I suspect the main reason they use oil form the deep-fat fryer is to achieve a through-put to minimize wastage, using THAT oil means it effectively gets thrown away (into our curries) and preplaced bit by bit.  Whereas if they just used new oil for the base and curries they would end up having to discard the poppadom oil when it gets too old, increasing cost, which, as we all konw, is a huge driver for BIRs.

I feel the same as everyone here, I madras and bhuna are deffinately better than some of the poorer BIRs down my way (Surrey), but not quite as good as the good ones'.  It's that extra 5% I can't get to!

I also think that a lot of the newer BIRs, also so busy concentrating on doing something different and 'new', are not up there with some of the sort of thing avaiable back in the 70s and 80s!

I wonder is some of these special seasonings, mentioned here elsewhere, or BBs bouillion are the answer.  I also think there is something in this business of 'scaling-up' base quantity to BIR volume.  Someone here mentioned (sorry I forget who) that the children of his local BIR chef apparently ask him to bring home base from the restaurant, because it makes better curries than that made at home (by the self-same chef), but in smaller quantities!

There is one other point I'd like to make, which has already been stated on Cr0.  Some of the curries made 'up north' are utterly different from southern ones.  I know this only too well!  I was at Leeds University in the early to mid 80s, and often used to go to a really cheap place opposite the Parkinson Bulding called The Islamabad'  My favorite meal was madras and a paratha (an artery-furring combination for sure!).  Now it has to be said that all their curries were very similar, whether you ordered a madras, a korma, or a masala (nothing like a tikka masala), and the quality of the chicken was not very good (stringy boiled offcuts by the look of it); but the smell and flavour of the sauce was FANTASTIC, I've never had anything like it since.  There were other similar BIRs right next door as I recall:  Chakwells and Naffies.  How on earth they got the flavour I have no idea, I can't even get close!

I have yet to try Blades's, and I shall get 'round to it, but I still SO sold od CAs which I think is FANTASTIC, it might have to wait!

CA said on the previous page of this thread that he has tried Blade's,  Now I am conscious that he didn't express an opinion about which he thought was better, his or Blade's, maybe he felt it would sound sound like self-justification if he said his?  Either way I would be interested your opinion CA?

Yes that's it!  I must immediately go and buy some chickens and feed them on leftover base! Chortle wheeze guffor, titter titter!

My local asian grocer didn't stock white tower, but they did have big red tins of a greek puree called 'KYKNOS' he said it was just as good, white tower is also greek according to him.

Worked very well in a bhuna!

It's funny how things sometimes seem to go round in circles, the KD base was onion with no carrot and pepper, AND blended garlic/ginger also!  People seem to be coming back to this idea!

I keep trying to add carrot and pepper to my base but everytime I leave it out, the result seems better!

I think I may also go back to belnding garlic/ginger and adding it to the 'boil' stage, rather than fryig it in later, like KD, and more latterly BE!

Derek,

It's entitled: 'chicken tikka/tandoori illustrated', by Corry Ander, in the Tlkka/tandoori section of starters and side dishes.

I've done this PC version that Corry put up several times now and its VERY good!

Bolst's used to do a 'vintage lime pickle', don't know if they still do.  That was very good!  I agree 'though I like pataks lime pickle, although I have not had any for some time!

Do BIRs use the pataks tandoori paste for anything, tandoori chicken for example?  Or do they just use the Kashmiri masala paste and tikka paste for everything, tandoori chicken included?

Missed it, OMG I feel ill!