I'm in the market for a new gas cooker. I'm not hugely farmiliar with output and how industrial burners differ from domestic. But, can you get domestic cookers that perform like the ones BIRs use?

I think. The onions need to be cooked slowly until absolutely melting as we all know...Someone also mentioned soaking them in water to remove the harshness. I tried this last week and it does produce a smoother flavour. I would also only ever use Dutch onions nowadays as they attend to be milder varieties than English.

The base also needs to be very watery in my experience otherwise if it is too concentrated it can overpower the finished dish. Mix powder, garlic, ginger need to be cooked in a baghaar and added at the end for maximum flavour and an akhni stock consisting of tej patta, cloves star anise and their ilk is also a very good idea for an added dimension. (Interestingly it has been noted by top chefs that star anise and onions have an affinity with one another as the star anise helps to bring out the onions flavour!) Other than that most bases are pretty similar. Onions, peppers, tomato, carrot, fresh coriander...They all seem to be the same give or take.

Rather than people's favourite bases I think what would be interesting would be a poll of people's top techniques and tips that make a difference in producing the BIR taste.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on November 29, 2014, 01:53 PM

Quote from: tempest63 on November 29, 2014, 01:52 PM
We always claim our brace and they always get used, but I take your point on leaving them out for the wildlife and they will be deposited in the Essex countryside later today.

I commend you, T63.  (But I'd still eat them myself, if they were even half-way on the safe side of "putrid" !  Cooking in a good full-bodied red with plenty of ceps can mask even the flavour of a well-OTT pheasant in my exeperience ...).

** Phil.

Do you pick ceps Phil?

Having trouble finding this but can get ever other pickle. This is to go in a curry rather than as a dip. Could I use something else?

Cheers

Why was he banned?

Use any spice mix - makes little diff. It's how you cook them that counts.

I think bases are all a bit much of a muchness. It's how you cook them what gets the result your after.

It's an interesting question. I may soon be entertaining a guest with an egg allergy and was wondering if h4ppy naans still worked minus the egg inclusion. Has anybody tried?

If it was me I'd "de-husk" the seeds first but I've known others to say they have chucked them in the grinder whole especially when making garam masala. It's down to personal taste really. It looks an interesting powder though. It may well be on my to do list. Where did you find it?

PS. Is it fenugreek leaf (methi) or fenugreek seed?

I'm intrigued by this kadhai gravy Livo, tell us more! I did a chicken balti myself last night inspired by a recent visit to Saleem's and results were pretty close...