visited a new bir the otherday, and got chatting , as you do, about base prep. i specifically asked about spicing the base. the response was : "garam masalla type spicies, cardoman, cinemon, etc. There was no mention of curry powder, tumeric, or coriander cumin, which suprised me.
Garam Masala is a mix of Spices including Coriander and Cumin e.t.c ;)
DD,
i think they are pretty guarded on this subject.
the best i've got was "the holly grail" from the boss and "a method of adding water" from the chef.