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

[Kashmiri Bob]

Read his comments in Chewys video Rob. He cooks it with the Pataks paste and enjoys it.

https://youtu.be/O6qPk8mSKc0

I've read all this stuff before. Several times in fact.

I can't open your link.  It doesn't matter.  It will not be Andy Munro commenting on Chewy's balti, not a chance.

The vast majority of Chewy's stuff is Bangladeshi style BIR.  He has produced some of the best recipes on this forum, in my opinion.  I expect his Balti recipe produces good results.  The addition of pastes will add depth of flavour.   

But here we are talking about the Birmingham Balti.  Most of the Birmingham Balti houses are/were run by Pakistani staff.  I can think of only two Bangladeshi restaurants that were able to make a real Birmingham Balti.  One was the Kushi.  I can't remember the  other one.  The chef on the south coast you referred to in an earlier post sounds like Chef Din.  His cooking is Bangladeshi, hence the balti pastes.  Generally speaking, Bangladeshi run restaurants have no idea how to make the iconic Birmingham Balti.  They have just jumped on the band wagon, knocked something together and called it a balti.  Some are really good, but they are all miles off the real deal.

So, we are going somewhat off-topic.  No pastes are needed to make Mick's base gravy.  They would ruin it.  It would need to be binned.  As I keep saying, Mick's recipe already has immense depth of flavour.  It is a pity there are not more forum members trying it.  But in time I am sure they will.  The secret of the Birmingham Balti is here.  No doubt about it, in my humble opinion of course.

Rob   

[livo]

On the day that the Andy Munro video was recorded at Shababs, Richard Sayce (misty ricardo) was shown the cooking of a Chicken Balti and he has presented it on his website. It is nothing like Mick's 100% clone.  It has spices added and the only qualification is that if you use normal BIR base gravy instead of a balti base gravy, he suggests adding an extra 1/4 tsp of garam masala.

I believe it was only last month.

https://mistyricardo.com/balti-chicken-shababs/

[Kashmiri Bob]

On the day that the Andy Munro video was recorded at Shababs, Richard Sayce (misty ricardo) was shown the cooking of a Chicken Balti and he has presented it on his website. It is nothing like Mick's 100% clone.  It has spices added and the only qualification is that if you use normal BIR base gravy instead of a balti base gravy, he suggests adding an extra 1/4 tsp of garam masala.

I believe it was only last month.

https://mistyricardo.com/balti-chicken-shababs/

Good spot.  I can see similarities in the balti base gravy recipe.  An emphasis on spices being added at the curry making stage for this one though.  Yes, very interesting.  Give it a go; start a thread.  Might be another one nailed.

Rob     

[Bob-A-Job]

I have been following this thread closely and since we are now digressing into other chef's versions of a Balti I feel I can comment.

I have never been to Brum, so never had one of the fabled dishes but I have had "Baltis" from numerous places in West Yorkshire over the last 40 years (Not sure what you can make of that qualification!).

I am not inclined to make this Base as it is only for this one dish and to be honest, I am not a great fan of Cassia/Cinnamon so when I saw the massive amount and the stress placed on using that quantity (with almost no other spices given the volume) I immediately decided to give it a miss.  So without that, does it make the Balti's I have eaten and subsequently cooked Bland? I would say not.

What I will comment on is if all the 'cooking' is essentially done in the base and I believe the reduction there is the key (I have over reduced sauces and gravies before in other cooking styles and ended up with extremely strong flavours but not always palatable), then maybe the other spice flavours come back to the fore, however I wonder how much of that would be once again from the Cassia.

Rarely do I cook with Red meats anymore... for no other reason than the cost... and imho Chicken just cannot stand out in an actual Balti.

BAJ.

[Secret Santa]

I have never been to Brum, so never had one of the fabled dishes but I have had "Baltis" from numerous places in West Yorkshire over the last 40 years (Not sure what you can make of that qualification!).

I make of it that, like me, you've never actually eaten a real balti. You've had the "add a teaspoon of Pataks balti paste and throw it in a karhai" BIR style balti ... which is not a true balti.

I am not inclined to make this Base as it is only for this one dish and to be honest, I am not a great fan of Cassia/Cinnamon so when I saw the massive amount and the stress placed on using that quantity (with almost no other spices given the volume) I immediately decided to give it a miss.  So without that, does it make the Balti's I have eaten and subsequently cooked Bland? I would say not.

If you've read through then you know I am not enamoured with this balti curry either. But the base is a fine starting point for normal BIR curries so you wouldn't be wasting it if you made the balti and didn't like it. For me the cassia is only evident, and even then only slightly, in the base sauce. It's totally lost in the curry although does give a different flavour overall which probably defines this particular version of balti chicken. Really, you should try it.

Rarely do I cook with Red meats anymore... for no other reason than the cost... and imho Chicken just cannot stand out in an actual Balti.

Well for me it's just the opposite. As long as the chicken is precooked and not added raw it easily stands out because the balti curry is so bland (in my opinion). We need more opinions of this base and curry, give it a go.

[Kashmiri Bob]

I have never been to Brum, so never had one of the fabled dishes but I have had "Baltis" from numerous places in West Yorkshire over the last 40 years (Not sure what you can make of that qualification!).

Bob. The Birmingham Balti experience is not limited to Birmingham.  From experience, the magic was also  evident in Manchester (Rusholme) back in the day, in abundance.  My home city.  I've also lived in West Yorks, Leeds.  Again, back in the day, it was here too.  In each case, on the menu, it was not even called a balti. I don't know if "it" is there now, but I will at some point check out Manchester.  I would love to try a Bradford curry "balti".

Not sure if this applies to you but I will say it anyway.  For Mick's recipe you have to clear your mind.  The common denominator here is Pakistani BIR.  It has nothing in common with Bangladeshi BIR in this context (Balti), which is where all the confusion lies.  Forget the blank canvass and pastes, etc.  Get the base gravy right and it's job done, end of.  Mick's recipe is perfect.  Give it a go.

Rob

[Robbo141]

Well, it took a little longer than I planned but yesterday I got around to trying this.
That HUGE amount of cassia required wiped out my stock but I did weight it up.  And to my total surprise, it didn’t overpower the finished curry at all.  But next time I’m going to try with a more typical couple of sticks and see if there’s a difference.



Rather than the boil for an hour method, I went with my trusted Instant Pot pressure cook for 45 mins.  I had no red pepper and just one carrot that I didn’t bother weighing. Other than that, followed the recipe exactly.  I added 1 tsp regular chilli powder listed as optional.
I cooked one dish first, for me to try and the resulting curry was good.  Got the approval of Mrs Robbo, so that was her dinner.  It needed more heat for me though, so the 2nd dish got a fresh habanero I’d just picked from the garden. No other spices added.



I served with naan and rice (I know, I know) and it was delicious.  Last night, I gave it a solid 8/10, but this morning, on the key “reheat for breakfast” it was up to a more solid 9/10. Definitely improved overnight, or maybe it’s that thing about sensory overload while you’re cooking then eating.  Either way, a great start to my Sunday.

Thanks Mick. Really looking forward to turning this base into a vindaloo.

Robbo

[livo]

Good on you Robbo, the more who try this the better. I really like the gravy and the curries I ended up making with it (and additional flavour). 

That photo of your Cassia has me perplexed. With the exception of a few pieces, most of your weighed amount looks to me more like cinnamon quills.  The trouble with spices out of India is that naming and packaging is very random.  My previous large pack was clearly packaged and labelled as Cassia. My recent attempt to purchase more, in consultation with one of the Singh brothers, had him trying to convince me that cinnamon quills were the same thing. I persevered and insisted I wanted the flat outer bark called Cassia and he produced a pack which appears to be the right stuff, incorrectly labelled.  I'd have been concerned about using that much cinnamon, but it appears to have worked for you, so who knows?

[Peripatetic Phil]

That photo of your Cassia has me perplexed. With the exception of a few pieces, most of your weighed amount looks to me more like cinnamon quills. 

They look nothing like cinnamon quills whatsoever to me, Livo — far too coarse and thick.  Cinnamon quills are much finer and thinner, almost paper thin.  Robbo's look identical to my cassia bark.
--
** Phil.

[Robbo141]

I remember looking up cassia v cinnamon and I thought I understood it once but now I’m not so sure. Either way, that base of mick’s is very good and I’ll certainly be repeating it.  I’m definitely going to try with much less of that ingredient though, it just seems overkill, putting all that into 1 pint of stock. But it passed the taste test for me, hands down.

Robbo