Topic: Three baltis

[DalPuri]

Link to Ade in Britain ep18 West Midlands (for anyone who missed it)
Cooking at Adils @ 24 mins

http://www.novamov.com/video/be1d913195919

p.s. watch out for ads if you dont have any ad blocking extensions on your browser 

[fried]

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. http://www.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.

[Kashmiri Bob]

Good stuff fried.  Also been thinking along the same lines regarding the pre-cooks.  Mine (very similar to Viceroy) have a heady stock/spiced oil, laden with Asian bay, cassia, green or black cardamom.  Made a "lighter" lamb pre-cook this weekend for a Balti lamb. Will post a few pics later.  Result was an excellent quality Birmingham balti, but still unsure about the pre-cooks as yet.  Be interesting to see how Jerry tackles it.  One thing I did was swap Asian bay for European.  Been having my doubts as to whether tej is part of the balti taste, at the amounts I use anyway.  One thing Goncalo and I picked up at the Kushi was which variety of bay was used there.  At the Kushi it is only Euro bay.  Chef Ali was quite adamant about this.  However, he then went on to explain that there is absolutely no difference between the two (Tej and Euro), which threw us somewhat.

Rob 

[fried]

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?

[JerryM]

well pleased on feedback from fried.

also well timed the video link by Dalpuri. Mohamed is for sure the main man who we met.

i have the video recipe as:

oil
fat squat green chilli sliced
fresh tomato sliced
ginger/garlic paste
green pepper sliced
meat
chilli pwdr
crushed red chilli
tandoori masala
GM
methi
base

have tried the tandoori masala tonight and well pleased - adopted for sure - has sorted my difficulty on getting the colour right. it also balances out the GM. i used 0.5 tsp.

feedback on the meat balti - did not go well feeling of running before i can walk. made 3 off to the posted recipe adding in pre cooked lamb (mixture of IFFU chicken and Mickdabass). the dishes did not go down well and i feel i'm off lamb for a while till i get the basic adil sauce right - essentially too any variables otherwise.

thoughts from the 3 off meat balti:
1) don't add too much smoke - kills the spice taste
2) any meat stock needs reducing - i used 1.5 chef from the lamb pan without reduction and even during the dish frying reduction was not enough
3) don't add the garlic powder with the spices. needs to go in after the base
4) don't use chopped tin toms - not for me anyway needs to be fresh

pic meat balti


best dish this week so far:
oil 1 chef
garlic paste 1 tsp
balti mix 0.5 tsp
balti gm 1.0 tsp
chilli pwdr 0.25 tsp
tandoori masala 0.5 tsp (many thanks Dalpuri)
lemon dressing 5 sec squirt
fresh coriander large pinch (4 finger thumb)
base 300 ml
water 75 ml (thin for the garlic powder)

next up going to add in squat green chilli and methi.

ps for those who like bunjarra i've been adding it in to compare side by side and does not sit out of place

have also tweaked the balti GM using the new scales: brings out the ajwain a bit more


also been searching for white cumin but no luck

Bengali Bob - what a star man.

[Kashmiri Bob]

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 

[DalPuri]

Dont mind rose, but cant stand Kewra!
Depending which brand you buy, i suspect the floral notes could come from the tandoori masala powder.
I'd favour Rajah myself (very zingy and floral) and even though i hated it at first, it does grow on you. 
Have tried two other brands and they were rubbish in comparison. Very different flavours from all three tried.

[JerryM]

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.

[fried]

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.

[curryhell]

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.

http://www.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