I'm down to my last half litre of base and there's a mob descending on us for Easter so I'll try this version, using 5kg of onions. Noob question: I have a set of stainless steel spoons on a metal ring, when using the Tablespoon measure is that supposed to be heaped, rounded or scraped off flat across the top of the measure?

Summer is in full Swing here in the Great Southern Land and will be peeking over the horizon in the Frozen North before you know it

Wondering if any UK or American members grow Okra? I always have a few going in pots - they seem to flourish wherever tomatoes and chillies grow and mature at about the same rate, and I guess the would need to be in a greenhouse although might do well in Southern UK, Devon etc.

They are a hibiscus so quite decorative. Two plants give me about six per week, which store nicely in a plastic bag in the fridge till I end up with about ten then whack up a bindhi bhaji, or a curry with aubergine as well.

Ants seem to love them, I think they come for the nectar as they don't seem to do any damage and hopefully they prey on blackfly as well.

We have a mob descending on us to stay over Easter - including young nephew who has been engaged to an Indian lass for a year or more, and we are looking forward to meeting her. Reportedly she's bang up to date but with strong ethnic ancestry and comes from Leicester - sounds like a rerun of bend it like Beckham  ;D

I'll be chef in charge over the holiday, in Australia Easter is very much a BBQ and beach holiday as it's the last gasp of the hot weather before winter sets in - and I'll be flexing the BIR and AIR curry muscles.

Any hints on what local delicacies I could prepare to remind the lass of home? I believe that a lot of the (very large) Indian population in Leicester are from Anglo Indian families who migrated after independence.

After draining off the meat, do you reserve the stock to use in the curries?

Perhaps not BIR and definitely not vegan   but I find a half cup of any of my meats stock in dahls / chole etc lift them to a new level.

Thanks for posting, I love Aldi here in Australia, just went in to my local store today to buy a portable gas BBQ on special with their Australia Day sale. I see from the UK catalogue that they are doing a Burns Night sale - Aldi haggis and tins of Cullen skink  - aaahhh haggis with taties and neeps.

Hi, you'll find quite a few Aussies on the forum - I recently moved from Bribie Island to Old Bar Beach near Taree. I alternate between B.I.R. cooking and the Aussie restaurant style, which differ quite a lot in the way the base gravies are made but seem to get there in the end 

Chef called JJ does classes in Brisbane when he's not out of town setting up a new restaurant somewhere (he's a "setting up" consultant) - you'll learn heaps out of just one lesson, good value. http://indiancookingwithjj.weebly.com/.

Hi Damian, a bit south of you here at Old Bar Beach NSW and, like you, glad to be near the ocean during the current heatwave 
Funny how heatwaves are actually good curry eating weather  ;D

You'll find great tips and conversations on the forum here.

Michael

It's mostly heat that makes C. bolt, afternoon shade helps apparently. There are "slow bolting" varieties bred for warmer climates, which I'm sure would apply to India and SE Asia and that's the one I use.

If anyone is interested in a pack for the Summer you could write or fax to this mob

http://www.edenseeds.com.au/content/default.asp

who are a major Aussie breeder of organic and heritage seeds to see if they'll post overseas - they don't have email  believe it or not - bloody Hippies  ;D

I wonder what all that stuff on the footpath could be  - Looks like Kings Cross Sydney on Saturday Morning 

I "parboiled" the potato pieces in a steamer for 10 mins then used Manjula's Kitchen 15 minutes cover-and-simmer method rather than c2go's BIR method, but did put in half a ladle of BIR base as I don't like it too dry. And just added the cauli pieces raw.

Turned out perfect