I have been attempting to make spiced oil and decided to try making it as follows:

Ingredients:

- 500ml vegetable oil
- 400g onions (coarsely chopped)
- 1 tbsp garlic (pureed)
- 1 tsp ginger (pureed)
- 1 tbsp green capsicum (diced)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp spice mix (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3765.0)
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 brown cardamom
- 6 green cardamoms
- 2 inch stick of cassia bark
- 1 star anise
- 1 tsp panch phoran
- 1 clove
- 2 litres water
- 1 tbsp sugar

Method:

- Heat oil and gently fry onions for a few minutes until soft
- Add whole spices and gently fry for 2 minutes
- Add garlic, ginger and green capsicum and gently fry for 2 minutes
- Add tomato paste and powdered spices and gently fry for 2 minutes
- Add water and sugar and gently simmer (covered) for 3 hours
- Skim oil from the surface and filter through a colander to remove any solids
- Filter through several layers of muslin cloth to remove fine particles
- Store in a plastic bottle in the fridge

Results:

The resultant oil was orange/red colour, sweetish, and tasted and smelt pleasantly of onions and spices. 

Comments:

I have no idea if this looks or tastes like the oil that BIRs may use to cook their curries because I have never seen or tasted any, but it looks and tastes similar to the oil that is released from the BIR curries themselves.

I chose a method that resembles the preparation of a curry base except this was made for the sole purpose of making the spiced oil (I ditched the solids).  I am uncertain that removing lots of oil from a curry base is sensible since it is likely to diminish the spice flavours in the curry base.

I believe synthesising spiced oil has merits and would welcome any comments or suggestions on the best way to prepare it.

I haven't cooked with it yet and will provide an update when I have.

Here is a picture:

Hi,

In the recipe above what does curry powder actually mean?

According to the spice mix recipe (link) just before it the spice mix is also known as "curry powder". I'm a bit confused: shall I add 2 x 2 tbsp spice mix (probably not) or curry powder means something else?

Thanks in advance, J.