stone has broken up. Occasionally, this does not work and the only way to remove the stone is to dig it out. The hole must then be filled in and packed down as hard as possible with soil, then the post hammered in again.
5. Once the corner posts have been hammered into the ground, string should be attached to them marking out the perimeter of the tunnel.
6. The string must be attached to the top of the posts and pulled tight so there is no slack. It should be level throughout – use a spirit level, do not do it by eye. This means if there is a slope some posts might have to be knocked deeper into the ground than others.It is possible to erect a tunnel on a slope provided it is even. In this case the corner posts should be hammered in all to the same depth, so that when the perimeter string is tied around it is not level, but rather runs parallel to the ground.
7. Once the string is in place lay the other posts along each side.
8. Using a measuring tape running the length of the tunnel, the posts can be pushed into the soil in exactly the correct place.
9. The posts are then pounded into the ground.
10. It is essential that the posts are all hammered in so that their rim is the same height as the string.
