Topic: Yellow or Red Base Oil

[JerryM]

i'm currently a bit stuck on which "base" route to follow.

i think pretty much all the bases i've tried from the site have produced "red" oil. i put this down to paprika being one of the spices added.

recently i've switched to "yellow" oil ie the base spice has no paprika. the malik video shows what i call yellow oil.

this yellow oil then seems to get converted at the frying stage into the red oil we are all familiar with.

the trouble is this yellow oil in the base and the red oil after the frying don't seem to have the same intensity as the red oil i've got used to.

it could be that i'm not putting enough spice in at the base stage or at the frying stage.

the trouble is my gut feeling is that the yellow oil is not as good as the red.

both Malik and my local TA have yellow oil in the base. i'd really like to know if this is the case for all BIR's or do some produce bases with red oil.

desperate to know others views/experiences on the subject.

[Bobby Bhuna]

desperate to know others views/experiences on the subject.

Hey Jerry, I'm not using any paprika atm but get red oil on the curry, yellow on the base. I always assumed it was from the frying of the tomato paste.

Cheers,

BB.

[JerryM]

i get the same red on the curry and yellow on the base. it's just that the red on the curry does not seem to have the same intensity as it does if it's red in the base.

i'm after a sanity check or confirmation i'm not using enough spice in the base. the proportion of spice is not far away from used before (2.5% or 35ml in 800g onion base). it could be just that i need more coriander and turmeric as they are not as strong c/w paprika. i've also dropped the cumin out.

the amount/type of spice i use in the curry has not changed since i changed oil on the base colour - so it's not the problem.

[Bobby Bhuna]

i'm after a sanity check or confirmation i'm not using enough spice in the base

Well my bought base had incredible little spice to it. Barely any atall! All that made me think it was spiced was the colour really.

I notice BE's first curry house cookery base only has Turmeric also...

I'm thinking minimal base spicing is the way!

[JerryM]

thanks Bobby,

agree totally - minimal base spice for sure. my TA base was the same. ps it's this ?the taste of the base? that makes me feel sure the gap is not in the base and lies elsewhere

i guess my only question now is do any BIR's have red base oil.

if they do then i'm pretty much sold on switching back to adding paprika to the base ie red oil.

if not then i need to work on the spice mix to get the missing taste back into the cooked oil in the dish (to the same extent it is in the BIR).