Fluorescent paprika!  I do hope its not full of that carcinogenic 'sudan red' dye there was such a kerfuffle about in chillie powder recently!!

I'm sure  a brand like that wouldn't stoop so low...

I have no idea if it's just coincidence, but when I have made bases, if I don't include carrot and pepper (eg base made from onion, garlic, ginger and tomato plus oil and spices alone), the oil seems to separate; but if I include carrot and pepper it never seems to separate out, no matter how long I boil it.

I wonder if something in pepper or carrot emulsifies the oil??

Thanks Raj, very interesting; i probably won't use it in a base in that case!

I've been there once, a lunchtime I recall.  Standard type grub, O.K. but not outstanding.  Not sure I'd chance it again after what I've read above 'though!

I'm aware that curry leaves are used extensively in traditional indian cooking, but I'd be interested to know if they're used much in BIR cooking, I suspect not, but maybe some of you know differently?

it's also worth mentioning that the bitterness in some of my batches of base does not seem to be passed on to the finished curries, which I guess makes the whole thing irrelevant!

I don't think this is because the bitter flavours are masked by the other, more dominant, flavours in the finished curry; but rather because the final high temp cooking process drives off any remaining volatile and bitter componants remaining in the base.

This thread has progressed to page 4 now, but please note that I've attempted to answer some of the questions at the bottom of page three!

Sorry folks, I've not been arround for a week or so to answer your questions, this topic seems to have 'kicked-off' in my absence!!

Firstly, as I stated in my first post, I've had bitter results having bolied the ginger & garlic, BUT also having fried them first.  this would indicate to me that the bitterness is nothing to do with burning the garlic and ginger, since this could only occur during frying!  I also feel that I'm experienced enough to know if I've burnt something, and I don't think I have.

I DO use an aluminium pot, and was interested to hear about tomato reacting with the metal, something that should have occurred to be before (having trained as a chemist... durhhh!).

I was interested also to read about adding bicarb.  I know this is something chip shops do when making 'mushy peas', presumably for the same reason, to help them break down.

I do chop my onions coursely (with a VERY sharp knife) most of the time, however I did once chop them in a food-processor, prior to cooking and blending.  This DID produce a bitter result!  However I have also had bitterness from coursely chopping!

I use a modified KD base, containing, in addition to her usual ingredients: a small carrot, a pepper, a stick of celery and home made roast chicken stock (prepared using a bouquet garni of peppercorns, bay, star anise and cloves, a la Ali Haydor).  Also , as well as 'tarkering' the tinned tomarto, I have done the same thing with the ginger and garlic (this is where I fryed the garlic/ginger, that I mentioned above).

I'm being to suspect two possible causes: firstly the aluminium pot.  I now fully intend to get a steel one, the last thing I need is early dementia caused by aluminium plaques in the brain!  Aluminium cooking pots have been cited as a cause of medical problems in the past, particularly if they have been used to prepare food that reacts with the metal!  I suspect though, that the main cause is the fact that I have either not cooked the onions long enough, although I'm not sure I'm guilty of this, as one hour should be plenty.  OR (more likely), I've cooked them on too low a simmer, with the lid on, which has not allowed the volatile bitter chemicals to be driven off adaquately.  Perhaps a good roling boil with the lid off next time!

Comments please!

i often use Kashmiri Basaar mix pictured above, and it gives very good results.

Thanks for that, the last lot of base I made came out bitter, and I must admit that I only gave the onions a total cooking time of one hour or so!