Hi guys,
I too leave out the chilli from the curry base - Darth must have an asbestos-lined stomach

Even so, the base still leaves a hint of heat, which is great for anything spicy, but can still be picked up in the milder dishes. The CTM I make from this site (Curry King's) leaves a nice glow at the back of the throat - perhaps it shouldn't, but it still goes down well

Kiwis just cannot take the heat so when I make curry for them they get the CTM. I
LOVE Darth's madras, but, as indicated by George's posting, - it is still necessary to tweak the recipes to suit our own tastes, or in my case, the availability of ingredients.
I don't use the extra hot chilli in Darth's madras - I can get it, but the one I got hold of left blisters in my mouth! I am also keeping to the 'less oil' method (watching the calories) and I also fry my spices just after the onion and garlic, and sizzle the passata with the spices before adding the chicken and then the base. It doesn't make much difference but I think it is more logical. The resullt? As I said, I LOVE it!
CL_NZ