Hi Jimmyja,  I can't wait any longer!  Did you go to the lesson and if you did how did it go?  Sorry to be so anxious, but I was really looking forward to seeing a posting Sunday or yesterday.

I have been cooking tri-coloured pilau rice this way for a long time.  No need to dilute powder.  You get a more definate colour if you don't.

Hi Pete,  Let's put it this way, my husband is and has always been very critical of my curries over the years.  I don't have many complaints at all these days at all, in fact, "it's as good as" or "even better than a bir" are his comments.  We do buy takeaways still sometimes and its so annoying when they mess it up when you know that you can do just as good as them and you have to pay for the disaster they have made.

The complete taste!  That depends really on dishes you are making yourself.  It's all down to the reclaimed oil from the dishes you make at home and then take back once cooked. I think everyones oil will probably be different to a certain degree depending on the dishes they make.  They are complete for me because they have "that smell and aroma" that comes with takeaways.  When you start making a curry with the oil, you have an instant fantastic aroma which fills the kitchen with anticipation of whats to come.

When you make your base gravy add about a pint or so of vegetable oil.  Before blitzing skim as much off as possible and bottle it.  Use this for starting your dish and then just take out a tablespoon or two and put back in bottle.  Do this with each dish made.  If the oil gets too intense then just add some vegetable oil to slacken it off.

Hi Mark,  Well done with your experiments, although I knew it would come up trumps for you!  Cooking a curry the night before you eat it is always the way to go too as Iit improves in taste ten times over.  With regard to the spiced oil, I usually reclaim it once or may twice a week.  I usually make a prawn pathia (phall hot), a prawn dupiaza (vindaloo hot) and a tarka dhal and maybe bombay potatoes.  I tend to cook these dishes most of the time as they area our faves.  The oil initially takes on flavours when it is cooked when gravy is made and then will only take on other flavours from dishes that you cook with it.  So, ten different people can re-use oil and then reclaim it, but, they will be all very different to each others depending on dishes they have produced with it.  Do you see what I am getting at?  It is amazing when you start first cooking a dish when you use the spiced oil though isn't it? 

I always prepare my chicken in water and tumeric.  Put enough water in pan to just cover the chicken and add turmeric.  Quantity of turmeric depends on how much chicken you are cooking.  I would say roughly a rounded tsp turmeric to 4 chicken breasts.  Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Drain and use.

Looks good to me Mark, and I know that this is right!  I have been professing this for a long, long time!  It is the only explanation, we have all done the gravies, different ones and on the whole they work.  It's down to the oil.  I have experimented enough with oil, but, not on the same scale as bir's.  I hope this works out and it will cofirm what I have been saying for a long time.

Hi Jimmyja,  I'm excited for you too!  Wish I lived closer to Bristol.  You have 11 days in which to prepare yourself for this exciting experience - enjoy it and at the same time take it all in!!!!

So......these sicky burps, do they come with certain curries?  I'm thinking that maybe its to do with the chilli powder content in the hotter dishes.   My husband suffers the next day if too much chilli powder has been used in a dish if bought from a bir.  When I make mine, I tend to use mostly fresh chillies.  Just a thought!

Yes I've been watching it too.  I find it encouraging when last night the digger driver won and the over confident girl was put out.  Can't wait for Mondays programme.  Maybe we might pick up some tips along the way!   :

Good Stuff!  It will enable newcomers to access information with much more ease.  Well done!