Topic: is my 30 year quest about to be fulfilled?

[chilltrojan]

hello
Troy here from Northampton .I've been eating curries for 35 years and trying to recreate them for 30 not even remotely successfully.
I stumbled across your site a week ago (why didn't I think of t'internet earlier) and have been reading and furiously taking notes ever since. I already had a rudimentary grasp of what makes a BIR style curry( just from watching chefs in action and being the annoying customer who asks too many questions ) which if I'm right is base gravy + spice mix + recipe from same chef = curry. but those guys are so secretive and left too many blanks.
I now have sore eyes , sore wrists but high hopes.
I've decided to initially go with Taz base, Taz spice mix and his method of cooking as it seems you can't go too far wrong. Is that correct?  I'm friends with a local t/a owner and although somewhat cagey he said the Taz method would work fine.
Checking my notes I'm interested in the use of spiced oil in the base, banjara onion paste and maybe Mr Naga pickle in the final dish.My favourite curry is a pathia by the way. Mrs Troy is harder to please liking a spicier than normal CTM
Off now to collect my list of ingredients.
Any and all hints,tips and pointers in the right direction considering the vast amount of trial and error you guys must have already put in would be very welcome
Thanks Troy      P.S I expect to report back results in 2-3 days, fingers crossed, hopefully with the kind of results I've read on here

[Peripatetic Phil]

Seems to me that you are spot-on in your approach, Troy; I look forward very much to hearing of your results.
** Phil.

[Stephen Lindsay]

I have used Taz base and method for years Troy so if I can assist please let me know. I look forward to seeing your pictures!

[Secret Santa]

Chilltrojan I've been experimenting a little with the Taz style of cooking just recently but not actually with his base or spice mix. The outcome is that you can make a pretty damn good BIR curry just by throwing everything in the pot/pan and boiling the hell out of it until the oil separates.

This differs from the normal cooking method, which you've no doubt picked up by now if you've been reading this forum, and which goes along the lines of...fry garlic/ginger in oil, add tomato paste and fry, add spices and fry, add base, meat etc., etc. In fact you basically don't need to do that. I'm not suggesting you should do the dump it all in and boil method but it'll provide a hassle free, can't get anything wrong, first effort.

On balance, comparing two curries made by the two methods side by side, there's not all that much in it. The traditional method produces a slightly better result, particularly if you want to bring out the garlic flavour, which is best done by frying. But for shear ease of cooking and fail-proof curries even on your first go, I'd definitely recommend trying it. Just don't stint on the oil!

[mickyp]

Enjoy the shopping, as well as reading i feel a lot can be learned from watching, you tube has a plethora of videos you can learn from, one word to remember is "caramelise" let the sauce stick to the side of the pan and scrape it back in.

Keep your spices cool in airtight containers and in the dark, they love it