Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: Derek Dansak on November 20, 2008, 03:20 PM
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i have had this book for years, and never used it. is it worth the effort to make all the balti masalla pastes? i suspect its not, but thought someone might have tried the book, and could let me know. cheers dd
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I got the hardback version when it first came out
The curries I tried, didn't taste like any baltis I ever bought
They weren't horrible though
It's down to the base tasting "wrong" again
And from memory I think his "spice mix" was fairly complicated
I enjoyed reading the recipes and looking at the pictures
I don't regret buying it
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not a pat fan.
i would give credit though to his garam masala which got me going in a much better direction having started out using KD's recipe and being disappointed.
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"They weren't horrible though" ummm, i was kind of expecting that kind of response from a pat book. cheers Haldi, that saves me trawling through the recipies, and getting disapointed with the outcomes. instead i will try one of the new dansak recipies from this site. the one including pineapple juice looks interesting. I agree with Jerry that the garam masalla is good. i use that sometimes in my traditional indian recipies. beats the shop brought stuff.
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I have the book too, never tried any dishes out 'though!
I CAN recommend AlI Hador's book, that someone on this site put me on to. I use his method of pre-cooking lamb, and also his bombay potato, 'top shout'!
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maybe there is an amazing curry buried in that pat chapman book, waiting to be unleashed in all its glory! there is usually one very good curry per cook book (at least).
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Hi DD,
It's a good book DD, I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to broaden their curry cooking knowledge.
The introduction on the origins of "balti" makes for an interesting read.
The best section (in my opinion) is the "balti specials". They are well worth trying. The "special balti base sauce" used for these is quite different from your usual and is an interesting and refreshing change from the usual we see and refer to (maybe we are missing a trick or two because of their similarity?)
The "special balit base sauce" is based (excuse the pun) on milk, water, onions, garlic, ginger, carrot, celeriac, mooli and spices (no tomatoes). It does pick up an unusual astringent "twang" (from the cassia I think), but is well worth trying....as are the accompanying "balti special" curries (bhoona, dhansak, ceylon, dopiaza, jalfrezi, kashmiri, kofta, korma, madras, vindaloo, malay, patia, phal, rogan josh, etc). They make very tasty curries. I'd be surprised if you weren't pleased with them.
The other recipes in the book don't use a curry base.
I'm still not quite sure what makes these "baltis" though?
The breads work well.
The "tandoori dry mix masala" and the "red masala paste" work well for CTM, etc.
I didn't go much on the "green masala paste" (coriander and mint).
The "aromatic salt" is interesting.
There is nothing much wrong with the "balti masala mix", the "balti masala paste" or the "balti garam masala".
I think anyone can see, from the above list, that the book is worth trying. I think it is one of his best.
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not a pat fan.
i would give credit though to his garam masala which got me going in a much better direction having started out using KD's recipe and being disappointed.
Seriously?! I'm amazed. The one thing I really liked about KD's efforts was the garam masala. I still think it is the best version of a garam masala that I have ever used.
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Secret Santa,
i do agree about KD's having used it for years. however the pat garam masala has a few more ingredients which i found good.
i did make the pat mix to spec for a while. however as we do i tried a bit of tinkering and ended up with a cross between the 2.
i can post the merged spec if their's interest.
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Ok CA, i think its time to dust of the cover, and give the book a try. sounds like you got a lot out of the book, nice one! its nice to give the bir style cooking a break some weeks, and return to the roots, with some more traditional indian cooking. gosh, i am sounding like madur jaffrey! lol :)
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Ok CA, i think its time to dust of the cover, and give the book a try. ....its nice to give the bir style cooking a break some weeks, and return to the roots, with some more traditional indian cooking
I'm not sure what you mean by that DD. If you dust off the cover and read the recipes, you will see that they are very much "BIR style". For example, the "Balti Vindaloo" (an example typical of many of the other recipes) comprises:
- pre-cooked meat
- vegetable oil or ghee
- chilli powder
- garlic
- masala paste (simply a pre-fried masala powder)
- curry base
- fresh chillies
- pre-cooked potatoes
- fenugreek leaves
- salt
- fresh coriander
It seems to me that they don't come any more "BIR-like" (or simple) than that!
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Hi,
where can i find this book?
The isbn number would be brill.
I have the book too, never tried any dishes out 'though!
I CAN recommend AlI Hador's book, that someone on this site put me on to. I use his method of pre-cooking lamb, and also his bombay potato, 'top shout'!
thanks, graeme.
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sorry,
The book i want to look further into is AlI Hador's book
so please help if you can with this.
Oh, I have just bought pats book for 0.1p + 2.75 post
and will give it a go.
However i do think i may still have been robbed :D
graeme.
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Oh, I have just bought pats book for 0.1p + 2.75 post
0.1p is what I would pay in a curry house for any of Pat's curries, so I figure you got good value. ;D
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where can i find this book?
The isbn number would be brill.thanks, graeme.
Come on graeme, use your noggin mate! I googled 'balti curry book', and that's all the help you're getting. ;D
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From the brief look i had at the balti book it looked like it was a traditional style of cookery, with no base. I am actually glad you pointed out that it is more bir style,CK. This will really motivate me to use the book. i plan on buying the spices for the balti masallas today.
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DD,
i'd really encourage u to just buy pack's of branded masala as the BIR's do. i've been where u're going and for me there is no light at the end of a very long tunnel in terms of effort.
ps the if u do go ahead the balti masala is the longest to make requiring both garam masala and curry masala to have been made 1st.
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From the brief look i had at the balti book it looked like it was a traditional style of cookery, with no base.
I presume we are talking about the same book then DD? I assumed you were referring to the "Curry Club Balti Curry Cookbook" (ISBN 0-7499-1342-8)?
If so, it has both recipes that do and do not require a curry base.
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the balti masala is the longest to make requiring both garam masala and curry masala to have been made 1st.
No it doesn't Jerry :-\
The "Balti Masala Mix" is simply a mixture of roasted and ground whole spices, pre-ground spices and herbs.
The "Balti Garam Masala" is simply another mixture of roasted and ground whole spices and herbs.
One does not require the other to be made.
There is no mention of a "Curry Masala".
Unless we are talking about two different books of course.
Of course you can substitute any other preferred masala in their place if you wish.
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Graeme
Authentic Balti Curry, by Ali Haydor and Andy Holmes ISBN 1-4120-5592-X Trafford Publishing 'phone 01865-722-113, you have to order as they only print what they need. It's a slim book, about 60 pages, but well worth it in my opinion.
Sorry for the delay, been busy!
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suprised how many people know the book. so if you guys had to pick one or 2, of the best recipies from the book, which would they be?
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Just this minute finished another big batch (2Kg) of pre-cooked lamb, Ali Haydor style. Bl@@dy good in a Madras or Bhuna!
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Graeme
Authentic Balti Curry, by Ali Haydor and Andy Holmes ISBN 1-4120-5592-X Trafford Publishing 'phone 01865-722-113, you have to order as they only print what they need. It's a slim book, about 60 pages, but well worth it in my opinion.
Sorry for the delay, been busy!
you can buy it here
http://www.kushibalti.co.uk/buy.htm
heres a thread about it in 2005
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=618.0
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suprised how many people know the book
Which book are we referring to now Derek? Ali Haydor's or Pat Chapman's!? :-\
I thought your question (and this thread) was about Pat Chapman's book? If so, I see you have a number of options available to you:
a) use Pat's recipes with your own base and your own masalas
b) use Pat's recipes with Pat's base and your own masalas
c) use Pat's recipes with Pat's base and Pat's masalas (as is no doubt Pat's intent with his book)
Plenty of choices then, I'd say...good luck! :P
I'd be interested to know how you get on....
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yes i refer to pats balti book. i own this, as you may have gathered :). i like your ideas. i wish i could give up work to cook curry all day, every day. there seems so much to learn. i will let you know how i get on, with pats balti book.
Jerry pointed out its not a great book, so I may just limit myself to try a few recipies. just to satisfy my curiosity. If anyone can suggest the very best recipies in the book i would like to know.
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Thank you.
Sorry if i added confusion to this thread.
graeme.