Hi all,

I'm having a little trouble identifying different chillies.  Those of you lucky people who have access to lots of places to buy your ingredients may not appreciate how difficult it can be living on an island with limited choice.  I do ok with dried spices, but fresh is a problem. 
My local 'supermarket' has a variety of chillies and peppers, but they are not individually named, they have a picture and a price and that's it.  When asked about the produce, the level of knowledge is a bit like a 'take your pick and see' attitude.  They just sell the stuff. Can anyone out there help me decide which chillies to buy from a description of how it looks, how hot it will be etc. 
A tall order, I'm sure, but I need some sort of guide from experienced users.

Hi all,

Made my first two curries tonight, a Dhansak and a Jalfrezi, both using Mick's recipes.  I have to say, I was delighted with the results, as were my hubby and two invited 'guinea pig' friends.  The compliments were flying.
I am so pleased I found this site, there is so much information, and so much to learn, that I didn't have a clue about before
Biggest surprise?  the base gravy.  Never heard of that, never read about it anywhere, a complete mystery to me.  What a revelation.  It is not in the old book I have, nor have I seen it anywhere in recipes on the internet, but thanks to one of those browsing searches, I found this site, and need search no further.
I made the base yesterday, and completed the two dishes tonight, with such a feeling of accomplishment, I even wanted to pat my own back.
Got the bug now, only trouble is deciding what to try next, with all there is on here, I could happily be busy for years.   

P.S.  Is this the right place for this post?

Hi folks,

I've just joined today, mainly because I'm confused.  Stupid, I know, but here goes.
I have and Indian cookbook, and although i haven't used it yet, what confuses me is that almost all the recipes use the same spices.  So, what makes these curries different from each other, apart from the meat content?  I have no idea what to make!  Will the taste, heat etc be the same in all of them?

I'm sure someone here can explain this to me so I can be guided in the right direction, so thanks in advance.