Made the JB base gravy and the jb madras to go with it. I was very pleased with the gravy, but the madras was very average. Anyone else had this experience?  can anyone recomend a better recipe to go with the jb base gravy?   
     I will be continuing to experiment with this gravy to see if it beats my favourites which are

1) ashoka
2) safron
3) original kris dillon

hi CA, yes i do understand that. The thing is i dont feel completely happy with my repetiore of bir style dishes. some are good, but i do feel i might achieve better results with the style mark describes.
   For 2 reasons
1)  years of doing the 1 base gravy with spice mix method has left me with a good jalfrezzi, and dansak, but madras is poor.   
2)  The method mark describes sits well with me because i like the idea of essentially adding the spice for a long cook in the base. This brings out a good taste in my opinion. + i still like the ashoka style.
  I would be pleased to learn marks restaurant style better, and forget about the whole bir thing, until cr0 convinces me otherwise.   
     
   

Hi mark, i have largely given up on using spice mix in the final curry as it never tastes how i would like. I do prefer the approach you describe of adding all the spice in the gravy.
    I think you have descibed enough here to let me do some trials at home, using my own version of butter gravy from a book i own.  Could you elaborate on how you make the vindaloo gravy ?   

this site taught me enough to stop buying lots of ta's every night. but its not quite cracked the nut for many of us.  Still , i enjoy trying out new books and ideas from various cr0 members. I recently tried the authentic balti curry book . This book  is better than the kris dylon rubbish.  Its still fun, thats what counts     

I have tried pretty much everything ever posted on this site, and various books (kris dyllon, ABC balti book) .  While base is important, a long simmer does not make that much difference.  For me the quest is finished. I gave it 110 percent of my energy for many years, and never really made enough new ground to justify wasting another 2 years on the futile quest.
    I will always be up for trying new things from time to time. And will always love knocking up a good curry.  But i dont for one minute expect to match my favourite local bir ta.
     In some ways i am glad they know how to cook alot better than  me, it makes going there exciting still. One of lifes pleasures, if you will.  Some things in life should remain a mystery ! 

hi emin j, the issue you describe sums up the missing 5 percent. I am completely in the same mindset as you my friend. Its very fustrating to say the least. No matter how many bir chefs post new material or print new books nothing really compares to that illusive taste.
     I have concluded that its only partly  to do with traditional indian cookery and those spices. I justify this because i have tried hundreds of traditional indian recipies , with base and without base ,by many chefs, and no matter what i do, it tastes nothing like a real TA.  Not even close if i am being brutally honest. Traditional indian cookery spices are not the complete answer , there must be some thing else.  Knowing about indigenous bangladesh cookery would be the best route to success, knowing all the vegetables, and other spices they use may help. shame not many books cover this. 

At a time of year when money is traditionally tight, its good to see so many members still willing to add their 2 penneth worth !   

Ray and Stephen , i totally agree with what you both say, well said.

I will always have fond memories of those times , such as the ashoka days, when each post is a must read, and the debates go on for weeks and weeks. 

If the posts get too insulting , you can always shut down your laptop, and not logon for a few weeks ! 

The lack of moderation is one of CR0 finest points !  long may it continue

If you are a bit of a "2 pennies worth" kind of guy,  I can't think of a finer web site to join than CR0. 

Lets face it , most of us have added our "2 pennies worth" enough times by now, to be millionaires thrice over   

If anyone can think of another web site , where adding your 2 pennies worth is so dam easy, I would like to know?     

Does such a beast exist ??   

I never have found real kashmiri chilly powder, but know its meant to taste sweeter and more bir.
Does it actually lead to a closer bir taste than normal chilly powder?

cheers

yes , scary stuff. I never liked his crappy sauces anyway!!  lloyds madras tastes like a pasta sauce !  i wonder if it was the garlic paste that was in the sauce that carried the botulism ??