SCF, I like Kris Dhillon's gravy base. I sometimes throw some carrots or whatever leftover veggies I have into the base as well. For me it comes out looking more or less like a watered down carrot and coriander soup, kind of a dull orange brown colour, and quite liquid. If you're slowly adding the gravy into a ripping hot pan it will reduce down quickly and caramelise the sugars nicely 

I have a pressure canner, so I preserve it in glass Mason jars and stick it in the pantry for next time I am making a curry.

Quote from: mickyp on November 23, 2019, 08:31 AM
Here am I still waiting for some of "those secrets" to be unleashed,

honestly, there aren't any. It's down to reliable recipes, practice, and tweaking the recipe to your own taste.

Quote from: romain on November 22, 2019, 07:58 PM
Bhamcurry. I got through university working in restaurants so I've seen some as well albeit a long time ago. Muscle memory is exactly right. Prep cooks measure. Line cooks do not.

And agreed. A lot more salt. Not just in curries. Just about every restaurant meal you eat.

it's a thing I noticed a while ago - when you watch a video about how to make a restaurant dish, they always seem to drastically mis-state the amount of salt. "Add a teaspoon of salt (adds what looks like a tablespoon)"....

Quote from: jalfreziT on November 22, 2019, 05:45 AM
/Pulls up a chair and sits on the edge of it.

I'm also ready and waiting to hear what unpublished secrets CT will share.

I've always (privately) thought it delusional to think that there is some "missing secret". Willing to be proved wrong though 

who would have thought my silly, tongue in cheek post would produce such a fascinating conversation!

Having spent a lot of time hanging around the restaurant business, the truth is there is *no* secret technique or spice mix. The results from restaurant cooking are due to professionals using their experience and training, along with muscle memory, to knock out these dishes we all love. If you spend 10 hours a day doing the same thing, you quickly develop a very economical technique... one could almost say "slapdash" technique.... for producing food to the same high standard every time.

That, plus a lot more salt than most people think. Seriously. Add more salt 

Quote from: romain on November 15, 2019, 11:35 PM
bhamcurry - that has been my experience as well. That's exactly why I don't think there's a secret. I think anyone with decent technique can take any of the recipes here and turn it into something they would be proud of.

If there was a "like" option here I'd "like" this comment 

Hi Romain!

I turned to cooking BIR at home because Birmingham, Alabama is a bit far from Edinburgh! When I was back in the UK last month for a family visit I tried the local curry house option. I was not impressed. The basic tarka dal recipe here is fantastic, theirs was bland. The lamb pasanda recipe here looks interesting, theirs was a sweet, cloying mess. Basically, as I said at the start of this thread, the recipes here are legit and reliable and always produce a good curry - which is more than can be said about too many curry houses in the UK.

it might help the sog problem if you leave the chicken in the fridge for 24 hours, uncovered - the fridge mechanism should help to dry out some of the excess water?

welcome! I am fairly new(ish) and have found this an invaluable forum!

Quote from: Mark Yeadon on October 27, 2019, 10:00 PM
Hi all,  just introducing myself, hope that is in the right place, if not my apologies, just getting to grips with the site, im pretty much BIR obsessed, been cooking BIR about 5 years now, looking forward to getting to know other members

Howdy, Mark, from Alabama!