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

[Onions]

Anyway long story short, he disappeared a few weeks later owing me £300 end of story. He'd strung me along to get some credit and then done a Ussain (Bolt).

Be funny if he'd ended up on here, flogging pdf recipe books!

[Secret Santa]

So, 1 tsp is 5 ml.  Now written in stone.

Ok so all we need now is ladle size - on the assumption we all end up with the same volume of base sauce, which isn't at all likely. Number of curries per batch of sauce would be better.

[mickdabass]

So, 1 tsp is 5 ml.  Now written in stone.

I always thought 5ml was the norm.
As I have said, in my balti gravy I dont believe that the powdered spices are that important in regards weight, but their relative proportions will be. In other words as long as you use the same teaspoon for measuring out all the powdered spices then that should be close enough.

Regards

Mick

[Kashmiri Bob]

So, 1 tsp is 5 ml.  Now written in stone.

Ok so all we need now is ladle size - on the assumption we all end up with the same volume of base sauce, which isn't at all likely. Number of curries per batch of sauce would be better.

I used a small ladle.  50 ml.  Will have added about 125 ml for each balti.  Small portions. The shiny balti dish I used to serve is 7" x 2". If in foil TA trays would use the No 2 size.  Like to keep an eye on my waistline these days.  32" and aim to keep it that way.

Number of curries, let me think.  At least 12 from the batch, 12-14.  I can look into the volume of base sauce.  I will be able to work out a rough estimate from the pan I used.

www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=47536.0

Will also be making a new batch next week.  Proper looking forward to it.  I used East End GM and Madras curry powder (Mild).  Proper Tej Pata.  Fresh G/G paste.  Jars or frozen blocks are not suitable for BIR cooking, in my opinion.

I suppose it is a busy hour (and a bit) to make the gravy first time around.  I will make the G/G paste beforehand this time.  Should be absolutely fine with a pinch of salt added.  The 3 pan cooking?  This may/may not be useful to someone.  So I have 4 gas burners.  With all on the lowest setting there is no overlap in output.  Each is hotter than the next (by some way).  So I am limited.  The veg are happiest on the smallest burner, so this one is taken.  The large (triple burner) is out for this application, and most others; it's too fierce. Two left.  I felt the Akhni stock pan would be best on one, but this meant the G/G paste would have to go on the right burner (the second highest output).  Too risky on this small scale (I am using a small milk pan for this).  I worked around it by making the G/G paste/spice mix after the Akhni stock was completed.  In the same pan (cleaned first) and the same burner.  The G/G paste got my full attention; continuously stirred.  Hope this makes sense.  Seems to have worked nicely.
   
Rob

[livo]

Well I have bought the fresh spices, garlic, ginger, coriander and tomatoes.  I already have onions.  I'll give it another go and see if I can't emulate the Balti bliss.
Brand new fresh cassia bark, green cardamom and kasoori methi and star anise (not pictured). My tej pat is still relatively new.  Everything else required is good and I will lightly roast and grind my own fresh cumin and coriander seeds to ensure optimum flavour.

I have also bought several chicken breasts and it is my intention to do a side by side with raw chicken (as described) and a pre-cooked (probably Misty Ricardo or Syed).  I also bought 2 butterflied legs of lamb so I'll be pre-cooking some of that to try a lamb dish.  I will be doing small dishes to avoid wastage of expensive food.

Stay tuned I guess.  It will be tomorrow as I'm eating Sri Lankan Fish Curry (Meen Kulambu) tonight.

Edit: Before I go ahead and make a new batch of gravy, I'm going to use up the last portion of the first attempt, and I'm going to follow the instructions for the preparation of the dish.  I've just noticed again this:

To make balti:
 
No need for additional ground spices or extra salt!

and it started me thinking. 

Reading back over the whole recipe and instruction again I notice that there is just 1 tsp of salt in the whole preparation.  Assuming that the onion, carrots and capsicum will cook down to half raw volume and allowing for some evaporation loss, this whole base gravy should end up being around 2.5 to 3 litres litres in finished volume (there is a note to add additional water to achieve desired consistency).  I made a half batch first up which gave me about 1.4 litres so that's about right. I've already made 4 dishes and there is enough for another.

I only used 1/2 tsp of salt, ie; 2.5g so each dish contains only 0.5 g of salt or 1/10 tsp.  Hmmmm???  Would that go part way to answering the question Santa?

[Secret Santa]

I only used 1/2 tsp of salt, ie; 2.5g so each dish contains only 0.5 g of salt or 1/10 tsp.  Hmmmm???  Would that go part way to answering the question Santa?

I wasn't really questioning the salt content but I did add a little more to the curry on second try just to try to get some flavour from it. And I'm mildly salt averse which shows you just how bland I was finding it.

I made a half batch first up which gave me about 1.4 litres so that's about right. I've already made 4 dishes and there is enough for another.

So you're getting between 8 and ten curries per batch. I shared it out to eight portions and I think Bengali Bob is claiming 12 to 14 portions per batch. So, in fact, my curries should be even more intense than most other people's efforts but that doesn't appear to be the case.

[Secret Santa]

1 tsp is 5 ml.  Now written in stone.

Hallelujah, brothers and sisters — we has seen the light !

Sarcasm aside, admittedly I'm a bit anal about using accurate quantities but only in the interest of actually reproducing the base sauce or curry as the author intended.

But really Phil I can't help thinking that your input would be better informed if you would actually dive in and make the darn balti base and curry. At least we'd have another taste-test opinion to reflect upon.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I agree, Santa, but sadly no time to cook at the moment — too many projects with pressing timescales, so I am living on take-aways, omelettes and egg-and-anchovy sandwiches for the time being ...

[livo]

OK, I have some positive comments to make.  I have just cooked and eaten a single portion of Balti chicken cooked to spec (after dinner but I managed), and I have to say that it was a big improvement on my first attempt, using the exact same ingredients.  There is one important instruction missing (3 times).  Don't just reduce the gravy at each stage.  Really cook it. Complete oil separation and caramelisation happening around the pan.  The caramelisation around the pan will get darker and darker with each addition of gravy and you should end up with what can be considered a fairly dry(ish) curry in a puddle of oil. (Photos to follow.)  The gravy ends up being quite thick and you'll be thinking you're about to burn it.  This could be the difference between that high heat in the commercial kitchens and my burner on the stovetop.

I also added a really good handful of coriander so that flavour definitely carried over.  Unfortunately, this is something that not everybody likes (me included as I'm still experiencing coriander after-taste).  One of the definitions of Balti is that the dish includes vegetables cooked with the meat.  I'd suggest capsicum or even mild chillis if your not keen on coriander.  Par-cooked green beans or broccoli / cauliflower even.

The negatives:  In my opinion it is still a fairly dull affair compared to really tasty curries, however you can always pep it up to your liking with pastes or powders, as I've already done.  The other thing is that the first 2 pieces of chicken I ate were "oh well".  So I sprinkled it with some Himalayan pink rock salt and gave it a stir through.  There was an immediate and significant improvement.  Salt is a flavour enhancer and it is required.  Luckily it can be added after or at the end of cooking.

Overall, it is a method and gravy worthy of further exploration.  I really like the gravy and I also like the look of Rob's lamb and prawn versions.  I'll be going there and I think pre-cooked (flavoured) chicken is a no-brainer.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I sprinkled it with some Himalayan pink rock salt and gave it a stir through.  There was an immediate and significant improvement.  Salt is a flavour enhancer and it is required.  Luckily it can be added after or at the end of cooking.

May I suggest (if you have not already done so, Livo) that you substitute Himalayan black rock salt (kala namak) for the Himalayan pink rock salt — kala namak   is my salt of choice for all curries, as well as being a vital ingredient in egg-and-anchovy sandwiches.
--
** Phil.