CA's are notoriously complex and expensive to make
What a strange comment

My curry base is about as simple and as cheap as you can get (i.e. minimal and cheap ingredients, no pre-frying of ingredients...simply chuck the ingredients in water....simmer for an hour....and it's ready!). Of course, you could skip the curry base and follow a TRADITIONAL (rather than BIR) curry cooking method.....if that makes it "simpler".
Granted, my spice mix contains a few more ingredients than the typical coriander + cumin + turmeric + curry powder + paprika (or chilli) mix....but otherwise adds little extra complexity or cost...provided the other (minor) ingredients are to hand (which, if you cook curries seriously, they really should be). Of course, you could make it "simpler" by using curry powder, or paste from a jar. Then again, a curry sauce from a jar would be simpler still

I specify limited precooking of meat or vegetables which, though simpler, is contrary to BIR methods. It really should be done (does that make it simpler or more complex?) if one is truly trying to replicate BIR curries.
Use of "spiced oil" is specified as optional. BUT, if you really want the final percentages, in BIR taste and smell, you are probably going to want to do this (or at least something similar).
Thereafter, my recipes (my main dish recipes anyway) are about as quick, simple and as cheap as they can be (e.g. they use no expensive ghee or oils) and follow typical BIR techniques.
Where are they "notoriously complex and expensive"?

I think you are either generalising too much or you are equating "complex" and "expensive" with personal none availability of particular spices/precooked ingredients/pre-made masalas/pre-prepared curry base, etc.
It doesn't necessarily make a recipe more complex just because a recipe calls for, say, dried fenugreek leaves (or a spice, or a spice mix, or a curry base, or pre-cooked ingredients, or whatever), but they aren't to hand.
Regarding "cheapness", I don't think one can really reliably comment unless one does a proper costing of ingredients and time.
For what it's worth, I judge curries on how closely they resemble BIR curries regarding:
- Taste
- Smell
- Appearance/Texture
I expect the ingredients and methods to closely resemble those of typical BIRs and for the
ingredients to be to hand.
Perhaps "BIR-like" (or words to that effect) should be an assessable attribute? Perhaps this is what Phil means by "authenticity" (opposed to meaning that it resembles "authentic" or "traditional" Indian cuisine)? In which case I agree.
I agree that "taste" should be weighted more heavily than the other assessable attributes (maybe a score out of 20 for taste and out of 10 for the others?).
Summary comments would be interesting.
Notes on ANY deviation to the published recipe are ESSENTIAL, in my opinion.
In the context of these "Group Tests", it doesn't much matter anyway because "testers" aren't following recipes to the letter....it's purely "for fun" after all.....