I can remember when the use of fruit cocktail or fruit in general in massala paste was first mentioned on this forum and the uproar it caused,this chef uses it without a doubt.

This right here says a lot - when I saw it come up again in your post, I thought "This is something I haven't tried, and my CTM isn't right yet.  It is definitely worth a go."  The biggest thing I've learned about ALL restaurant cooking is that there are some really unexpected things that are done, especially in ethnic foods, that ruin the magic of authenticity or rare ingredients, and explain why you never would have got the recipe right if you hadn't seen it firsthand, because it most definitely deviates from any traditional version of a recipe out there.  I think this honestly could be one of those things, and I am excited to see where it takes me and the resulting dishes.

Veg ghee or butter ghee? If you get the chance can you ask them why they do it this way and if it's veg ghee why do they think they need it? Cheers.

My view on the entire veg ghee debate is texture, richness, and mouth feel.  Both coconut and palm have saturated vegetable fats (which are heart healthy).  These mimic the texture and feel of animal fats and most definitely are distinct from other veg oils in their effects.  I've done extensive amounts of vegetarian and vegan cooking, and I can say with certainty that it is possible to mimic animal fats using these substances.

Veg Ghee will mimic the richness found in real butter ghee, but at a substantially reduced cost, hence why it is used by many takeaways and restaurants.  I use Veg Ghee when I make my dishes and while not slap-you-in-the-face prominent in the final dish, it definitely makes a noticeable difference.

Wow, those dishes look excellent!!  Thanks for posting the recipe for the base.  Looking forward to the paste (and the recipes/cook process for those dishes?).

I have a couple of revelations that following this topic has brought.  Maybe they are meaningless, but I think your comments about the base being similar to others ingredient-wise but producing very different results has maybe hit the nail on the head as to the elephant in the room.

It would be very interesting to know just how much additional water is added after finishing the cook process.  The water:base ratio and specifics of the cooking process regarding the onions may play a part in CREATING the flavor (as Chris used to say).  A number of gravies I have made look like the undiluted version above, but I've never substantially diluted them!  I seriously wonder if the dilution plus the cooking process produces some of the flavor which doesn't occur when too much base is present.  Said another way, the added water allows the gravy to cook longer in the pan, the additional reduction and caramelization producing some of the smell and finished dish flavor from the extended cooking and mellowing of the spices. 

Additionally, the finished dish, since the gravy is diluted, will end up having less base as a percentage of its content than if used undiluted in the same measurements, and a number of things I've learned in cooking is that sometimes less is more.  The spices and individual dish components will shine through more since there is less overall onion/base as a percentage of the dish.  That could be part of what makes these takeaway dishes taste differently than many cooked at home is a lack of proportionality that muddies the waters too much.

Do some places use a bhagar?  Absolutely.  Does it make or break a BIR curry - No.  Does it get certain folks closer to THEIR ideal taste?  Yes.  It should be possible to make a curry with the "magic" regardless of what set of restaurant items are being used.  And I think there are still techniques being unearthed which will eventually result in this being possible across a large span of base/mix powder/recipes!

Gave the recipe a go over the weekend - making two fillings (one traditional and one takeaway style).  The pastry used ajwain seeds as is common in some of the samosas we've had here in the states.

The samosas tasted great - far better than anything I've made in the past - and the pastry was spot on.  The only disparate thing that I'd like to ask about is why mine don't have nearly the same blistering as the original picture - any thoughts (pastry thickness - consistency - oil temp - etc)?  If it matters I used veg ghee in the pastry instead of oil but I would think that could only make it richer tasting.

I'd really like to be able to nail the surface appearance - as the assembly progressed they kept looking better and better.  The batch on the right side (takeaway style) are a lot cleaner looking than some on the left.

So any thoughts on the blistering?  More pre-cook for the pasty in the pan?

I like to put a teaspoon of ajwain seeds in my samosa dough. It gives them that extra "something". 

I've actually seen this in a number of the (good) prepared samosas I've bought as well as some of the restaurant ones here in the states.  I definitely think it adds a nice touch.