Topic: ++++MDB’s Birmingham Balti Gravy 100% Clone Al Frash Balti Restaurant ++++

[George]

This recipe seems worth trying, thanks. To give it the best chance of producing a 100% clone, should I use level, rounded or heaped spoon measures?

[mickdabass]

This recipe seems worth trying, thanks. To give it the best chance of producing a 100% clone, should I use level, rounded or heaped spoon measures?

Hi George

I use rounded tea spoon measures

Kind Regards

Mick

[livo]

It's pouring rain again here today as this year's 4th East Coast Low pressure system develops off the coast.  What better to do than cook a Birmingham Balti.  I've been looking forward to trying this and it's certainly getting good reviews.

[George]

Mick - many thanks. I look forward to trying your balti recipe, together with Misty Ricardo's recipe on youtube, based on chicken balti at Shababs, Birmingham. I have enjoyed chicken balti at Shababs twice and it was quite good. Other baltis I tried at various other BIRs were lacklustre.

[Secret Santa]

My first impression having now tried the base and the accompanying basic curry is that it was, for me, a bit bland. There was flavour there from the aromatics but in general the base didn't taste all that different from many other bases I've made.

I realised reading the latter posts that I used exact teaspoon measures rather than "rounded" so it may have had a bit more oomph if I'd not missed that. But the curry reminded me of the vindaloo I made from Chef Din's base by his method where again there are no added spices in the curry. The base is the curry.

I think if korma is a "curry" you like then this base/curry combination will appeal but if you're a madras, vindaloo type of person like me, it's a bit meh. I'll try it again with added mix powder as I did with Chef Din's which made his palatable from originally being bland. And of course add more chilli powder. And for those that haven't made it yet, really go to town on the staggered reduction as that's mainly where the flavour is coming from.

Oh and against my best judgement I did use raw chicken rather than precooked. It produce the bland chicken flavour I know goes with essentially cooking it in base sauce and that didn't help the overall impression. But that was down to me not using precooked as I should have.

[livo]

Good to know. I got the gravy done yesterday and I'll try a couple of different curries today, including the recommended one as written and then some standards.

[Robbo141]

I have the week off, taking a few days after the Fourth of July holiday we get here and plan on having a bash at this.  I am 100% a vindaloo guy so now a little wary after Santa’s post but we shall see.  Got my grill set up, summer is here and that means outdoor curry cooking for me.

Robbo

[Secret Santa]

I am 100% a vindaloo guy so now a little wary after Santa’s post but we shall see.

I wouldn't let what I said put you off. It's a decent enough base but using it to make a curry without any further spices such as mix powder and chilli powder, as it is in the basic recipe given, doesn't cut it for me. I think I'll try again tonight but with the extras I need and making sure to really concentrate on the reductions where the flavours are developed.

[Kashmiri Bob]

All I am getting is Balti perfection.  To spec, with 2 tsp regular chilli power in the base spice mix, it's nice and spiky too, close to madras strength.  Perfect, seriously.

Rob 

[mickdabass]

Thanks guys for giving it a go - I appreciate it!
I can take the criticism without getting all stroppy - after all its you lot who really know their stuff.

You need to do some pretty serious reducing when you make this curry so you extract as much flavour from the gravy that you can

A couple of things I am considering tweaking is:

1. Break the cassia up into pieces no longer than 1" to increase the infusion
2. mix g&g paste with chopped toms and water and add straight to onions without simmering. After all they are going to get fried to within an inch of their lives anyway!

In previous versions I have adjusted the powdered spices upwards and to be honest they just kill it stone dead.

Its more to do with the aromatics as SS says ie whole spices

I watched a little bit of the Shabab video with Rusty Meccano and  the chef says they blitz the whole spices into the gravy. I once did that by mistake many moons ago and it made the gravy unusable. Then again these pro guys use outboard motors for blitzing - not some crappy little toy from Argos like I use!

Thank you again Bob for your positive comments - to my taste it is exactly like the Baltis I have eaten.
Quite mild with a great depth of flavour. Too much chilli would mask all of that imo.

Its a completely different animal to a vindaloo for sure!

In fact its a completely different animal from any other curry any way

Kind Regards

Mick