Thanks curryhell, personally I've found the missing piece for my puzzle with your suggestion of star anise at the tarka stage

- cooking with UC base and C2G bassar mix gives exactly the taste of madras at my local favourite two BIRs, that mysterious licqourice-type taste that's in the background, I'd tried powdered fennel (not exactly the same taste), and ground up star anise in the mix powder but neither quite hit the spot
Your method did, and simple too!
Thanks a million ;D ;D
Will add the ubiquitious curry-porn later...