Topic: Balti

[Robbo141]

Looks a very simple recipe. I love a lamb curry.  Picked up some ground lamb this week to make keema pilau and maybe some nice kebabs.

Robbo

[livo]

I had another helping last night Robbo. It's really good.

[livo]

It's really pleasing to see the forum with so much traffic.  I had to search back a fair bit to find this thread again.  This is a post about the "B" word, obviously.  I'm about to cook a dish I've cooked before. I once did a side by side of a BIR style and a Trad style Chicken Madras and looking back at the recipe I see that it was a "Balti Chicken Madras".  So, there may be some evidence to support the Al Frash menu possibilities.

The recipe comes from my Curry Encyclopaedia, but I decided to look through the book for the "B" word.  Unfortunately, Balti is not cross-referenced in the index under B, but I did find 15 Balti recipes under Chicken, and another 10 under Lamb.  I will scan through the index to see if I can find other instances, but I'll post a list of the dishes I have found so far here. If you're interested in any let me know.  There are actually a couple that could come from the Al Frash menu which I found interesting.

Chicken.

Balti Butter Chicken
Balti Chicken in Lentil Sauce
Balti Chicken in Hara Masala Sauce
Balti Chicken in Saffron Rice
Balti Chicken in Tamarind Sauce
Balti Chicken in thick creamy coconut sauce
Balti Chicken Madras (this is the recipe I've cooked and adjusted for side by side).
Balti Chicken Passanda (who knew?)
Balti Chicken pieces with Cumin and Coriander
Balti Chicken Vindaloo (who knew?)
Balti Chicken w/ dahl and leeks
Balti Chicken w/ green and red chillies
Balti Chicken w/ paneer and peas
Balti Chicken w/ vegetables
Balti Chilli Chicken

Lamb.

Balti Bhoona Lamb
Balti Lamb Chops w/ potatoes
Balti Lamb in yogurt
Balti Lamb Koftas w/ vegetables
Balti Lamb Tikka  (I have lamb loin chops defrosting as I type)
Balti Lamb w/ Cauliflower
Balti Lamb w/ peas and potatoes
Balti Lamb w/ potatoes and Fenugreek (might try this one as well)
Balti Lamb w/ stuffed vegetables
Balti mini Lamb Kebabs

So, it will be interesting to look through these 25 recipes to find the similarities and differences.  If you'd like to try one, let me know and I'll PM you the recipe.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I once did a side by side of a BIR style and a Trad style Chicken Madras

So (I have to ask) what is  "a Trad[itional] style Chicken Madras" ?  A BIR-style one I understand, since it is the BIR industry that introduced the term, but for the life of me I cannot imagine what  "A Trad[itional] style Chicken Madras" is ...
--
** Phil.

[livo]

Yeah Phil. I understand your point. What is going on, now that you point it out, is that the recipe does not involve the BIR method, ie, does not use a base gravy. It uses the cook from fresh, individual ingredients style of cooking normally associated with traditional style but it is probably not a traditional dish, as you say.

I once cooked and posted about a side by side test I did in converting this recipe to BIR method.  Knowing now about the cook from scratch Balti dishes shown by Rishton and Shababs chefs, and in light of the fact that this recipe is for Balti Chicken Madras, I guess it is a British (Birmingham) dish.

It is a recipe using individual ingredients cooked in the style of those Birmingham Baltis that aren't cooked the way Birmingham Baltis are really cooked. Savvy?

[Peripatetic Phil]

Er, well, sort of ...

[livo]

According to Wikipedia Madras curry or Madras sauce has its origins in the city of Madras (now Chennai) in southern India.

[Robbo141]

Wikipedia not to be trusted.  Can be written by any old fool, like me even.  I’ve been to Chennai a number of times (my God it’s hot and humid there) and no way is Madras in any way related to that place.

Regarding the B word, when I took my Indian cookery night school back in the early 90’s, My mate made the mistake when grumpy teacher Rajnee asked if we had any particular dishes we’d like her to help us cook. I asked her to show us vindaloo but he asked for Balti.
The indignant reply was along the lines of “WHAT!?? Balti is a bucket! You want to cook in a bucket?”  She was a diminutive little thing but firey.  We never did cook the B word, and I only have one printed recipe with me, that I shared here some time back.  Happy times.

Robbo

[livo]

I agree Robbo but there does appear to be some element of relationship between the dish and that part of Southern india.  This is a typical blog introduction to the dish.  It does add weight to Phil's observation as well.

Madras curry originated in southern India and became popular among British colonizers and merchants during the 1600s, but the name “Madras curry” actually didn’t come about until it was introduced to British restaurants in the 1970s. Over the years it has been developed and reimagined several different ways, with the resulting dish usually consisting of a deep red-colored, rich and spicy sauce.

Regardless, it again illustrates the confused nature of Indian cookery nomenclature, where the word Madras describes an actual dish, a measure of the chilli heat level and a type of curry powder.

I don't give a lot of credence to the notion of the bucket.  While it may well be a literal translation between language, I'd say the more likely correlation is to the food prepared in the region of Baltistan in a cooking vessel similar to a wok.  I had to laugh the other day when I read a blog for a Balti recipe that had a photograph of the dish actually presented in what appeared to be tin-plated actual bucket.  However, those bucket-shaped serving vessels are available in stainless steel and that Indian Copper / SS combination. Has any establishment over there ever actually cooked and served food in an actual bucket?  I doubt it.

[livo]

Double quantity of Balti Chicken Madras.  Recipe modified to incorporate last portion of Misty Ricardo Balti base gravy.

Also, here is an interesting Balti Chicken recipe (not from Birmingham or even the UK).  Cooked in a ceramic casserole on top of a cast iron tawa using and electric hob.  The list of ingredients is right at the end of the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg3pxNQAR1U&list=WL&index=1