The Veg Gravy for example is used for vegetarian dishes and contains besides a different spice mix, some whole seeds, (cumin, mustard, kalongi, fenugreek, fennel seeds) which are added at the start, along with some other whole spices. This adds a different depth of flavor as there is no meat/chicken stock added to the final dishes.

this offers some hope for me
Most of the curries I cook are veggie
I've not made a base with this combination of spices
I also note that fenugreek is amongst them
We were discussing that missing spice in another thread
Also fennel is there, that gives an aniseed flavour
Star Anise was  mentioned as a missing spice for a madras recipe, some pages back

Quote from: Stephen Lindsay on March 30, 2018, 10:47 PM

Haldi - here you are - I've got a feeling this might be adapted from a recipe by Curryhell but I can't remember.

Brinjal Bhaji

Ingredients:

5 tbsp oil
1 tsp panch phoran
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tsp garlic ginger paste
1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on April 10, 2018, 07:48 PM

Quote from: haldi on April 10, 2018, 07:36 PM
In fact I've had it in a few curries where it was almost too strong a flavour

In that case, it might be cumin -- that can be quite over-powering if too much finds its way into the final dish ...

I have tried so many recipes and don't think it's cummin
That's prominent in the Glasgow Base and that's missing something too (but it is very good)

I think the problem may be that we are all talking about slightly something different
Perhaps we  are even chasing something totally different to each other
Wouldn't it be good, if we could assemble the finest curry minds in the uk, (that's us by the way) and finally sort this?
Maybe someone has already done it
We would need a place where we could meet and cook for a day.
Definitely a gas cooker and a microwave
Microwaves are brilliant for testing the aroma of a curry or curry base!
We would need to bring a curry sample of the taste we are after
and also bring sample bases we have cooked oursleves

I don't think this forum is finished, because it's always good to talk about curry.
But perhaps it has gone as far as it can to find this missing 5%
Something different needs to be tried

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on April 10, 2018, 04:07 PM

Quote from: haldi on April 10, 2018, 03:23 PM
Maybe I should just put some in the base gravy?

I add it as a part of my "three basic spices" that go into almost every dish -- ground chillies, ground cumin, ground fenugreek.   The proportions vary, and of course for some dishes other spices get added, but I rarely if ever cook a curry without using these three (plus salt, of course, tho' that isn't a spice per se).

** Phil.

that's something to try, next time
whatever the missing something is, it's very distinctive
In fact I've had it in a few curries where it was almost too strong a flavour
Thanks

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on April 09, 2018, 08:06 PM

Quote from: haldi on April 09, 2018, 07:52 PMMy curry was good but (really hate to admit it) not as good and missing that aroma

What use (if any) do you make of fenugreek ("methi"), Haldi, either in its powder or leaf form ?  I ask because to my mind, fenugreek is the aroma that I associate with BIR cuisine, and I think it is not only me on whom it has that effect.  When my wife came in this evening, she immediately said "the kitchen smells of Indian food".  Now the only Indian-related activity that had taken place in the kitchen that day was transferring some kasoori methi from a screw-top jar to one with a better seal, and a few fenugreek leaves were still lying on the working surface.  So if I were looking for the missing aroma and not using fenugreek/methi, that is probably the first thing I would consider.

** Phil.

It's in the curry, as dried leaves
I've not used it as a ground spice as part of the spice mixture

I must admit that fenugreek as a ground spice, is not something I've used much.
I haven't seen it as part of the spice line up, in any takeaway
You know how they have those metal tubs full of all sorts of spices

Maybe I should just put some in the base gravy?

I had a bit of an old takeaway curry and a bit of a leftover curry of mine, tonight
Both theoretically vindaloos
The takeaway curry just had this wonderful aroma and subtle taste
My curry was good but (really hate to admit it) not as good and missing that aroma
So, as far as I'm concerned, never going to get that 5%
No matter how I try
On a strong flavoured curry, you may not notice it
But on something like a madras or vindaloo, it's downright upsetting

what's the recipe for Brinjal Bhaji?

those look absolutely amazing
were you happy with them?
are these recipes on this cr0?

Quote from: Bing on March 04, 2018, 09:49 PM
Hi

Jb you the Man the inspiration for me to start up my engine. Is an ebook available from You?

I'd buy one

we achieved all we could
The information here is phenomenal
I don't think you can produce 100% BIR at home
But this is as close as you can get
The last great posts were by JB
The Fleet 5 stuff was incredible too
Even Bruce Edwards stuck his head around the door for update recipes
And what about the BIR Bandwagon posts
and there are so many more

All amazing posts, which were new recipes for most of us
When this site started, noone even knew what went into a BIR base
There were no BIR videos
We've come such a long way
Everyone ever involved in running this site deserves a well earned pat on the back
It was the main reason I turned my computer on
Thank you so much!