Topic: Keema Balti???

[Deni wow]

Looking for a Keema Balti recipe please?

[Secret Santa]

Hi Deni

You'll find that we don't have a lot of expertise in Baltis here. But, if you describe the dish in as much detail as you can, for example, colour, ingredients that you KNOW are in it, spice flavours that you KNOW are in it, then we should be able to come up with something close.

[JerryM]

I've not been able to get the Keema right and not progressed to the dish or naan as a result. http://Cr0.co.UK/curry/index.php?topic=3565.0.

the dish would then be essentially a std curry (oil, fine chopped garlic, chopped onion, tom puree, chopped coriander, mix powder, possibly green pepper).

I'd use Chris303 balti Masala - i think this is the link. I'd be tempted to leave out the clove, cumin and curry leaves http://Cr0.co.UK/curry/index.php/topic,2454.0.HTML

[Secret Santa]

I'd use Chris303 balti Masala - i think this is the link. I'd be tempted to leave out the clove, cumin and curry leaves http://Cr0.co.UK/curry/index.php/topic,2454.0.HTML

I'm certainly no balti expert Jerry but I'd say you would definitely want to leave those ingredients in. The proper baltis should be differentiated from a "standard" curry by giving them a more vibrant flavour, and this is done by using these types of ingredients which would normally not be put into a standard curry. A proper Balti isn't just a standard curry served in a balti dish, although I know that many restaurants do use this trick.

[Secret Santa]

I just had another think about this because one of the restaurants I got into the kitchen of definitely used Patak Balti paste as the extra spicing for their balti curries. Now, I'm not saying this is going to produce the best baltis but, it just might be what Deni is after...or not!

Anyway, what I would do is cook some minced lamb on a medium heat with a few teaspoons of tandoori masala powder and undercook it slightly, and then, as Jerry suggested, use this in a standard curry but also add a couple of teaspoons of Pataks balti paste.

[JerryM]

Secret Santa,

interesting what u say. this is where we need to go for further inspiration (see photo).

alas these days i live too far away to pop in. it's a good while since i was last there which makes recalling the taste very difficult (ie to pin point what makes it so different to the standard BIR curry).

whilst i'm sure pataks is used widely i think u'd get short shrift if u mentioned it on alum rock. what i do feel though is that the spice mix/mix powder must play a big part in the "Balti" taste. the chris303 balti masala is the closest i've found.

having used it some time ago - my notes were to leave the stated ingredients out next time i made it. of course i've never got round to making it again (was busy on base and technique).

now i'm on "recipe refinement" - Balti would be one of the dishes i'd like to get better at. it would be interesting if anyone else has thoughts on most likely recipe for the basic balti ie what makes it different to mainstream BIR. at one time i thought it was simply down to the use of green pepper but nowadays green pepper is mainstream in it's own right.