Hi Mick
Your food looks absolutely on the Money.    as per usual.
Plus your presentation looks great, authentic 80's restaurant nostalgia.
There isn't a bit flock wallpaper creeping into your curry obsession,
the shed maybe? ;D

Good Work
cheers Chewy

Glad you've had a breakthrough with your Bhunao or if your glaswegian, your Bhoona or even Booona ;D

Tempering herbs and spices in hot oil, at the initial stage of cooking is a Tarka --- not Bhuna

A good example of the process "Too Bhun" can be found in my video recipe here-
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5801.msg57447#msg57447

Cheers Chewy

Hi Ray
Just came in starving, been in three BIR kitchens tonight and apart
from a bit Hariyali Tikka, I thought I'd save myself to try a Madras a la Fennel when I got home.
So in went half a tsp of Fennel seeds with the my usual Madras tarka, followed by
precooked Chicken thigh meat.

Result:    The Fennel totally kicked the shit out of the Madras.

But in saying that, I can see where your coming from with the flavour.

I would recommend you use the smallest amount, like half a pinch or something
and it could well be what your looking for.

I still scoffed the lot, a bit too much Fennel's not going to put me off. ;D

Cheers Chewy

Hi Ray
That's a bit spooky, I'm sitting here with a full Madras Hit.
Bloody lovely, chilli burn mouth,sweaty head, tear-ducts bulging and that familiar tangy after taste.

Never heard of fennel being used, but worth a try if you like that flavour.

Hardly anybody in my road is using Worcestershire anymore.
You could try, if you haven't already, half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper corns,
that always adds something and leaves a nice after taste to my Vindaloo.

"Madras Week" now there's a theme. ;D
cheers Chewy

Hi **Phil
I'd go for the complete waste of time option.
BIR/TAs don't cook with cold base. end of.

Also thinking of all the hard work some members must have put into the CTM group test with a conclusion still pending after all this time.

On technique. its Bhun from the word Bhunao which leads to the menu and Bhuna Dishes,
which people might know are semi dry with a thickened sauce clinging to the meat or whatever the main event is.

Just like your favourite "Madras" is not Bhunned, as it is a saucy curry
A different technique, where tarka and high heat play their role.
Both technique's are shown in the video recipes I've had much fun making and posting on cr0.
cheers Chewy

Hi Phil

Looks like you've made a medium/plain chicken curry
The first traditional dish on most BIR menus.

Not many recipes on cr0 for this one

Well done! Keep it up
cheers Chewy

Hi Rich
Your Bhuna looks on the money, which ever way you look at it.
In fact it looks that good, I thought it was one of mine for a minute ...LOL ;D

Are you sure you weren't cooking in South Shields last night?

Hi Ray
Pataks has a huge range of pastes and sauces these days, but I don't know of any BIR or TA
that buys in anything other than the four original pastes that they have always bought in. (That's going back at least 35 years)
1. Tandoori Paste
2. Kashmiri Masala Paste
3. Madras Kebab Paste
4. Balti Paste
Usually these are just used as ingredients for marinades and wet masalas.
These never go directly into a curry except the Balti.
When the Balti craze hit the Northeast. I remember nobody knew how to make it, then it was quickly dumbed down to a spoonful of Balti Paste in a Bhuna.

The kebab paste can be a bit confusing for the home cook, but I've just checked my little scribble recipe book (circa1981) and I wrote "Use Tikka paste instead of Kebab Paste (similar)" and this was because, they only made a commercial size kebab paste and its just the same today, why, only Pataks know.

I guess there maybe some BIR chefs, tempted to use other New Pataks Pastes,
like they did with Balti, but I've never seen it happen.

On the nostalgic curry taste thing, I think most people have a similar taste memory, that's a bit like an itch you just can't scratch.
Mine's Tandoori Chicken.
cheers Chewy

Hi Ray
The spices were the same in the 60s as they are now, its just the evolution and popularity
of CURRY, which enables you to buy spices just about anywhere these days.
Back in the day, I spent many a night in my first BIR kitchen and I remember all the big square tins
of spice powders, as well as the galvanised dustbins full of rice and flour. They have always made mixed powder for the final curries and the curry powder for the base gravy was usually Madras Curry Powder, I remember the the big green tin and the ornate label mostly in Arabic except the words Madras Curry Powder and that I couldn't get any in small packets at the local Souk.
I think people get confused with Madras Curry Powder, as its nothing to do with heat or Madras the Curry!
It's an historic spice blend of at least 12 spices, going back to the 1800's

I've just bought a bagful of Natco stuff today at Morrisons.
All marked down for some reason... I don't need any of it, but at these prices
I just couldn't' resist.
Whole Jheera at 12p per 100g packet - Best Before 2013
Tikka Masala Powder at 15p per 100g packet - Best Before 2013
Madras Curry Powder at 10p per 100g packet - Best Before 2013
Three 250ml bottles of Pride Lemon Juice = One Pound- Best Before 8/2012
LOL could these be 60's prices -Result
cheers Chewy

Hi Matt
In the Chilli world choice is massive, I really like the taste of Kashmiri Mirch (MDH) and the colour
it gives to the curries. I was freaking a while back, when I couldn't get any.
Deggi Mirch is a close second, but I can live without it. I also like grinding whole dried chillis to see
what flavour I can produce. Mind you, be careful of the vapour if your dry roasting chillis, as you can create TEAR GAS a painful lesson I learned years ago. Ouch!!!
Most Bangladeshi chefs I know, don't have any preference for types or brands of chilli powder, but I have taught two or three about Kashmiri Mirch and they do use it now in their signature dishes, which are expensive and very successful.
cheers Chewy