That's looking mightily tasty there mate.

Nice one - and welcome. With cooking (and pics) like that, you will be an asset

Two stars will do for now mate

I think you misunderstood Phillip.

Not looking for........looking to own 

Shame - I missed it too.

Looking for my third Michelin Star restaurant - oh well, never mind, will just concentrate on the book for now, and appearance on next week's Saturday Kitchen. Quite nervous about that 

Sorry, my friend, I'm from Lanarkshire, so I can only recommend Buckie.

;D

That looks seriously tasty Naga.

Any chance of posting the final recipe, one of you guys?

All this talk of home-made garam masala is making my taste buds tickle and my nose twitch.

I have used the same recipe for about 15 years (tried a few others and came back to it) until I

a) got lazy,
b) embarked on my BIR quest (didn't think BIRs would make their own)

The sight of all those whole spices gently roasting away in 976's pic, and the aroma which is produced, has made me want to get back to making my own. It was always superior, for me, to any commercially produced garam masala, and the joy of making it added to the experience. My only problem was that I never had a grinder and resorted to the old mortar and pestle. It took a while to grind - especially the more fibrous parts (cassia and coriander husks were a bitch).

The end result was worth it - freshly roasted ground spices combining to make a lovely aromatic garam masala. Call me sad, but I would open the jar and stick my nose in just for a good sniff at the aroma.

Anyway, here is the simple, but lovely recipe - not a million miles from others, but I like it:

Makes about 200g

4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
5 x 2 inch pieces cassia bark
1 1/2 tbsp. green cardamom seeds
1 tbsp cloves
1 tsp dried mint leaves
4 bay leaves

Place all of the spices in a wide pan on a very low heat and gently roast, stirring very frequently, at least once a minute. The cumin should change colour by a couple of shades and give off a lovely aroma.

Cool and grind.

Try it, it's lovely.

I'm thinking that I will maybe ask Santa for a grinder and start making this again

Very nice spread, bud.

And you also had time to pimp the strat?

Superhuman effort, my friend

Absolutely. The BIR way.

Also, Chinese TA's add MSG as a flavour-enhancer and Indian TA's add fenugreek as a flavour-enhancer. Methi is not common in authentic Indian cusine, it's mostly added for our taste. A pinch of sugar does no harm

Methinks Jamie is taking the pish now