Hmm This is a tricky one but solveable I am sure.  The problem is more to do with passion for the mission and forgetting to get the answer ;D  A good idea CC, but I would also keep the original for comparison

I agree Darth, Is bumping (whater that implies) a mortal sin? :  I couldn't give a damn who is at the top of the list I think the site is about information, education and helping eachother out; not an ego trip   I may have been in the biz a long time but I am still seeking that holy grail also.  Would it not be a great compliment to you guys and gals if I or another BIR started using one or more of YOUR bases etc., from here; what an accolade!   I assume that getting a chef grading is something to do with number of posts or top of the list thingy?  If that's the case, I am a COOK, just simply that, and very proud of it.  Its OK I am not flaming or shouting :-[

Enjoy the trip

CP

Layne, you are quite right of course, in a generalised sense.  At the risk of being accused of being Anal, here is a list of waxy spuds, but most new spuds, i.e. fresh out of the ground will work.  BIRs that I have spoken to do take care over their selection of potatoes.

If you are not sure if your spud fits in to the waxy catagory, i.e. will or will not break up you can try this test. Mix one part salt to 11 parts water in a measuring jug and add the potato. A floury one will almost always sink to the bottom of the jug, while a waxy one will float.

Cara potatoes
These short oval to round shaped potatoes have a white skin with a creamy coloured flesh and pink eyes. Cara potatoes have a soft moist and waxy texture.
Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Suitable for baking, mashing, boiling or roasting.

Carlingford new potatoes
With a white skin and white flesh, these potatoes have a firm waxy texture and are round to oval in shape. Buy and use new potatoes within 3 days for the best flavour.
Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Suitable for boiling, salads and wedges.

Charlotte potatoes
These long oval potatoes have a firm waxy texture and a subtle nutty flavour. They have a light yellow skin and a yellow flesh.
Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Suitable for boiling, baking or salads.

Desiree potatoes
One of the most popular red-skinned potatoes Desirees have a smooth skin and a creamy yellow flesh. They have a firm texture.
Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Especially good cooked as wedges or roasted, because they hold their shape. Also suitable for boiling, mashing and chipping.

Estima potatoes
A light yellow-skinned potato with a firm, moist texture and a mild flavour. They are usually oval-shaped with a yellowy flesh.
Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Boiling, mashing and especially good for baking.

Maris Piper potatoes
Maris Piper potatoes have a light yellow skin and flesh and a mild pleasant taste. They have a firm texture when cooked.
Seasonal availability: All year.
Uses: Ideal for chipping, baking, roasting and boiling.

Fancy the pint! 

Sounds so much better than mine  . Thanks CC

CP

Absolutely CC (but only a little) I forgot this, so thanks again
CP

Hi WP, you ARE very perceptive.  Actually it was Chilli and beer

What I meant was that I spent ages trawling through the thread as Mark's recipe intrigued me.  In the many posts there were subtle changes to the original recipe with lots of positive replies and yet more suggestions including the cut down version.  This continues to the end of the thread but I could not converge all the changes and I just thought someone may have the definitive recipe for the large base and the cut down base that incorporate all the changes.  Maybe I got confused and lost the plot, which is not uncommon these days ;D

Thanks for taking the time, am I a little more clear now?
CP

I think this may already be buried somewhere else.  BIRs always seem to get their spuds right yet we know they are precooked; they are not black, and they have a nice oily gloss to them.  This is how the BIRs cook them.

Use 2 lb good quality waxy potatoes cut into large or small chunks

Bring a pan of water to the boil

Add the following

1 - 2 tsp salt,
2 tbsp oil (flavoured if you like), add more oil if you have very hard water.
1/2 tsp white Cumin seeds (optional)
1 tbsp curry base or 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp of Haldi (Turmeric)

Add potatoes and bring back to the boil, then turn the heat down to simmer.  Remove from heat just before the potatoes are cooked (about 15 mins for slightly raw) and drain.  Rub in some more oil to seal them and store in the fridge.  They should keep a for couple of days at least.

Happy Cooking
CP

Quote from: Curry King on April 14, 2005, 10:08 AM

Quote from: pete on April 13, 2005, 10:25 PM
Did you think roasting the spices changed their flavour?
Worth doing again?

It was worth doing to try the Khalia which is the only reason I did it and I will be making it again.  I don't know if I would grind all my own spices from what I know the restaurants don't do it so I would be getting a different taste.  I might try making a vindaloo with my own ground spice just to see what its like though.

Some restaurants definitely roast their own spices this is what differentiates them.  However the roasted spices are usually used in Garam Masalas not in the bases.

CP

Thanks Gary
CP

I couldn't resist replying Darth.  I asked this question many times and many years ago.  A chemist friend and fellow curry head believed it was to do the the chemical breakdown that occurs when it cools/freezes and is the heated up again (curries are a chemical process).  For example when oil is passed through and superheated in a cracking plant (refinery) it produces several new products like petrol diesel and paraffin, none of which smell like each other or the original oil.  There are also various enzymes on the loose in curries, some good an some bad, and their function is to break down food and create conditions for bacterial growth which completes the decomposition process.  Smell is a gas laden with molecules which we are sensitive to, the process described above also affects this.  I know there are a few professionals in the chemistry/physics fields lurking so I expect we shall have some more informed answers Darth.  Perhaps you should ask Jeeves :

Check your email

Vee haff vays of making zee curries ya know  ;D
CP