Jerry i accept that some bir use the odd extra ingredient or 2 (eg cashew paste) but i dont think we are missing any major ingredients which will suddenly bridge the gap. I think many recipies on this site are just not very advanced or developed. After a year of trying i have finally got rid of an unwanted flavor in my madras, and found a new method which is a step closer, but not a true replica. No extra spices were introduced, but it tastes so much better. Actually i reduced and removed some spices. If i keep making gradual improvments i am convinced it will at least match some bir madras i have purchased. Personally i dont think copying chefs spice mixes is very helpful in learning about using spices. I recently dropped the use of the DD spice mix which i highly rated for 2 years. Making up your own spice mixes is better. Instead of looking for new spices i am finally learning how all the typical spices work, in combination with other inregients, so far with encouraging results. I must admit though i am intrigued by the amount of unfamilier spices i see in asian supermarkets.

SS, i would disagree that an onion only base would work well (although it would work ) . i feel that salt garlic and and some tomato , and red pepper are essential to get the right undertone. The trouble with an onion only base would be adjusting the final recipe for all the missing garlic, tomato, . it could be done though. But then it would be traditional indian cookery!

Hi Secret Santa, yes too much tomato is not good, i prefer to add that at the curry making stage, in the form of lots of tomato puree. Adding the tomato too early to base is also not good. i was genuinly shocked that the closest base i have made to the real bir base i once tasted was my most simple base. i left out the carrot, most of the typical spices. the texture of the final curry was spot on. It makes sense that bir would use very simple recipies for the base, as they make  so much of the dam stuff.

Hi Mikka, are you using tarragon for things like madras, and all curries you make?

Every town or city has a few great BIR. just trust your nose, literally. if you walk in and its busy, and has the smell, then try it out with ordering a madras. Compare a few madras from different TAs in the same town. i guarantee one will stand out as leagues above the rest. I would do a list but cant remember many non local ones. And from experience i find 1 in 6 BIR are actually very good. so its not rocket science. tip: always buy the madras on thursday night.

Hi Ca, yes i see your point. I expect i am aiming a lot higher than most. I grew up in a family of cooks so i guess its in the blood. Although other family members always say to me " why dont you try some other types of cooking". I just stare blankly back at them looking puzzled !!

Josh And Ub and others, its interesting to hear how you guys have a totally different method to me. I have stuck with making plain bases with little oil, prefering to add heaps of oil at the final stage of making a curry. Recently i took this to a new level with an even plainer base (very similar to the real bir base i tried) and trippled up the spicing in the final curry. increasing the evaporation stage by 5 mins. fantastic results. not at all bland like so many cro curries i have tried.  I believe a very plain base is great for evaporation, and also shows up your mistakes more. This allows subsequent tweaks to recipies to be easier to gauge.  However i am sure every person needs to find the right method for them, and develop it incrementally. I cannot possibly imagine what CA,s UBs or Joshes curries taste like. Wish i could ! I can only compare mine to real TA,s, which is tough.

Post moved to here by CA:  https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4127.msg37903#msg37903

Quote from: Cory Ander on January 12, 2010, 03:17 PM

Quote from: Derek Dansak on January 12, 2010, 01:24 PM
Hi PaulP, easy to prepare hey, thats always nice to hear! whats the basic madras or dopiaiza like? does it really taste like a real TA? If not , whats missing? Korma is not a good way to assess a base in my opinion. did you make a madras or dopiaza?  was it top notch?

  But it produces simple, decent tasting BIR curries, nevertheless.

I think many members would be happy to consider this as their personal end point.

Hi CA, I would not like to guess what most members want to achieve. it amazes me how few actually dare post comments. I would have thought many members dont want 100 ways to produce a "not quite right" version of a TA. which is basically what we have now. although there are some exceptions that break this rule, if you search hard enough and try enough recipies from this site. 

Hi PaulP, easy to prepare hey, thats always nice to hear! whats the basic madras or dopiaiza like? does it really taste like a real TA? If not , whats missing? Korma is not a good way to assess a base in my opinion. did you make a madras or dopiaza?  was it top notch?

This looks like a very interesting new line of enquiry ! however i am so dam close with the methods i already know, i feel it may be a step side ways to start with a whole new technique. i would love to hear how other members get on with this new technique. specifically how the taste differs to other techniques. good luck to anyone trying it out.