QuoteCurry Powder - An authentic blend of exotic spices used by generations since the days of the Raj. Excellent for adding flavour to sauces, soups and rice. Ranges from mild to very fiery.

Very helpful list -  I shall be printing a copy to keep handy in my kitchen.

Just one point (not trying to be picky) I never thought of curry powder as an authentic indian spice (or mixture) just something put together in a sort of "oh just throw a bit of curry powder in" way. The definition of curry powder from Wikipaedia is below:

QuoteCurry powder is a mixture of spices of widely varying composition developed by the British during their colonial rule of India as a means of approximating the taste of Indian cuisine at home. "Curry powder" is thus a British invention, where it is still popular, in contrast to India, where it is (practically) unknown.

Do any of you guys / gals actually use it by the way?

Col

QuoteSome people may be easily pleased. I don't know.

I assure you that I am not easily pleased, George, especially when it comes to Indian-style curries, but I am not saying that KD has come up with the Mother of all Curries either, just that the techniques / methods have shown me (and lots of other satisfied readers) the way.

I will take your suggestion and I am sure that I will find the Darth base to be delicious - I shall post my findings in due course.
In the meantime I noticed this post right here on this forum I particularly refer to the statement:
"This is where the journey began a long time ago for many on the road to curry perfection", The Boss (Admin)
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1652.0

"Could we teach taste or genius by rules, they would be no longer taste and genius" Joshua Reynolds

Col

Quote from: Curry King on March 13, 2007, 03:49 PMIf your wondering where to start why not try Bruce Edwards under the ebooks section.

Thanks CK - I will give one of Bruce's a try next time I am allowed to destroy the kitchen

Col

Hi Serum
I come from Manchester but I live in North Wales. I have been to London on a few occasions and have eaten away from the tourist spots - I always try to have an Indian Curry when I am visiting a new town / city.
I wasn't impressed with any of the curries that I had in London - I am sure it's a matter of familiarity and what you grow up with but they didn't taste or look like any of the curries I have had anywhere else.
I have had some great curries in Manchester (before the Blackpool style re-vamping of the "curry mile") but I think the best curry I have had was in PeterLee in the North East of England.
It's almost impossible to get what I would deem to be a decent curry in North Wales (my opinion only).

Quote from: George on March 12, 2007, 08:27 PMit was only negative in the sense that I don't rate KD's book very highly

No problem with negative reviews about the book but the impression I got from your first post, George, (and underlined) by your last one, is that you are reviewing the readers who don't have the same opinion as yourself and not the book itself.
I am not a chef but I have been hooked on Indian Curries for at least 30 years - in that time I have not eaten anything (cooked outside the BIR itself) resembling a typical BIR curry whether it was a  home-made attempt, served up by friends, English restaurants, out of a packet, Jar, tin, et al.
My point is that as soon as I tried the curry sauce from KD's book I scored a near hit (and not a tasteless, insipid one) - I saw the light.
I am not a novice when it comes to Indian curries but it has always amazed me that they were virtually impossible recreate - whether it's by Madhur Jaffrey, Lloyd Grossman, Mr & Mrs Patak, or Great Uncle Joe who lived in Bangladesh for 50 years they all turned out to bear no resemblance to the dish I was hoping for - the KD book has finally got me on the right track.
And it is that very same author that led me to this site (as I suspect a lot of others on here).
I will definitely try some of the recipes on this site and have no doubt that I will find some belters here - any suggestions as to who's recipe I should try firs, George?

Col

I think the forum exists for people who are into BIR curries to exchange their ideas, recipes and stories. I log onto this forum because of the KD book not the other way round.

I recently received the "Curry Secret" as a gift and I have made some very nice (near restaurant style) curries from it. I have been into curries for years and have never been able to produce anything like a BIR curry until now. I think the book deserves all the plaudits as it gives the home enthusiast a few authentic tips and tricks - the recipes are obviously open to interpretation but it at least gets you half way there. I would think that the number of times KD is mentioned in this forum is proof that it was an important publication (important to the likes of us anyway), after all if it was that bad would it still be selling and would we be still posting about it?

I think that finding one very negative review and quoting it as if it was found carved in a tablet of stone is a little bit underhand given the vast amount of positives found on the Amazon website.

The guy that observed that curries are now changing is absolutely correct - I have not had a Madras, Vindaloo, or Rogan Josh that has been anything like the sauces I used to eat in the 70s and 80s. The texture and flavour has changed completely from those days. I find that the consistency from one restaurant to another (or even one night to another) is very shaky these days - when I was in my twenties you could basically go into any Indian restaurant and order a curry and know what it was going to look, smell and taste like.

One observation of my own - why can't you buy a decent BIR curry in a jar - after all we have all these experts in the field so it should be easy shouldn't it?

The negative response that started this thread reminded me of the catholic church's response to the DaVinci Code - me think he doth protest too loudly - it's only a book.

Col