Quote from: trucker5774 on November 14, 2010, 03:53 PM
In the past I have generally added my spices to the oil in the early stages of a main course. This seems to be the common way. I noticed in some of the base sauce recipes that the spices are added in the "water" stage.

Is it just preference/ease or does it make a difference to the base or main dish?

I think that it must make a difference.  If added to the oil, the spices will fry; if added to the "water" (sauce), they will braise but they can't fry.  Before I discovered the BIR style of Indian cookery, I followed the traditional recipe books and always fried my spices; now I am converted to BIR, I braise them, and (purely personally) I prefer them braised.  But there are many experts on here who will swear by frying them, and so it must be possible to get as good, if not better, results by frying than by braising.

** Phil.

Quote from: Razor on November 14, 2010, 07:02 PM
Hi Trucker,

It really depends if you are talking about whole spices or ground (powdered).  For me, powdered spices need frying, to release the flavour and natural oils from the ground spice.  Whole spice on the other hand, just need braising to release their flavour.

Others with have their own ideas on this, this is just mine

Ray

Same here....fry them on a high heat (not top whack!) and add a bit of base to cool the pan to stop them burning

Quote from: Stephen Lindsay on November 14, 2010, 09:31 PM
I do what domi does (if that makes sense)

What, every month ?!   

Well, I hope it's more effective than the one I bought from Sainsbury's : "Birds Instant Whip", it said on the tin, but it must have gone off because when I opened the can there was no signs of a whip at all, just some disgusting powdery substance

eerrrrrrrrr....not sure about the whip :, but the rest make sense. Thanks guys