Topic: Balti

[Bob-A-Job]

I'm going to conduct an experiment today.

Despite and given your recent admission.. your continued experimentation to try a dish that barely any of us has eaten the original of, and even if we had, could barely remember it, is EXEMPLARY!

Your research, methods and comparisons are most enlightening.

Thank you! 

[George]

Here's a photo of the Balti Chicken which I found pleasant and interesting at Shebabs in 2018.

[livo]

Well things didn't go exactly to plan, but there's nothing new about that at my place.  I'd forgotten that Mrs L is on a special diet for the next 2 weeks, leading up to a medical examination.  No Grain, no seeds and next week no dairy either.  Essentially, no food that I can easily prepare.  I love her anyway.  Nevertheless, I did the best I could and made her a Balti Vegetables and Balti Chicken and Mushroom (using Passata instead of Tomatoes with seeds and skin).  I only had ingredients left to prepare myself a Balti Chicken and I decided to go the Base Gravy method as I've already tried the fresh method.

Dinner was delicious and I have to admit that I like Birmingham Balti, assuming I'm cooking it as it's meant to be.  There are a few observations though.

1) Neither of Shababs Baltis are anything like MDB's Balti Chicken.  Secret Santa, you'll be pleased to know that these dishes are full of flavour and spice.
2) Balti is a flavour!!!  Take the word of Mrs L.  Her comment was, and I quote, "They all taste the same".  So if I'm doing Misty Ricardo's Balti (Shababs) Base Gravy correctly, or the cook from scratch method, and then using that to cook different dishes with different principle ingredients, and they all taste the same, then we can assume that this is the Balti flavour.  In light of the way a Balti House served food, this is not really surprising.  If you went in and ordered a Balti Chicken or a Balti Prawn it is only the chicken or prawn that varies.
3) As a versatile Base Gravy (100% Balti clone or not) I prefer MDB's.  The flavour profile in the Shababs (Misty Ricardo) gravy is way too strong to be anything that can be manipulated to other dishes.  It is really good but it is the curry.  I could make delicate Butter Chicken out of MDB's gravy, but I doubt it will work with the Shababs gravy.  The big flavour is Black Cardamom so I suppose you could drop that back a little.
4) I actually prefer the Shababs cook from scratch over the base gravy method.  There is probably a qualifier required here.  I feel that in this instance, cooking a reduced quantity with strong spices (cloves, black cardy's etc) is something that needs fine tuning.  I only cooked 2/3 of the recipe quantity (linear scaling).  In saying that though, I really see potential in this gravy.  Very tasty indeed.

So, all in all, I believe I'm cooking Birmingham Baltis, but having never tasted one, maybe I'm not.  Either way it isn't Patak's Balti Paste, and this time, not even my own.  All cooked exactly how it's meant to be.

Sad thing is I had to have Chickpea roti again instead of big fluffy naan.   

[George]

And here is a photo of Shebabs Balti chicken which I enjoyed in 2020. But there's no consistency (quality assurance). They look quite different. You'd never get that with a Big Mac, for example - always the same.

[livo]

Despite and given your recent admission.. your continued experimentation to try a dish that barely any of us has eaten the original of, and even if we had, could barely remember it, is EXEMPLARY!

Your research, methods and comparisons are most enlightening.

Thank you! 

Bob, since I became really interested in "curry" cooking (Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Kashmiri, Middle Eastern, Thai, Japanese, Australian, etc), I have tried to find out what it is really all about.  I've been cooking it for over 30 years now and I first ate Curried Egg sandwiches and Curried Sausages about 55 years ago (thanks Mum).  It is all different.  Nasty Chinese restaurant 1970's Curried Prawns and Rice. Nothing better or easier, but try to recreate it. 

There can be no doubt that the Birmingham Balti has gained a type of mystique and therefore it is interesting to me.  I've been looking at it for years, but I feel that it is only recently I've found anything near the mark.  From over here I wouldn't really know, as you correctly pointed out.  I'm on the other side of the planet so I'm only going on what the supposed experts are providing.  All that said, I'm cooking some pretty damned tasty curries.  They are not BIR standard fair, and I guess that's the point here.  But there must be people still alive and who actually worked in these establishments.  It isn't that long ago.

The Birmingham Balti is a different animal.  I'd love to have somebody, from Birmingham, about my age, who has had authentic Balti, taste my dishes.

I'll tell you all a funny story.  If any of you have ever been under general anaesthetic, you'll know that when you're coming out everything is a bit odd and you can say the strangest things.  A few years back I had a hip replacement.  When I was coming out of anaesthesia I was met by a nurse with blue hair and a UK accent.  Pre-Covid and there were plenty of Brit medics over here.  In my awakening stupor and even as I became more lucid I was asking her for information about BIR and Birmingham Balti.

[livo]

And here is a photo of Shebabs Balti chicken which I enjoyed in 2020. But there's no consistency (quality assurance). They look quite different. You'd never get that with a Big Mac, for example - always the same.

Hey George,  Good to see your still around!!   
Are you just spelling it wrong or have you been going to MacDounalds?  I disagree with your premise regarding Big Macs.  If you travel the length and breadth of our great land you will find good, bad and in between.  All 3 of my kids and 2 of my sisters have worked in the Big M establishment and there is no guarantee of consistency, although it is a fairly reliable source of food substitute.

If you've been going to Shebabs, you'd better try walking around the corner to Shababs.      Only kidding you George. We Aussies cant help it you know.

Of course you know I'm having a lend George.    I hope you still have a sense of humour.   I  do sincerely appreciate your input and photographs and it actually appears to confirm the online reviews that the consistency of the establishment is not great.  It is a difficult time for the hospitality industry at the moment too, so we need to keep that in mind. 

I'd be really keen for you to actually cook some of these dishes from the recipes and provide a critical appraisal, particularly about whether or not the published information is on the money or not, compared to what you've actually sampled.  You appear to be one of the few who have.

[George]

Livo - I used the Big Mac as an example of a consistent product because I found it always seems the same wherever I've had one at many locations around the world. But not in Australia which I have never visited. My recollection of the Balti Chicken dishes I had in 2018 and 2020 was that they were both half-decent curries, different to anything I've ever had before or since. It concerns me that Bob had a bad experience and my current position is that I will not bother travelling to Birmingham at all now. For several years running, I camped with my tent quite close to the NEC in October and attended exhibitions such as the Channel 4 spin off 'Grand Designs'. I cycle to the NEC and it was a low cost outing. A Gourmet Society card got me 25% off curries at a BIR in Tamworth and at Shababs. Whereas hotels anywhere near the NEC cost a fortune, the camp site is only about £11 per night. The exhibition tickets are free. But the Tamworth place no longer recognises Gourmet Society and I am not sure about Shababs. Fuel costs for the car have also gone up too much. End of an era, probably, for my October journeys.

[livo]

I do agree with you George, that the Big Mac is probably one of the most consistent food items found around the globe, although I do believe that there are some variations from place to place.  The burger in itself here is meant to be the same wherever you go but there are local supply issues and human involvement.  Also, it certainly isn't the "Big" that it used to be.  A few years back when there was a considerable amount of alarm about portion sizes and upselling, it shrunk quite considerably.

That's a shame about your annual trip being off George.  Fuel prices over here have dropped a bit in recent weeks with the global price of oil going down a bit, but I agree, and unnecessary travel is something I'm now trying to avoid as much as possible.

I find your comment about the Balti dishes you had very interesting and in line with my experiences recently.  "half-decent" and "different" are very apt descriptions.

[Secret Santa]

Hey George, it's great to know you've sampled the real thing, not once, but twice!

What would be even greater would be if you'd make Mick's version and give some qualified feedback.

[Secret Santa]

In light of the way a Balti House served food, this is not really surprising.  If you went in and ordered a Balti Chicken or a Balti Prawn it is only the chicken or prawn that varies.

Except it's not. If you watch the Shababs videos and some others (can't recall which) they do use different spicing. In one he adds a lot of paprika for example.

The Birmingham Balti is a different animal.  I'd love to have somebody, from Birmingham, about my age, who has had authentic Balti, taste my dishes.

I'm sure my cousin Dave would be more than happy to oblige if you paid his air fare.