Here's my effort from last night.



As mentioned before I've never tried a 'real' balti, so I have no idea if the taste was correct. However it was lovely, a different  taste to the usual BIR fare, lots more subtle, flavours. I could still taste it hours after eating.

I used CT's base, Viceroy pre-cooked chicken with an added black cardamom. I used a good chef's spoon of the stock, and started the recipe with the oil. https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,11787.msg93209.html#msg93209

The mix and GM were GerryM's, except I found I had no garlic powder, other than that to spec (as acccurately as I can measure).

I fried the  gg paste, added the spice mix + GM + Chilli (doubled up) and fried for a lot shorter time than usual. Quenched with Blended toms (I had a lot leftover from the pre-cooked chicken)

Then cooked as normal, I used fresh lemon as usual.  I then added a tsp of soy sauce (dark).

I was concerned that as I was going for Madras hot this might've killed the subtler flavours and also that by using the pre-cooked chicken stock I might also be blurring everything together. I guess I'll never know unless I visit Birmingham.

Once of my best ever. I'll certainly be trying it again. I even have leftovers for lunch, I may report back with a second tasting. Thanks to all who made this possible.

I'm going to try it with just raw chicken next time to get an idea of the difference.

I'd heard the bay thing mentioned before...probably from you or Goncalo, don't know what to make of it.

Any thoughts on dried rose in the GM?

My first go at the Adil Balti meat.  Just guesswork on the stock/pre-cook. But the meat "stock" in the dish from the Adil reminded me a lot of the Kabana in Manchester (also Pakistani) but without the Adil smokiness, or much less at any rate.  So I was thinking on-the-bone for the pre-cook to start with.  Few pics below.  Sorry I can't be specific about quantities.  Have a habit of throwing things together, and then trying to remember what I've done afterwards. 

About 750 g of mutton mix-cut on-the-bone, meat tenderiser powder, lemon juice, G/G, and left for an hour.  Then rubbed in some smoked paprika (made this before I read CA's/Jerry's thread on introducing smokiness to dishes), a few green cardamoms and 1 black. European bay.  A tsp of Jerry's Adil GM.  Why I didn't use Jerry's spice mix instead I will never know; it'll be going in next time. Sunflower oil (next time veg oil).





Then added a thin blended onion/water mix (over 1 L) with a stock cube.  Found these recently at a Pakistani grocers.  No idea what is in them, but they smell spot on. 







Boiled until the meat was tender enough for de-boning.  I think about 2 hrs; could have been longer.







Finished pre-cook.











Balti then made as per Jerry's recipe. Went with 1 1/2 cs of oil to start with and a good tbsp of pre-cook oil/stock.  Opted for a smaller pan this time (lower sides) and full tilt on the 4 kW burner to flame.







Balti meat







Not bad, but kicking myself for not including spice mix in the pre-cook.  Plenty flames cooking (what fun!) but no physical smoke really, and smokiness in the dish was limited, in the background somewhere; probably just from the paprika.

Interesting development on the tandoori massala. Thanks to DalPuri.  I'll also try this next time, and switch back to standard chilli powder (instead of Kashmiri).  Have been using bullet chillies for a while (nice!). They do like using them at the Adil (e.g. chilli bhaji).  I think rose petal is probably out for the Adil.  No kewra either.  I could be wrong. The "floral" aroma is subtle at the Adil; possibly just from the ajwain seeds?  Will be sticking with a slug of soy, for a bit of fusion.  ;D

Rob 

Bengali Bob,

well impressed on the pre cook - i think you've cracked it. the complaint from the family was that is was not tender enough - the tenderiser pwdr and longer cook would do it for me. my complaint was that depth of taste was not there like the adil. the idea of boiling off the stock does not fit my idea of BIR and that stock cube sounds just right - will look for it.

for info i still don't know what produces the smokey taste per the CA post. i know extra oil makes the difference. i think but really no idea that cooking the dish longer when the craters appear could well be it - the thinking being that the oil on the inside of the pan is burning and that smoke then dissipates through the craters. why i think this is that i can't put my finger on anything else. i've tried rocket heat and flaming and both don't do it. i also don't have the smokey taste after the spice fry off ie at quench

won't help 1 bit but my struggle is to keep the smokey down. too much spoils that spice combination "layers of flavour"  that the adil has crafted so well.

i too like the rajah tandoori masala. i currently have trs but that's due to it's main use which is for pizza "tikka" topping. i'd never tried adding to dish and well impressed on the result for balti.

Quote from: fried on January 14, 2014, 06:02 PM
Have you tried using Pat Chapman's Tandoori Masala mix from his Balti curry cookbook? I'm not a big fan of much of his stuff, but the TM is top drawer, the recipe is available on this site somewhere and all over the net. It contains mango powder and mint. I prefer it to the brand stuff.

Totally agreed fried.  I use the recipe from his restaurant cookery book and to be honest, IMHO i think it will be hard to beat.

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,8700.msg77458.html#msg77458

As for all you balti addicts, keep up the fantastic work.  A great carry over thread from 2013.  The amount of work you are putting in along with all the feedback, you deserve success.  Then we can all benefit  ;D ;D ;D  Some seriously good looking food being produced during the experimental stage though    Well done to all involved in the balti quest