Guys there has been confusion here but can I state once again although the photo has cumin seeds to suit the 60 litre recipe the chef advised us to use the powder and that is what I have been successfully using. I hope this clarifies it for you once and for all.

Thanks for this recipe PP 

I've made this base now:

- I used ground cumin powder, as specified by PP (I milled the seeds)
- I used 10g (3 tsp) of chili powder, as recommended by PP and the chef
- The rest was as specified, except that I don't have East End or White Tower products
- Total cooking time was about 2 hours
- The margarine separated and congealed on the surface upon cooling in the fridge.

This is what I've found (so far):

- It produces a typical pale coloured, creamy, pleasant (vegetable-stew-like) smelling and tasting base, with a reasonable texture. 
- The coconut is definitely discernible (particularly the smell), but not overpoweringly so
- The cumin is definitely discernable, though not overpoweringly so
- Its quite salty

The most striking (negative) feature, for me, is the dry, greasy taste and aftertaste on the roof of the mouth.  I'm sure this is the combination of relatively large amounts of margarine and creamed coconut in the base.

If I made this base again, I'd be seriously tempted to slash (reduce by half or more) the quantities of salt, creamed coconut and margarine.

But I still need to make some curries from it and will let you know when I have.

Thanks again PP, much appreciated 

I used the Ashoka curry base to make a madras last night (photo attached).

To serve one:

• Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in pan
• Add 0.5 tsp finely chopped chillies and stir
• Add 1 tsp Ashoka garlic/ginger paste and stir
• Add about 250g (one breast) of uncooked cubed chicken and stir and fry until sealed
• Add spices (pre-mixed) and stir and scrape continuously:
    - 1 tsp spice mix (my own blend)
    - 1 tsp extra hot chilli powder
    - 0.5 tsp dry fenugreek leaves (rubbed)
• Add 1 tbsp tomato paste (made into a runny puree with a little water) and stir
• Add 2 tsp Ashoka onion paste and stir
• Add 300ml Ashoka curry base (a ladle at a time and reducing) and stir
• Add salt and sugar to taste
• Add 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

I also added a splash of white vinegar (to make it a little more tart).  I sometimes add a splash of lemon juice (instead) but find this clashes (makes it sickly) with very garlicky dishes (which this is)

Verdict:

• My wife said it was "very tasty", "delicious" and "savoury".  I agree, it was very tasty and had a good strong aroma to it (even the morning after).  The consistency was pretty good too
• It was pretty oily, so I'd reduce the amount of oil next time; there is plenty in the base (oil, margarine and coconut) and in the other Ashoka ingredients (garlic/ginger paste and onion paste)
• It was still a little "greasy/dry" on the palate (due to the margarine and coconut in the base, I believe)
• The coconut in the base was not particularly discernible (flavour wise) in the final curry
• The curry was very garlicky (from the base, garlic/ginger paste and onion paste), which I like, but it's perhaps not to everybody's taste.  If not, I'd suggest reducing the amount of garlic/ginger paste in the final curry accordingly

Other comments:

• I don't think the ginger/garlic paste is particularly worth making.  It is only minimally fried beforehand and therefore saves little time (if any) for the domestic (or even a BIR) cook.  I'd stick to uncooked and pre-pureed garlic and ginger and fry it (first) in the final curry.  It would be a different matter, I think, if it was precooked substantially beforehand (but it's not)
• The Ashoka onion paste is quite tasty in its own right and smells very nice.  Given other members' comments about saltiness and the overpowering taste of cinnamon, I did reduce the salt to 1 tsp and the cinnamom to a 2 inch stick....I then didnt find it particularly salty or too overpowering of cinnamom.  But I'm not sure that it really makes a discernible difference to the main dish.  I say this because I also used some to make my normal madras, using my own base, and I could not really detect a difference with its use.  It's certainly no "secret ingredient", in my opinion.  Either way, I suppose only one or the other of tomato paste or onion paste needs to be used, not both.  Personally, I'd stick with the tomato paste

All said and done, the Ashoka base (and other Ashoka ingredients) produced a very tasty curry indeed (albeit not dissimilar to those produced using other of the better bases on the forum). 

Thanks for sharing the recipes with us PanPot, very much appreciated 

Thanks CA - that Madras looks great.

I see you used pretty much the same approach to the Madras as I did, the most notable difference being that you used the chilli paste as well, and that I added pasatta.

I would agree with all of your observations as well. Also agree when you say the g/g paste (premade and pre-fried) may not be necessary. Did you use the marinated chicken and what did you think of that?

Understand on the margarine congealing now, you let yours sit before blending while I blended mine not long after adding the stage two ingredients (although I noticed Ashoka blended their immediately, before the marg/coco had time to even dissolve!)

It would be useful if Panpot could get hold of Ashoka's Madras recipe, to see if there are any key differences. Also worth validating that we are using the right proportions of key ingredients (g/g paste, salt, etc) given that the base recipe was scaled down from a 60L version.

--- Josh

you say this isn't anything special vs otehr bases but I notice you added extra  stuff to the final dish (1tsp spice powder for example).

Have you actually tried doing the original recipe ?

And why add more salt to your final when you already kmow the base is very salty ?