SNS/Haldi,
thoughts are much appreciated - i am now convinced option "A" (fry onion in base) and "C" (adding some other ingredient in the base) are BIR No No's following my onion boiling sessions and oil reclaim on latest base make.
amazingly i've got KTC olive oil (never looked at the brand before) that i use in none curry cooking. i will buy the veg oil equivalent to make sure i'm not missing anything by using sunflower oil (asda).
intriguing - the level of the water/oil - i am now convinced this has a big part to play in the sweetness - a 200gm/400ml onion/water boil produces more sweetness than a 200gm/1000ml boil
(explained in "A must in an indian curry")
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2672.msg23743.html#msg23743Sweetness can be added at the curry stage .... if required
i like very much the idea of slow cooking onions at the start of the cooking stage (as described in the simple madras and proven by Bobby).
this does not sit well in terms of BIR practise. i am happy to adopt the practise but would appreciate thoughts on how it fits with BIR practise and getting that added sweetness at the curry stage. at the mo i add sugar to my spice mix and this works well as a sticking plaster - but again not BIR technique.
the oil reclaim i've completed in my latest saffron base has taken me completely by surprise and i will add details in the saffron post - it's the best base i've produced and definitely BIR Moorish. I may have dropped my quest for more sweetness as a result ? will need to cook with it to prove for sure.