curryhell,
many thanks - intrigued now to try both the Zaal vindaloo and the phall (but at vindaloo hot) to compare the difference in technique. given the risks as you say would not be done without reason. one to go on the to do list.
in the past i'd picked up that the longer the spice is cooked the darker the final curry becomes. i'd connected this with say bhuna type dishes and not madras derivatives which i see as red.
Will be interesting to hear of the comparison. I certainly am not going to try it just yet until i get somewhere near close with my phall. At the moment it would be a guaranteed BURN

. It kind of amazes me how you can get a different result with virtually the same ingredients but added at a different stage of the recipe.
I certainly agree Jerry about the colour changing depending on the length of time the spice is fried for. When i watch the vindaloo vid last night i was surprised at the sequence of events like yourself. But reviewing the vid you can see that it is exactly how Az wants it done.
I know we pulled Solarsplace's leg about his vindaloo but i did try it. Yes the spices were singed a fraction more than desired, or not quenched in sufficient time, whichever way you want to look at it, but the curry was perfectly edible and i have had phall's and vindaloos with that taste. Az did say it wasn't burnt. I just put it down to Russ being braver than I was ;D
@ Solarsplace, was that a sneaky bit of garlic that went in the pan before you added salt, mix powder and chilli or was it ginger / garlic paste???