OK, so tonight I made my first curry using the Soup Maker base. In order to ensure that it was the base that I was testing and not the recipe, I made the simplest possible chicken curry : very light chicken pre-cook in oil, g/g, Kashmiri masala and a little (unrefrigerated) base, then gently bhooned 3 tablespoons of Bolst's hot curry powder in a slight excess of oil, added a little base, reduced, added the remainder of the 3/4 pint of base, 1 teapsoon sea salt, cooked until the oil came out, added the chicken, cooked gently for a few more minutes, added some chopped coriander stalk, two more minutes at a very gentle simmer, and served with two buttered chapati. Overall impression was that the consistency of the base was absolutely fine, but there were slight hints of turmeric coming through which makes me think that because bhooning is not possible in a soup maker, a soup maker base should be spice-free (i.e., just water, oil, onions, garlic, ginger, tomato and salt). A useful addition to the kitchen armoury which should obviate the need for Kenwood, pressure cooker, etc.
** Phil.