How about this?  As I mentioned, rice dishes are made in a small wok which have been seasoned.  The seasoning prevents the rice from sticking to it and are cleaned carefully without washing in water.  The aluminium pans are used for curries and are then placed in the sink and soaked before using a wire brush and chemical to clean off the residue of the cooked curry.....often solidly caked in some areas.  You coulnd't do that to a seasoned wok.  It would require to be seasoned again.  And if it isn't seasoned, then the rice etc will stick to it.

The one I'm working at uses the aluminium to cook curries but also uses a seasoned wok, a farily samll one, to cook the dishes which include rice such as egg fried rice, mushroom rice and special rice etc.  I still haven't been succesful in locating an online seller.

No, didn't see the Jamie Oliver programme?  Was it fuelled with charchoal or what?

At this restaurant where I've been helping out a little, they use this smalling frying pans to cook most of their curry dishes.  They look like they're made of aluminium but my knowledge of metals isn't good.  I did ask the owner and he says he got them in London....which is quite far away.  I live in S Wales.  Anybody got some of these?  How much are they and where can you get them from?  Maybe even an internet based supplier?  Is there a special name for them?  Thanks.

Has anybody ever bought one of these?  They are charcoal only 'powered'.  How well does that work?

Sorry for digressing a little above.  It's just that I feel too much is made of the 'base' issue.  Just me feelings at this moment in time.

The curry where I've been working at tastes to bland.  I don't think it should actually be called a base.  The herbs and spices are the base in my opinion.  The liquid base is more to provide a kind of texture and consistency noy possible by using a water based stock for example.  I haven't actually asked about the 'base'.  Well, using it, so many different tasting dishes are produced.  I know that the base is reduced once added to the spices through evaporation.  I'll see if I can boil some to evaporate and concentrate it to see how much of a different taste it produces.

I know.  He's exploiting me because I want to learn.  There are two 'Indian' restaurants where I live.  The other place is somewhere you just wouldn't want to work in at all; reputation as a drug dealer and womaniser and getting into fights.  This guy is meant to be running the 'nice' establishment.  But he's taking the liberties.  A couple of the staff are really nice.  But I've decided that I'm going to suggest I help them with preparation during the day as he doesn't seem to be wanting to invite me at all.  If he doesn't allow me, then it will be time to say 'good bye' I think.  When I was delivering last night I was also quite worried about getting stopped by the police and seeing I had take-aways in the car etc.  It's another aspect I'm concerned about since somebody here pointed out to me the insurance matter.

Over the last week I've been there 5 times so around 30 hours.  Last night, New Year's Eve was hard.  I cut salad; went up and down the stairs to collect supplies of all sorts; peeled potatoes; cleaned K prawns; helped with takeaways; drove 20 miles to deliver 3 orders; helped wash up and finaly brushed and mopped the floor.  I finished just before mid-night.  I was exhausted.  And the boss came to me and said "Here's something for the petrol and a drink for you" and he stuck something in my pocket.  It turned out to be a tenner.

I have asked the boss if he'll let me know when they prepare the base and other things.  But nothing as yet.  It's a one-way street at the moment.  Having said that, I am learning some things such as peeling and preparing the k prawns and how to chop things up etc.  So I'm sticking with it for now.

I'd like to get my hands on one of these plants if it's possible to grow it in the UK.  Anybody know of a supplier or had any experience of growing this essential plant for Indian cuisine?  Thanks.