Ok..........
I think apologies are needed as regards what I first posted. I did this just way too early and it was an attempt at making things clear as regards spice cooking times and quantities.
What I intend to do, (Which will take some time).
Is provide an index where folks can look visually at what they are adding and why?
Heat is one thing, variety of smells and tastes is a million miles from that. Let's also not forget that India is 4000 + years old and has traditions. THEY are the Spice masters, not England and the BIR.
Thanks Chriswg, for the reply.
I 'think' what Mikka is trying to get at is that we shouldn't have one spice mix for all curries, rather the spice mix should be dynamic depending on the type of curry being produced. In his (poor) example he shows us a graph of the spices he believes should be in a Madras spice mix. Ideally () should be 0.25 tsp, ()()() 0.75 tsp, ()()()() 1 tsp and ()()()() ()()()() ()()()() 1 tbsp. I guess its a simple way for people (who don't understand basic fractions or measurements) to get the right quantities.
It is an interesting idea but won't lead us any closer to BIR utopia. In my experience the BIR chef will add varying proportions of turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander and chilli powder depending on the curry being produced. For someone cooking a special curry at home it might be worth trying to work out the best balance of the 16 ingredients for an individual curry. I personally won't be investing any time in it.
who knows an indian who has a Daughter whose Dad runs a BIR
lol - so has this girl got 2 dads or is it the same bloke?