976bar,
pics look spot on to me. the 40 mins seems too quick but i know u're cooking credentials are spot on. for info i do blend into a paste after cooking.
on the 3hrs u don't need to stand over it - just like 976bar says stay with it but particularly towards the end. must not burn.
billycat,
i know it may seem strange (cumin and methi phobia). i now know that the curries i don't like have methi in them (and there are many - i mean locations not the dishes - bradford for example when i lived in the midlands there was a curiosity about the place - big disappoint on the 2 visits i made for curry. the curry mile is the same pretty much). it's just down to the origin of the chef - if he's Bangladeshi i like the curry if he's not then there's a very good chance i won't. i actually ask nowadays before ordering.
the cumin is a bit different - i'm not keen on the taste but i have to admit it's a key ingredient and collectively works well with the rest of the spices. i think there is a general rule that 2 units of coriander seed should be used for 1 unit of cumin. my preference is more like 4 : 1 that's all.
ps still got the kebab on my list but weather put us off a trip to cassa and the water front over xmas