Hi Curry King,

Thank's for sharing your recipe Curry King 

I'll try it out sometime and let you know how I got on.

Thanks for your reply CurryCanuck,

I looked a bit harder and found the answer I was looking for here https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,474.msg4331.html#msg4331

It seems MarkJ and Pete thought the book was pretty good.....particularly if you're just starting out.

PS:  I was more intrigued by your initial reply...you know...the one before you went back and modified it   

Hi All,

I'm sure this link must exist here somewhere, I just couldn't find it so I thought I'd post it anyway - http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/

Lots of interesting stuff and links here - but you have to pay a registration fee to access recipes from "The Curry House Cookery Book".......

......anybody got a copy of this?  If so, what's it like?

Good to see some support for the idea 

I've been thinking about it a bit more ( ) and offer a couple of suggestions for ranking systems that might be appropriate:

Firstly, to keep things really simple, rank the recipe, from 1 to 5, according to the following (or, obviously, alternative) descriptions:

1 - Shocking!  Even my local chippy would be ashamed to serve this! 
2 ?  Poor!  My local chippy might serve this - if they thought they?d get away with it! 
3 ?  Satisfactory!  Could eat this again; beats the hell out of fish ?n chips! 
4 -  Good!  Hey, I?d be proud to serve this to my friends - AND admit that I made it! 
5 ? Excellent!  Even my favourite BIR would be proud to serve this!  ;D

Secondly, another suggestion, for a slightly more rigorous (and complex  :!) system is to rate the recipe, according to certain attributes.  For example, rank the recipe, from 1 to 5 (the same descriptions as above could be used), for each of the following attributes:

a)   Appearance  (1 to 5 ;D)
b)   Taste (1 to 5 ;D)
c)   Smell (1 to 5 ;D)
d)   Similarity to BIR (1 to 5 ;D)
e)   Clarity and accuracy of recipe (1 to 5 ;D)

A grand total (in this case, to a maximum of 25), could then be given.  Obviously, other attributes could also be used instead.  A section for comments and total number of votes cast could be included.

Hope this is helpful?     (now, all that remains is the hard work!  )

See what you think?

Hi Admin  ,

I think the intent behind this poll is great! 

However, as several other people here have commented, I also feel unable to vote because I have only tried 1 out of the 25 Curry Base recipes on here!    I feel that my vote would therefore be a little misleading!    So, I have a suggestion to make??

?..would it be more effective (if it?s not too hard to implement) to change things a bit to enable people to rank (on a scale of 1 to 5, for example) the recipes they?ve tried.  A running total of votes cast for each recipe can also be maintained (plenty of other web sites do something similar).  I know that I?d then rank the recipe I?ve already tried and return to rank others, when I?ve tried them, in the future.  Maybe more people would do so too?

What do you think? 

PS:  The same system could be used to rank other recipes too?

Crikey!    No wonder Bruce Edwards considers it an essential ingredient!    Maybe he rubs it on?? ;D

Quote from: snowdog on May 30, 2006, 01:22 PM
I used ajowan seeds in a batch of Bruce Edwards' base I made yesterday and they did make a difference.

However, I wouldn't describe the raw seed smell as musty. It's a nice fragrant smell, though very 'un-Indian' by coriander and cumin standards

The base sauce made a pretty decent curry, too.

Hi Snowdog and MarkJ,

Thanks for your views on the use of Ajwain (lovage) seeds in the Curry Base.  I've since seen that Bruce Edward's considers it "an essential ingredient" in the base    I also see that Pat Chapman uses a Bruce Edward's curry base (including the Ajwain seeds) in his book "Vindaloo and Other Hot Curries".  In which case, I must also have used them before because I've previously made this base.....although I didn't think much on it.

I've already made Ifindforu's curry base without Ajwain seeds.  I think I'll now make it again, with them, to determine the difference 

Snowdog......when I was a boy  :, I used to collect caterpillars and stick them in a jar with dandelion leaves  .  The smell of Ajwain seeds reminds me of the smell that would develop in the jar!    ;D .......but I've yet to find anyone who knows what the hell I'm on about!!! 

This site is all about chillis and how to grow them......including the Dorset Naga (aka Naga Morich)...apparently the hottest chilli of them all  :P..................http://www.thechileman.org/

Here's another with a list of a few more sites worth looking at.........http://www.chilefarm.co.uk/links.html

Quote from: Fat Les on May 25, 2006, 07:19 AM

However, one small point that I'd appreciate someone helping me out on please.  This is the second time now (both times on this site) that I've seen  reference to adding "ajowan" seeds ("ajwain" or "lovage" seeds) to a curry base. 

I'm surprised because, until now (in 20 years or so), I can't recall seeing any recipe, in any curry book, calling for it's use (apart from as a minor ingredient in some minor dishes)? 

I had some ajwain seeds recently, but ended up ditching them because they had a disgusting, strong, pungent, musty smell and I never used them anyway! 

Can someone please enlighten me on what they do to the curry base and whether they are considered an essential ingredient or not?

Many thanks

Well.......any takers??  I'm waiting with baited breath 

Quote from: Fat Les on May 25, 2006, 07:19 AM
Hi Dave,

Thanks for the recipe Dave.  Looks like it should produce a decent curry base.  .....although I would have anticipated a lot more onions than 1kg?

Hi Dave,

Can you confirm that 1kg (about 4 medium ones) of onions is correct or not?  Looking at the amount of other ingredients in your recipe, I would have expected at least 2kg (about 8 medium ones) of onions, and probably around 3kg (about 12 medium ones)?

Thanks