I use a non stick wok to cook with,I used to use a cast iron korai which i liked a lot but found it difficult to regulate the heat,even after I'd seasoned it and gave it a kind of non stick coating, I found ginger would cling to the base, so i switched back to the wok. Matt you say a wok is "not really BIR", what do you use?/reccomend?.

Next time I cook I think I'll pre heat the base in a small pan next to the wok,should make it easier to ladle in too,I can see now the whole pouring chilled base into hot oil is clearly adding to the carnage!

When I'm making the final dishes just after I've added the last of the base gravy, I tend to turn the heat up just to reduce the sauce a little and get the right consistency,at this point it seems to spit like hell and pebble dash the entire kitchen including me! I've tried lowering the heat,shaking the pan(this helps a bit) and even using a splash guard but just goes straight through the mesh.

I'd love to know if anyone has any hints or tips to get round this? or is it just one of the perils of curry making that we all put up with,do all bases do this? also I use the base chilled straight from the fridge after defrosting fully,could this be a factor?

Thanks for the comments guys,I was definitely pleased with the results,As for the almonds I just sprinkled a few on top for garnish as some restaurants tend to do,I did consider adding some almond powder, but decided not to meddle with it too much the first time round.
I do like the Rajver base,had some good results with it so far,Madras's Bhoonas etc.

Just made Curry kings CTM, fantastic! I left out the chilli powder but it was quite hot anyway(not that i minded),probably because I used Hot madras powder in the BE spice mix and used Rajvers base which is fairly well spiced too,also added a pinch of Methi at the end,10 times better than the last CTM I made which was from Kris Dhillons book.

Just been watching saturday kitchen where the chefs were using smoked garlic, i'm tempted to give it a try in one of my final curries, might help with that smokey taste? BIR's of course wouldn't use this but theres no harm in trying something new.

Yeah i think the oil makes all the difference,seems to keep the air from getting at it,I've had a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks now and its still fine.

I use 50/50 weight of ginger and garlic finely pureed on a microplane( any fine grater should do), then mix with enough oil just to bind it, it keeps in a jar in the fridge for ages too.

I've been watching "chinese food made easy" for the last few weeks as i'm sure many members have, ching lee huang uses this fantastic portable gas burner when she cooks on location, wish i could get my hands on one like it, would be perfect for curries.

Hey, just been out and bought a tavva and am giving the naans a go tonight, i let you know how it goes.the pictures look fantastic,I just couldn't resist giving them a try.

I always pop mine in a really low oven around 75 c covered with foil with a couple of steam vents for as long as possible,anything up to a couple of hours and it comes out really nice and separate, using a really good Basmati helps too,i used some cheap stuff from asda a while ago and it was crap.