This is Hopey in Canada.

You are right.....the secret ingredient is poppyseeds!

I was amazed that many cooks in India use poppyseeds, watermelon seeds, soaked cashews and black cardamom seeds to achieve depth and thickness to their curry base.

Raj took his time to make this curry base. But it was well worth it.

I would be happy to give you lots of other tips that I gleaned on my food adventures.

Do you know of Kokum?  I discovered this Gujerati ingredient, much like tamarind, that is used in many curries in the north west. 

Guess how many kilos of spices I sent home from my travels.....50 !!! I have certainly been cooking up a storm.

I have a more exact recipe at home (at work at the mo) if you would like me to post it.

Hi Hopey,

Yes please,

many of us are sure we are missing something either in technique or ingredients and would appreciate any help you can give us, both in the base recipe and the finished dishes.

The restaurant / takeaway chefs here in the UK tend to be tight lipped and even when they are not, they seem to be keeping something to themselves,

thanks in anticipation,

Blondie

Welcome to oyr forum Hopey.
I`ve found Black seeds in my local Take-away Curries, i thought they were Black Mustard seeds, Poppy seeds they could be, more to add to my online order for next week   ;D ;D ;D ;D 

Quote from: Hopey on May 24, 2005, 12:40 AM
I have a more exact recipe at home (at work at the mo) if you would like me to post it.

Yes please 

Rajah hot Madras Curry powder has Poppy Seeds in it. ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hi Hopey

Welcome to the forum

Thanks for responding to my e-mail, and so quickly! Looking forward to the recipe and any other details you can give us.? ?

Oops, forgot to say, if you have any more photos of the cooking process or finished curries please post them here. We like that sort of thing.

Hi, Hopey.? One question -- I've seen both black poppy seeds and white in the store.? Which did he use??

It's great of you to help us out.? I'm looking forward to hearing more.

-Mary

Hi hopey, great to have you on board, I found your site while doing one of my many google searches on secret ingredients in curry bases, I have also heard of poppy seeds being used in bases before and other dishes.

Where did Hopey go? I was looking forward to the detailed recipe.? ?

Hmm, I hope she didn't post it to my e-mail address as I used one of my throw away ones and I can't remember which one now? ?