Hi all, just joined up and said hi in the Newcomers section

I also had a question about whether different spices should be added at different times in the cooking process.  Has anyone got any thoughts on how best to add whole spices (first or last); whether some spices like chilli powder should be added before other spices like turmeric?  I was led to believe that some spices burn a lot easier than others, or require much less cooking than others, so these should be added in stages.

Also, should spices be added dry or mixed with water beforehand to form a paste?  I believe the latter prevents the spices from releasing their flavour as it is the hot oil which actually releases their flavour.  Therefore, mixing with water beforehand hinders this process.  From my experience adding them dry to your frying puree gives best results.

Any thoughts much appreciated

cheers
Jay

Hi all,
Just stumbled upon this forum by chance and must say it looks really active and full of useful info .
I have been cooking curries since I was a kid and can safely say I'm addicted
I do have one question as there seems to be so many different suggestions in books and websites etc etc about how to add spices during the cooking stage.... should you add different spices at different stages?  Apparently some spices can burn before others. Just wondering what people's thoughts on this were as most advice seems to say throw in all your spices together?
My preference is to infuse asafoetida and whole spices like clove and cinnamon in the hot ghee or oil right at the  beginning, then your puree, then spices like chilli and coriander for a short while, with aromatic spices like turmeric and cumin going in last, then your gravy/yoghurt etc etc.
cheers
Jay