Wandering around in old posts I came across this nice post https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=122.0 from Mark J. I havent tried this technique but as it comes from a curry house and has been witnessed by a leading member it has to be the real deal. As Ifindforu?s base is quite "runny" i was think maybe this was a good base to use with Mark J?s curry.

I havent had time to make Ifindforu base but ive bought most of the spices for it, and as it promises to make a good dish i was wondering which technique would be the best to produce  a BIR style curry.

What techniques and "must have" spices do other members find the best for a BIR style curry?

That sure looks good! My idea was simular but with a roof, i think the problems could be getting the heat high enough and even if u can, the average oven probably wont be able to cope (ive already ruined the rubber seals on 2 ovens).

The secret to a good clay oven is the shape, its actually the airflow over the food that creates more heat, italian pizza ovens are domed and the hot air circulates over the food. The shape creates more heat where its needed, a fan oven is a simular.

I suspect the best shape for tikka and breads is the tandoor and cant be improved upon. Seems that you need a strong extraction fan to remove the heat on a home tandoor, the alternative is to built one outside but you would need some kind of cover, a garage or shed to protect the clay from water.

http://www.goldentandoors.com/tandoor-range.htm

Ive heard of some pizza ppl buying two stones, one to place under the bread and one on the shelf above, they then get intense heat above and below. Im sure someone could create an oven within an oven, like a box with all sides closed except one. Ironically we are trying to recreate technology that has been around for a few thousand years and is still in use.

I bought a pizza stone. You should be able to pick one up very cheaply at a hardware store, just ask for a stone which is heat resistant and contains no lead (surprisingly some do).. explain what you want to use it for and im sure youll get lots of help.

My stone is 30cm x 30cm and 1.5 cm deep. I heat it up for around 45 mins to an hour on full effect in the middle of the oven, once hot i press out a ball of nan dough and with the help of a wood paddle (you can make your own) I slide the nan onto the stone. give it 2 mins and turn over the nan. I looks like a nan tastes like a nan but isnt quite as good as a tandoori nan.. ive tried the grilled method and tava method and this method stands up very well, it will turn out lighter than a tava nan and less crispy than a grilled one. BTW i always tava my chappatis.

doesnt cost alot for a stone, i think george used a paving slab in his oven?
GL

I see i already replied to this question with coriander seeds... Id like to add fresh coriander too.. love the stuff, cant believe some people think is tastes like washing up liquid 

15 yrs ago when I arrived in Sweden my wife and I lived in a really small flat, we had virtually no cooking equipment except a 2 ring hob and a portable grill.. I remember grilling some bacon and didnt bother to clean the grill pan. The next time I put the grill onthe pan got really hot and smokey.. realising my mistake I immediately put the grill pan under the tap and almost recieved 3 degree burns on my face..It happened so quickly.. almost like a firework exploding, a large sheet of flame around my head. Now we have "real" cooker with an extraction fan.. which means I have to be even more careful not to get those 2 foot flames. Id love to test it out though

A good method which works well for me and is very simple;

:Put a pan on medium heat,
:add a little veg oil (1 dsp),
:add your chicken pieces, dont overload the pan as the heat will be reduced juices will come out of the chicken and they will boil rather than fry.
:Move the pieces around the in the pan so they dont brown.
:once all the sides of the chicken have been fried a little add one small ladle full of base sauce. 
:keep the heat up so the base reduces to a thick sauce and oil
:keep testing the chicken, by pressing down on the pieces.. if they seem "springy" then they are NOT cook inside.. if they seem firm and base sauce has been reduced then try breaking open the biggest piece and check inside.. the chicken doesnt have to be cooked all the way through if you are going to use it within 20 mins or so.. if it is to be used later then it must be cook all the way through before putting it in the fridge, the chicken can then be removed from the pan and left in a ceramic bowl and allowed to cool. this will relax the chicken pieces and will result in tender pieces in your final curry.

The important things to think about are; (1) if you use frozen pieces then cook them all the way through. (2) If your pieces are slightly raw inside then they will need to be cooked a little longer in the final dish than ones which are already cooked right through.(3) Dont leave pieces out in the warm too long, always put the (cooked) pieces in the fridge after 20 mins?.(4) dont add your chicken to your curry if the sauce hasnt been reduced, add it nearer the end. This will stop the pieces getting stringy.

Good luck!!

This Saturday I was at a place with flashing Christmas lights in the window  : it didnt improve the flavour of the Balti. Of course, given two places with identical food I will always go for the better decor. A place with atomosphere, preferably something blocking off a view of the street (dont want to eat in a shop window), a place without a tv in the corner, a place which looks clean, one with indian music in the background, one where they havent packed the tables too closely.

The food (and price) is the most important though.

Its the hot weather! Thats why ppl in India eat curry 24/7. Go to Iceland you wont get any  :-X

Id guess the reason the curry catches fire is hot oil comes into contact with the parts of the pan that are the hottest (ie the top of the pan) and its the oil/oils(remembering the spices are releasing their flavours) that creates the flame, the extra heat caramelises the sugars producing..? Well supposedly a different flavour than can be produced without setting it on fire.

Someone should ask a chef why he sets his food on fire.. would be interesting to hear the different answers.