Mine looks svery similar to the pics not the usual yellow\brown colour.

That'll be the paprika, i've often wondered if the BIR's mix paprika and chilli together, cos then it would be easier to tell how Hot the dish is by the colour...also you never see 2 separate pots of reddish powder around the rest of the spices, and Hot dishes always come darker.

I quite liked this base, in my opinion the boiling of onions with cummin seeds and loads of oil gave this base the smell. days after i made this base i scooped the oil into a jar and dropped some onto some paper......wow the smell was just like a bir smell, you know when you get your order and oil spills onto the paper holding the poppodoms....exact same smell and colour.

I feel i need to play with this base as it didn't have the correct flavour im looking for, but it was promising, i think i'd like to try kris dillions base using bits from this recipe like the cummin seeds and added oil... i think the reason that the oil is sooo important is because any spices you add are oil base and so the flavour can only dillute into other oil...miss out the oil and miss out the flavour/aroma.

Welcome aboard the curry train - experts here will keep you on track . 

What a nice little Catch phrase!!! 

Just doing general browsing around the web and came across this site http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2006/02/5-day-paneer-pilaf.html
only bit of interest is whats copied below........
"You know how you sometimes try a classic restaurant dish at home and it somehow lacks that "restaurant taste"? That happened to me all the time when it came to North Indian dishes, till my mom spilled her secret. She makes a simple spice mixture: cloves, cinnamon and cardamom all toasted and ground together. This is her "Magic Masala" which completely elevates the taste of many North Indian dishes like kormas and biryanis, instantly giving them that rich "restaurant taste" without the accompanying greasiness. Dried fenugreek is another herb which adds an instant authenticity to paneer dishes. "

page was linked to from http://food-forthought.blogspot.com/atom.xml
"For the powder -
2 sticks of cinnamon (about 1.5 - 2cms each)
2 black cardamoms (badi elaichi)
3-4 cloves
Heat a griddle and lightly toast the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom on moderate heat until aromatic. Let cool then grind to a fine powder."

And one more thing last night while cooking the Phall i smelt the same aroma that you get from the Bombay alo served down here, it was when i was cooking the Onions, Garlic & Ginger, but i cant remember at which stage weather anything was added or not,sorry peeps), i will find out next time i do this dish.
Lol next weekend me thinks. ;D

umm it's that absinthe again