confused how to eat!

[raleighnut]

I find (ymmv) that creamed coconut - this stuff-
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is better and more versatile than coconut milk which as you point our either needs thickening or you only need 1/2 1/3 of a can etc .
Chop a bit off the block and lob it into your pan with whatever meat / veg you've cooked and spices etc you've thrown . add a bit of water to get to right "sauce" consistency. can also add tomato puree if you want a more rogan josh stylee curry. could not be more simple.

Yep I use Coconut cream (in a block) in a couple of my curries as a thickener but I never use these sauces in jars or tins (too many 'e' numbers) far preferring to use powdered spices or seed toasted in a pan and grinding it in my mortar and pestle
I appreciate that nowadays a lot of people don't have the time to cook properly but the difference in flavour is worth the effort
Chinese style is easy, you use the trinity of Garlic, Ginger and Scallions (spring Onion) and any veggies will taste really good when stir fried with whatever

 

[Reynard]

Chinese curry sauce is basically curry powder, 5 spice, stock and cornflour to thicken. Don't even bother buying the paste anymore.

There's a thread somewhere on here about chinese curry sauce, and that's where I got the above from.

 

[raleighnut]

Chinese curry sauce is basically curry powder, 5 spice, stock and cornflour to thicken. Don't even bother buying the paste anymore.

There's a thread somewhere on here about chinese curry sauce, and that's where I got the above from.

Yep a lot of Chinese sauces use Cornflower, one of my favourites is 'Sweet and Sour' which is Tomato puree, Sugar, Vinegar and either water or the juice from a tin of Pineapple chunks/rings* with of course a heaped teaspoon of Cornflower.

*I always buy 'Pineapple in juice' rather than in syrup

 

[Reynard]

Yep a lot of Chinese sauces use Cornflower, one of my favourites is 'Sweet and Sour' which is Tomato puree, Sugar, Vinegar and either water or the juice from a tin of Pineapple chunks/rings* with of course a heaped teaspoon of Cornflower.

*I always buy 'Pineapple in juice' rather than in syrup

That's pretty well much it - don't recall the last time I bought sweet & sour sauce either, it's just so easy to make.

I use tomato ketchup, which already has the vinegar in it. Started doing it this way when I watched the Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure - they stayed in Hong Kong at their fixer's flat, where granny made them sweet & sour pork. The look on Si and Dave's faces when she got out the ketchup and the tinned pineapple!

I always keep a tin of pineapple in the cupboard for this reason, but I will use fresh often as not, as a pineapple is a regular visitor to the fruit bowl here chez Casa Reynard.

I will also add ginger and chilli to mine as I like it with a bit of "oomph"