Topic: h4ppyleader secret base and spiced oil revealed

[Peripatetic Phil]

I don't have Chrome installed, but in Firefox (my second browser, main is Seamonkey) I see not a "Download" button as text but instead just an underlined downward pointing arrow.  Anyhow, don't worry too much — I can send you a direct download link via PM.

** Phil.

[martinvic]

Worked OK on Firefox, so who knows.

[romain]

I'm genuinely curious. I don't really see the point of this technique. This is just adding a tadka (some say baghar) to your curry base. I'm of the mind that I like to keep my base simple and tailor flavour to a specific profile when I make a curry. If I think a curry needs a finishing tadka I add it to the curry. I always bloom my spices in oil so maybe this is skewing my perspective?

Other than speed in a production kitchen what advantage does this have? Seems to me all this does is push all your curries to taste similar in the end by using a stronger flavoured base.

[livo]

It worked for me using Chrome. Followed the links. Print to pdf.

[SnS]

I'm genuinely curious. I don't really see the point of this technique. This is just adding a tadka (some say baghar) to your curry base. I'm of the mind that I like to keep my base simple and tailor flavour to a specific profile when I make a curry. If I think a curry needs a finishing tadka I add it to the curry. I always bloom my spices in oil so maybe this is skewing my perspective?

Other than speed in a production kitchen what advantage does this have? Seems to me all this does is push all your curries to taste similar in the end by using a stronger flavoured base.

I agree with you. Certainly doesn't sound like something that a typical BIR (especially a TA) would dedicate either the time or material to when more traditional 70's/80's/90's methods produced a very decent enough curry. I believed the whole idea behind the base gravy was that it was 'mildly spiced' so that a few spices could be added to allow a whole range of flavours. If the gravy is over-spiced then that would limit the flexibility of the gravy - something I'm sure they wouldn't do. Certainly appears to be a lot of additional time and effort to produce for what is essentially (as you say) a tadka.  However i am genuinely interested to see the outcome of this 'modern' gravy method.

[Sverige]

First of all, welcome back to smokenspices, always fun when a prodigal son returns to the forum 

I believe the point to what H4ppy Chris is trying, is to get “the taste” - that elusive takeaway authentic flavour which many have convinced themselves is impossible at home.  I also happen to agree that this adding of such a large (by proportion) bhagar to the base is going to give you a strongly spiced and less flexible base, and I don’t believe it’s good practice or likely to be widespread amongst BIRs. I recall that H4C said Sam (the takeaway chef whose recipes he is posting) told him he was entirely self taught and had come up with his own methods, which might not be how everyone does it.

What it does give a useful pointer to, is that “the taste” of BIR is just well cooked spices, and people who are struggling to cook good BIR are not getting their spices fully cooked. This is something that’s been emphasised many times by senior members like Chewytikka, who has a much better basis to claim the title “most contributing member” on this forum than the person who has driven him off the forum by deleted / editing all his posts.

I digress.  It’s nice that H4ppy Chris has finally given up his contribution, after so much teasing, but I think the amount of attention he’s received is all down to the excess hype, and not really in line with the quality of the info. Also good he shared it freely in the end, perhaps finally having understood the basis on which these curry forums have run since the days guys like you SnS were expanding the knowledge base from which we all now benefit.

I will certainly make a batch of Chris’s base and expect it will make a decent curry, but cooking the mix powder well is not “entirely new” info as he trailed it, and his level of hype was entirely uncalled for.

[romain]

This is something that’s been emphasised many times by senior members like Chewytikka, who has a much better basis to claim the title “most contributing member” on this forum than the person who has driven him off the forum by deleted / editing all his posts.

I'm sorry - people's posts are being edited/deleted? This is why I flamed out at that other forum. If that is a practice here it would be good to know before becoming overly invested...

[Yousef]

This is something that’s been emphasised many times by senior members like Chewytikka, who has a much better basis to claim the title “most contributing member” on this forum than the person who has driven him off the forum by deleted / editing all his posts.

I'm sorry - people's posts are being edited/deleted? This is why I flamed out at that other forum. If that is a practice here it would be good to know before becoming overly invested...

Hello romain, just to clear out the truth of what happened, the posts were moderated and not edited/deleted, our team did that because that member used racial and sexism language, additionally he posted some private information about another members place of living and work location, that was a clear violation to our terms and conditions.

[romain]

Ah, I see. That makes sense. Thank you for clarifying.

[Yousef]

Ah, I see. That makes sense. Thank you for clarifying.