Topic: opinions required on my base sauce

[dirtymull]

 picked this up a few years ago on tinternet been using variations of it ever since .
have noticed on here that most sauces call for the spices to be added 5 mins or so before the end is there any benefit to this as i have always added mine at the beginning.
 Base Curry Sauce
Ingredients
 
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
3 large onions
1 pepper green or red
2 carrots
couple of small potatoes
4-6 cluves of garlic minced
1 tbsp minced Ginger
1 tsp kashmiri chillie
1.5 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch of fenugreek  leaves
3 tsp tomato puree 
Water - 2 pints ish
Method
On medium, heat the oil in a pan then add the chopped onions and spices and stir for a few minutes.
Add the ginger and  garlic  Stir for a couple of minutes.
add carrots pepper  and potatoes and half the water bring to boil then cook on low for about 30-40 mins till soft
Remove from the heat.and let cool add tomato puree and water.
 Blend to the consistency of tomato ketchup add more water till it looks right. Ensure it is completely smooth.
Bring to the boil and cook the blended mixture on a very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will turn orangey brown.

[Derek Dansak]

add another 5 onions and a carrot, and leave out potato, and it would be a lot nearer BIR standard. The potato is certainly not going to give a good flavor in a base, as it clashes with some spices.

[SnS]

add another 5 onions and a carrot, and leave out potato, and it would be a lot nearer BIR standard. The potato is certainly not going to give a good flavor in a base, as it clashes with some spices.

Sorry but your statement regarding use of potato is rubbish. 

[Secret Santa]

Sorry but your statement regarding use of potato is rubbish. 

Your statement is rubbish (and no, I'm not sorry).   ;D

[parker21]

sorry but i always put 1 potato in my rajver base, it gives something to the texture and flavour. try adding a potato to your base but removing it before it falls to pieces ie cooked but not ready for mashing iukwim, then use it in a bombay aloo or vindaloo. taste great
now every body be nice ;D
regards
gary

[Secret Santa]

1 potato in my rajver base, it gives something to the texture and flavour.

Texture, perhaps. Flavour, almost certainly not. 

try adding a potato to your base but removing it before it falls to pieces ie cooked but not ready for mashing iukwim, then use it in a bombay aloo or vindaloo. taste great

Perfectly good suggestion and something I do myself!   

[Bobby Bhuna]

Perfectly good suggestion and something I do myself!   

Yes SS, the main benefit being that rich yet delicate, subtle, deep savoriness and missing BIR taste and smell, that one can only achieve through the addition of potato, if only for a short while! ;D :

[dirtymull]

was more iterested on the adding of the spices at begining instead of the end.
did"nt want to start a war
 but i was told a while ago though that potatoe would spoil the taste have tried making it without couldnt really notice much differance but think its more a texture thing than a flavour thing 

[Cory Ander]

I know of BIRs that add potatoes to their curry base.  They sometimes do it to save costs by replacing relatively expensive onions with relatively inexpensive potatoes.  Some BIRs I know frown upon it.

Potatoes primarily add bulk (at a lower cost than onions) and change the texture/consistency of the base (presumably via their starch content).  I suppose they could add flavour too.

[Cory Ander]

Yes SS, the main benefit being that rich yet delicate, subtle, deep savoriness and missing BIR taste and smell, that one can only achieve through the addition of potato, if only for a short while! ;D :

Bobby, I know you're probably only joking, but all Graham and SS are saying is that the potatoes taste great in other dishes if they are first boiled in the base (thereby absorbing all the flavours of the base).  I'm certain SS isn't claiming anything else