hi guys/gals
i know what you are saying rai, but do you need to know what temperature to get the spices to to release there oils, if you hab=ve the time to measure the pan then you must be doing something wrong mate cos when i add the spices in to the pan very quick stir add the tomato puree quick stir the spices release the toffee type aroma add the base sauce and this inital hitting of the pan actually raises the temperature of the pan to above 100 C (unmeasured of course ) if you go into the thread i posted on the Rajver vindaloo/madras is the same method.the temperature of the pan/oil will only drop below 100C if there is sufficient water content ie a runny paste, what i am trying to say is that if you as jerry has said with his leccy nob( all 1.5kw) gets the oil to close to 200C  assuming that there is possibly 4 tbsp of oil in and you add 1 tbsp of paste the content of the water will not be sufficient to reduce the heat of the oil/pan to below 100C. the water would have evaporated very quickly and the pan/oil temperature therefore increasing very quickly. but to actually document the temperature with a infra red point and tell unless you have someone brave enough to actually be in you kitchen without gas mask for when the aromas are released to point the thermometer and how are they gonna know when the time is right( you know not being able to smell or breathe like ;D)
i suggest you get into you locals kitchen and actually witness it yourself.
a good tip is sort of following the authentic route heat some oil in a pan and add first some mustards seeds and then cummin seeds when they start to pop take that as a guide for whole spices. chilli powder a good guide is that if your eyes start to water and you can bearly breathe.

anyway i do not believe that you can recreate a good bir curry with a thermometer i would try using a good stainless steel spoon! ;D

i always follow the same method as i have posted in the Rajver posting and i also have one of the black steel pans which once heated retains the residual heat for a time if removed from the heat.

i hope i have at least added to the complications, so if you smell toffee then its hot enough and the spices are now doing their job   yep......burning so quickly add the base sauce to the pan

regards
gary

hi ub
a little tip when you fry whole chillies is to cut a small slit in the pointed end of the chillies because they will explode and you have no idea the pain of being hit in the face by one, this tip was given to me by the lady who runs our local village shop who is indian by the way. unfortunately not related to anyone in the bir game.
have you tried the B.E chicken chilli masala, this is hot and sweet(only slightly) but that i have made on many occassions and adapdted into garlic/chilli masala, it has a wonderful aroma when cooking and it uses star anise which when cooking gives one of the smells of bir.

keep up the great posts
regards
gary

hi vindamoo
try making a jaipur there is a recipe on this site but do not add any ginger but lots of garlic. if you sauce is thickish the try adding coconut milk and some water if  runny then add just coconut milk and reboil/simmer remove any scum. and use as normal, i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

regards
gary

hi jerry
try the rajver base it  has coconut  milk in it but you would not know. i have great results the wife scoffs it do with the occassional hiccup( vindaloo hot and some times phall) but the base is so versatile you can make any of the curries on the menu using it. not normally cooking anything else but the above mentioned but cooked a friend  a chicken korma and he and wife loved it.

regards gary 

hi jerry m
i watched a programme by james martin in a yorshire market and there was a curry shop off the market place that did curry ingredients and the woman gave him some things to make a curry. there was a big board behind her with all the curies you would find in a standard curryhouse and she had pre-fried onions in the ingredients. i think that it was more geared to authentic curries but she gave you a foil carton with the spices and whole spices and even told you how to cook it. i'm sure that you would use this and add water this would then moisten and then make the taste smoother.
htese are great garnish for a salad though

regards
gary

hi hipsy
welcome to the best curry forum in the world, you will not need any other site to guide you with real demos and recipes from real BIR kitchens. which base sauce are you using? and which madras? a good start is with the bruce edwards curryhouse imo cookery madras but with a little more sauce or follow the method for madras sauce/vindaloo sauce remember when you fry the spices a smell of "toffee" is good and then add the base sauce (it says 1 7oz ladle but i would recommend 250ml and not 176ml) no need to say enjoy your stay you will if you have any questions there is a huge wealth of knowledge so expect a prompt reply!
good luck on your curry quest

regards
gary

hi sarah  welcome to cr0

if you put the whole spices in a muslin cloth then you can take them all out before blending.

hope you enjoy your stay
if you look on the forum for prawn madras and balti demo there is a recipe and method from a bir try that

regards
gary

hi rwr
in my earlier days of the search for curry nivarna i came across a site that had recipes for the base and i think curries using soups,but there is something about tinned veg soups that the thought of using them to make your base or curry with would make it taste like "plastic" if you know what i mean. it may have been something to do with pat chapman? called it the generic curry sauce.even he thought of it makes me ......yuk! have you read pete's brick lane demo that curry base took about 30 mins.
regards
gary

hi guys /gls
to sort out the bitterness in relation to the onions add more salt and this brings out the sweetness in them. adding sugar will also bring the saltiness and combat any bitterness. that is how the chef knows what to add at the end of cooking the base sauce. when cooking your onions add salt and cook for about 45-60mins with the lid on, on a gently boil with the oil the smell can be overpowering stir from time to time and do not add too much water as the onions release the own liquid you will smell the change from the raw smell to lovely sweet moreish smell. then add the rest of the vegggies and more hot water just to cover them, and in a separate pan brown some ginger and garlic before adding them to the larger cookng pot. boil for 30 mins or until you can cut through a carrot easily then add the spices and cook for approx 20 mins.blend until smooth then return to the heat add more water to give a runny consistency and boil (rolling boil) for 10 mnis remove any yellow scum from the top regularly and after a short time you will see the oil start to creep across from the edges of the pan simmer this for 60mins?ish and then allow to settle for a couple of hours before using to allow the spices to settle.


hope this helps
regards
gary

hi guys/gls
just to let you know that the black steel frying pans which Rajver bought for me were from www.eurocatering.co.uk the 10"pan has the longer handle and the 9"pan has slightly deeper sides but both are used in their kitchen! and a bargain ?8.99 and ?7.99 respectfully. once washed you must season with oil to preserve them from rust. haven't used them yet....!

regards
gary