Is it possible to over cook your base ?

[JerryM]

It's certainly not turmeric. I use loads in BIR.

I have never got a taste like you suggest. I have tasted base by others which i can only describe as stewed onion.

Suggestions would be:
1) follow chewytikka 3 hr base
2) use more oil min 100 ml per 800g onion
3) cook very slowly

I currently cook stage 1a (onion, oil, salt, ghee) 1 hr, add spice  and flavours (stage 1b) 30 min, blend then add water (stage 2) bring to simmer 20 mins.  In past have cooked stage 1 6 hrs and stage 2 7 hrs with no bad effect.

[Stu-pot]

Thanks for that JerryM.  From other posts  I can see your on a 'mission' as well....   Good luck too.....

[George]

I hate Garabi so much

Me too, i.e. I hate the word 'garabi' but I love the flavour of the base sauce I make, after only 20 or 30 minutes cooking time. And I include all the ingredients which you say you leave out. None of the vegetables take longer than 20 or 30 minutes to cook so why simmer it for much longer?

I suggest starting again with a new recipe. I used to start with 4 onions but now I only use 2 onions - enough for a single portion of curry, and a bit left over. Delicious. I simply can't see the point of making an industrial quantity of base sauce, especially if there's a risk it goes wrong and you don't like the flavour.

Going back to the original question: "Is it possible to over cook your base ?" Perhaps not, despite what I say, because I think Phil posted a pressure cooker recipe with over 2 hours cooking time. That must be the equivalent of about 6 or 8 hours at standard pressure!

[Garp]

Me too, i.e. I hate the word 'garabi'

It's strange that if you search for garabi on any well-known search engines, nothing comes up relating to India/curries/gravy etc. So I'm with George - I hate it for the pretentious attempt to look clever that it is. I would ban the word from this forum and make a poll if I was allowed

[Madrasandy]

Indian chefs cant say gravy so it comes out as Garabi 

I would say that it definitely can be overcooked, everything can be overcooked, just as anything can be undercooked.
Are you sure your cooking your onions enough to release their natural sugars Stu, or maybe your burning your spices, either way you'll get a bitter unpleasant taste

[Garp]

Indian chefs cant say gravy so it comes out as Garabi 

That's a bit of a sweeping statement there, Andy, n'est-ce pas?

[Madrasandy]

Haha haven't heard "sweeping statement " for a while , thought I was on the wrong forum then.

[Garp]

You probably are mate

Maybe this one would be better for you

http://www.reddit.com/r/ukipparty

[Onions]

UKIP You think this is Comedy Central or something???

[Gav Iscon]

I'm sure he's a subliminal canvasser.  :