Reddit reviews Laljee Godhoo Asafoetida Hing Powder

Great write up. To this I'll add, use Asafoetida, and buy only this brand. I've seen it used in my home since forever (and almost every other household I know of).

This is the process I follow to lay the base for pretty much any Indian dish, OP can suggest tweaks as necessary:

1. Start by sauteing your mustard seeds/chana dal/urad dal or what have you (what you decide to use depends entirely on what you are cooking, but mustard seeds tend to add a very south Indian flavor to the food, which I favor).
   
   
2. Once they start cracking throw in your Asafoetida, followed by whatever chili peppers you use (green or red). This is then followed by your garlic/ginger/onion paste (I prefer finely cut onions as opposed to completely ground onions in the paste, but that's a matter of taste).
   
   
3. Wait for the raw smell of the onions to dissipate, then add in turmeric (small amounts as OP pointed out), red chili powder, a mild smattering of garam masala (or sambar powder, again depending on your taste, I'm South Indian and like a South Indian flavor to my curries) or any other masalas (I'd suggest MDH) to add richness to the flavor.
   
   
4. Now throw in the tomatoes (preferably finely cut and ones rich in flavor). Turn down your heat and allow for the whole thing to become a nice flavorful paste (this should take about 5-7 min).
   
   This is your fundamental base to almost any Indian dish. Follow all other instructions and suggestions the OP has now shared and you should be good to go with pretty much anything you need to cook Indian style.