Welcome to CRO.  CA's base is an ideal place to start and will produce excellent results.  Try Blades tikka.  It is to die for and is equal to and often better than you'll get in many a restaurant.  I too started with Pat Chapman and Kris Dhillon.  This site wasn't available when i first started on my journey in search of cooking BIR food. .  It is truly a gem for us would be BIR cooks ;D

If you're interested in creating BIR food, you've just found the best source of information available Noll.  The site abounds with information and members willing to help.  Razor has summed up the heat issue.  No chilli (powder, crushed or fresh) no heat.  The standard BIR menu abounds with so many different dishes which you can enjoy -  all without heat by just omitting any chilli content.  Personally I'm  a phall man (severe chilli heat fan ) but that doesn't stop me appreciating the taste of other dishes. :  Besides i cook for many and most of my guests don't do heat.  Enjoy the site and the wealth of info it provides for free.  Feel free to ask any member for help or advice.  The majority will be only too willing to help you on your way .

Hi Abdul.  A very warm welcome to the site.  I am sure like many CRO members we are all looking forward to you answering the  many questions we all have.  To have a restaurant chef on board is the icing on the cake.  I am sure you will take us all nearer to achieving that BIR taste at home.  Good luck with the books.  I will be ordering my copy soon and look forward to the subsequent volumes.   Your skill and helpfulness has already been applauded by members who have been fortunate enough to have had lessons with you.  What better recommendation can anybody get?  At a paltry price of just

Hello Noll and welcome to the site.  What cook book is it that you have?  Are you interested in recreating your favourite restaurant / take away dishes or are you after more authentic Indian cooking?  If it's the former you have joined the right site and will soon begin the journey of cooking restaurant quality food as good as if not better than many.  The site has a wealth of information, tips, recipes etc and many knowledgeable individuals all willing to share their experiences and provide plenty of help.

But if i do get any special requests for green bits in the rice, of course i'm always happy to oblige, just like the colouring of CTM.  Some like it bright red, some like it pink.  Whatever floats your boat ;D

A very warm welcome.  Glad to hear of the success of your first attempt.  Your journey has now begun ;D

I used to quite like Bombay duck - my dad got me into it as a kid.  Then for years I used to enjoy asking for it in curry houses (safe in the knowledge that they didn't actually have any, despite it being on the menu).  I think the European safety elves banned it or something?
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Now there's a blast from the past.  I can remember chomping on a nice bit of fried crispy Bombay duck (also sometimes cooked in the tandoor) before the main event arrived at the table.  Alas it was removed from the shelves due to some EU directive re. the packing process potentially giving rise to contamination and therefore possible food poisoning (www.bombay-duck.co.uk/). This issue did get resolved in the end but unfortunately the product available nowadays is only a shadow of its former self 

Quote from: madmatt on June 10, 2011, 12:25 AM
but the biggest suprise was the mint sauce vid he has on youtube.

I copied that(all except the colouring) and it is exactly as you get in any BIR.

Matt

Could not agree more.  Totally identical to that found in many a BIR

Well, i think you have enough to be going on with for now Rozzi to occupy  your 2 weeks, but if you can fit it in would love a good tasty chicken phall recipe. Of  course like Stephen a naan bread recipe and also the mixture for Peshwari Naan would be gratefully appreciated.  Whatever you report back, enjoy the experience 

Thanks for contributing your methods guys.  The more input the better.  Nothing like keeping one's options open ;D.  Must admit, whilst having followed some of KD's recipes and having adapted her curry gravy to my taste, i have never tried her rice.  I am more than happy with my recipe which has come from dissecting the rice from the local BIR takeaway years ago to determine what was in it and then getting the balance of the spices right.  I am more than happy that my rice is as good as any average takeaway.  I haven't had any complaints about it yet .   And compared to some that i have been served, it's a damn sight better .  Green bits are not unique to Scotland Stephen.  They have found their way down south too.  Personally, i think red, orange and yellow is sufficient colouring.  Not quite sure what the green adds .  But each to their own.  To answer your ? Natterjak, i use the back of the handle of a cheap pressed steel egg spoon which is quite small and very square.  Ideal for measuring.  In the unlikely event of you having such a thing ;D an easy way of measuring minute quantities of food colouring powder would be to use the tip of a cocktail stick, a very versatile little tool .  Of course you could always use the tip of a thin bladed pointed knife.