Topic: Three baltis

[Kashmiri Bob]

Just picked up a couple of baltis form the Khyber Jerry.  Porn and opinion to follow.

Rob 

[JerryM]

mickdabass,

many thanks - much appreciated. just to put my mind at rest.

them both being the same fits all the shops i've visited.

given what Bengali Bob said about the Adil and ajwain had a look at the stock list in the Birmingham Balti Company book - Lovage is listed but no ajwain.

Bengali Bob

really appreciate you calling in the Khyber. i've only sampled balti as i know it from there. it will be good to know how it sits in comparison with the Adil. as we all know even the restaurants and TA all have slightly differing tastes - but quality does tend to stand out. from the pics and my memory they look slightly different and gut feeling would be the Adil has the edge.

[JerryM]

curryhell,

appreciate you're interest. me too on some of the BIR but i doubt i'll be happy.

was quite interesting on making the dish - where to start.

i based on the lenny henry video except for the method preferring what i know ie hot fry.

recipe: dish01

fresh veg oil 1 chef 4 tbsp
black cumin seed 0.25 tsp
garlic paste 1 tsp
methi lg.pinch (thumb 3 finger)
chilli powder 0.25 tsp
chopped fresh tomato 1 off
base 300 ml (150 ml water added to thin ie 450)
fresh coriander lg.pinch
lemon dressing 3 sec squirt



thoughts on dish 1: cumin was bitty in mouth, tom too coarse, probably needs onion and green pepper, spicing was a little flat. the taste was very clean and pleasant - not there but a decent starting point something like 3 out of 10

dish 2 (still 3/10 - essentially went a bit off)
1) ground the black cumin and added with spice ie not in the oil at start - lost the taste though
2) used tin chopped toms - better on no lumps but taste was not as good
3) used x2 lg.pinch methi - too much
4) used x2 lg.pinch fresh coriander - ok can't say was better though
5) added in 0.5 tsp bassar - not sure. it filled the spice gap but the clarity of taste in dish 1 had gone (could have been down to the other changes)



nb color of both dishes was same and more like dish 2

thoughts going forward:
1) try repeat dish 1 with chef garam and garlic tarka at end
2) add some pre cooked chopped onion and maybe slice green pepper

any other thoughts appreciated. have 2 portions base left.

[Kashmiri Bob]

As promised a couple of pics and blurb on Jerry's Alum Rock balti house.





Balti chicken tikka masala (madras)





Reheated in the oven and served in style





Another top notch real-deal balti (

[JerryM]

have been comparing Bengali Bob's photo of Adil & Kyber and thinking of how to improve my 3/10 offering.

current thoughts (no order):

1) Cumin - try x2 0.25 tsp but roll seeds. add to oil not with spice (per dish 1)
2) Red colour - looks like oil only ie sauce is more greyish. Try paprika in mix. for moment want to stay off tom puree
3) Onion - try chopped par boil
4) Tomato - try fine chop fresh adding after spice
5) Garlic - try crushed chopped at start
6) Frying - back off spice frying which is darkening the dish
7) Methi - restrain from using too much

any thoughts specially from Bengali Bob appreciated. at this stage only really aiming for ballpark taste appreciating i'm still using my own chef masala.

ps it's the chicken balti i'm aiming at.

[Kashmiri Bob]

I'll know more tomorrow/soon Jerry.  Will be having a proper bash in the kitchen later today trialling a couple of mixes. Planned to have a go last night but ended up polishing off the Kyber balti chicken.  Fantastic it was! 

The Adil GM is my first priority. I gave some of their chilli sauce to one of my chef friends to see what he made of it.  He confirmed it was a standard sauce with a GM added. He then rattled off the ingredients, in order of prominence.  Ajwain, cumin (too much in his opinion), coriander, mango (probably chutney), star anise, these up front; mint and methi in the background. Plenty of vinegar and lemon juice.  He couldn't place the ingredient responsible for the floral aroma, but agreed it was there and quite important to the finish.

Rob   

[curryhell]

I'm enjoying reading this thread.  With Holmes and Watson on the case, I'm sure the mystery will eventually be solved  Would that be Detective Inspector Moike you've called in there Bob  ;D  Get him to do an undercover job to find out 

[Kashmiri Bob]

I'm enjoying reading this thread.  With Holmes and Watson on the case, I'm sure the mystery will eventually be solved  Would that be Detective Inspector Moike you've called in there Bob  ;D  Get him to do an undercover job to find out 

No, the DI is being drafted in as senior investigator later this week.

Rob 

[Les]

I'm on the Case.

[curryhell]

 ;D ;D ;D ;D