I have the regular (Mild/Medium?) Rajah Chilli powder and some Asda hot chilli powder at the moment.  I will get the hot Rajah powder on my next shop but in the meantime.....

If a recipe calls for hot chilli powder is it ok to chuck in the Asda stuff or would it be best to use regular Rajah strength but perhaps double or treble the amount? I'm thinking putting more spice in the dish may affect the finished article.

Thanks.

I got myself one of these recently "Mermaid Little Gem 25.5 cm Omelette Pan"

I got it in a local shop but here is a description:-http://www.headcook.co.uk/mermaid-little-gem-25-5-cm-omelette-pan.html

having read somewhere that aluminium was suitable and that non-stick pans were too be avoided. I'm not saying this is correct but sifting through hundreds of posts led me there!

Anyway, it came with instructions to season the pan before use to make it non-stick, which I chose not to do.

I've only used it 2-3 times but obviously it has sustained extensive scratching which I'm a little concerned about.

So, should I have seasoned it before use or is it not important?

If so, is there any point of trying to season it now?

Do I need to invest in a 'proper' curry pan?

Thanks in advance!