Quote from: Chris303 on February 22, 2008, 10:35 AM
I roast each spice individually and then grind.

Why individually? Do you roast some more than others or something?

Quote from: Chris303 on February 22, 2008, 01:23 PM
unless your curry is swimming in oil at the end which I dont like.

Lol... ;D

Lol, I was going to say the same. That said, follow the recipe and you'll struggle to go wrong. If I were you, I'd have a look in the experienced members base sauce of choice thread to get you on course for the weekend!

Quote from: JerryM on February 21, 2008, 10:16 AM
What's clear to me is once you've achieved a set threshold for the base ie one of quality (which i list parker21 & ronnoc*) it's impact on the final dish is limited.

Jerry, I couldn't agree more. I believe that I've got the base sauce part pretty much nailed as far as producing a "good" base goes. (I would list these as DarthPhall's 100 percent Madras base and the new base from Saffron) I'm convinced however, that I could improve vastly in my cooking of the final dish. It's really hit or miss. Sometimes it's BIRish and sometimes it's *ish ;D
I'm sure that it's my limited knowledge of the use of spices in the final dish that accounts for this inconsistency... I can follow a recipe but when I try to adapt the flavour to my taste is where either the magic happens, or the curry tastes crap!

 ;D Notice I haven't put experienced in the title this time

I see quite a few spice mixes on the site (in the supplementary recipe section) but have no idea which ones are good. Considering also, the choice of base sauce and recipe, the combinations are endless! I'm hoping we can all save each-other some time and list what we deem to be the better ones.

I would also like to discuss the use of a spice mix vs using the spices listed in the recipe. Sometimes a recipe will actually say to use x amount of spice mix, rather than providing its own list of spices. Sometimes it will list both its own spices and also call for the use of a spice mix. With the variation in spice mixes that I can see on this site, the end result from the same recipe could differ vastly from chef to chef.

Here are some other questions I would love to see answered / discussed.

Do restaurants use a spice mix, or just add their spices individually to dishes?

Can we use our desired spice mix in place of the spice list in a given recipe and if so how?

What are sensible ratios of the common spices used?

Does a spice mix containing more than the basic spices give more or less of a BIR flavour?

Thanks in advance everyone!

Hey Pixie. Welcome to the gang!

Quote from: Chris303 on February 19, 2008, 10:53 PM
Seeds, Lovage Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Casia, and more.... delicious 

That does sound pretty tasty!

Quote from: Chris303 on February 20, 2008, 11:45 AM
Bobby Bhuna. Sprinke on? That is madness  ;D

Oh well, cheers Chris - I didn't formulate that method myself mind you... many recipies I have used say to do it. However I do think this new method will help release the flavours.

Quote from: Cory Ander on February 20, 2008, 09:42 AM
Maybe try adding a teaspoon (or so) of dried fenugreek leaves too (add just before the first ladle of curry base).

Interesting... I always add it near the end and crumble it in. Could you explain how and why you do this please CA?

Quote from: George on February 18, 2008, 01:16 PM
I'll only show photos of mine if (a) I actually get around to building it and (b) it works!

Come on George, you know we'd all love to see a ****** up home spun Tandoor!  ;D