Topic: Hot balti!

[Kashmiri Bob]

Latest balti TA.  I have been to this place a couple of times before.  For now I'll call it "The Tilted Pan". It's good food.  Top notch.  Sizable savings for collection and you can place your order by phone.  However, I just turn up and order.  This way I get to see the chef making my curry.  A different chef this time and we seem to have got our wires crossed on what I wanted.  Planned chicken pakora for my starter.  With a large Balti chicken (madras) and a small Balti lamb pathia (madras).   Roti and boiled rice.  As the chef was bagging up my stuff he told me what I could have free with their roti/rice deal.  A few places around here do this for collection orders.

Here's my order










On top of the micro are 2 x roti.  The other paper bag is chicken pakora. 15 pieces.  The four dips are, mint, chilli,  chilli pickle, mango pickle.  Boiled rice in the unopened containers.  Not sure what the curry is on the left.  Don't recall ordering it.  Have a feeling it's a Balti masala chicken. The other large curry is Balti chicken.  The small one is Balti lamb pathia.  Had a quick taste of each one as soon as I got home.  Crikey, hot!  Very spikey.  All of them.  Figured my giblets would not cope with this level of heat, so let everything cool down and put the 2 large in the freezer.  The pathia went in the fridge.  Had some of it last night.  Ultra-dry and superb.  Took me right back to the Dharbar in Rusholme, many moons ago.  It is pretty fierce, but a lot of the heat is from black pepper and fresh green chilli. An incredibly well-balanced hot, sweet and zesty curry.  10/10.  Will polish the rest of it off tonight, and take some photos.   The rice was just wonderful too.  Reckon it's the extra-long basmati, which seems to be popular nowadays.  Really looking forward to those two baltis in the freezer.  However,  I have just today made a batch of MDB MKI base.  Picked up two nice bunches of fresh methi yesterday.  Balti methi chicken, finally!  This will be next.

Rob       

Edit.  Best photos on the way, which don't make the red food colouring powder so obvious

       

[livo]

Hey Bob,
Have you tried the Balti Psylocibim Mushroom?  A mind altering experience apparently.  LOL.  I imagine it would be best made with the MkII Gravy.

No, sorry mate. Just taking the p1ss. You know about us Aussies.  Well, the real ones anyway.  Not really sure what that is anymore though. It's all become so confused.

Those dishes look pretty good and the lamb chops you showed are right up my alley.  I always love seeing your work.  It inspires me to cook another curry.

[Onions]

Edit.  Best photos on the way, which don't make the red food colouring powder so obvious
       

I think the colours are great, nice dark red. Burgundy. Vermillion. The field of Magenta!

It looks like you got a fair bit more than you asked for, though, KB? That's not bad for the old bang/buck ratio 

[curryhell]

I'm salivating at the look of those pics Rob    Takeaway tonight to kick off the election special 

[tempest63]

I'm salivating at the look of those pics Rob    Takeaway tonight to kick off the election special 

[Kashmiri Bob]

Thanks for the comments guys.  I like the sound of the Balti magic mushrooms.  Could make a fine combo, alongside a Balti chicken teflonica 


Here's some photos of last night's election special supper.  Pakora and pathia.











£3.50 for the pakora including the dips/pickles.  The pickles are the Swad brand.  Big jars on view at the place.  Anyway, 15 pieces equates to 3 starters for me.  Added my homemade wild garlic dressing, to do even more justice to these highly deluxe nuggets.



The fab Balti lamb pathia











Washed down with a refreshing glass of homemade Akhni stock.







My order actually cost me £30.  Not bad given what I got, I reckon.  It's mainly down to their collection deal.  So for each curry you get 1 rice (or 2 roti/naan) "free".  Seen this elsewhere in the Cape Hill area.  They also round down the total price, ignoring any shrapnel (even if it's well over £1) .  Been used to paying around the £20 mark for 1 starter, 1 curry and 1 bread, at the more well known places, e.g. Shababs.  Although, to be fair, the balti they gave me (that went in the bin) did give away a lot about how their balti is actually put together, when I went into (a sort of) anorak mode, perhaps.


Hang on a minute though.  Look.  No complementary poppadoms!


Rob               

[Kashmiri Bob]

Well, started on the second of the two large last night.  Balti chicken. 





A fair bit of red chilli powder in this one.  Reckon on 2 tsp plus.  I know it doesn't seem much, but it's ruined the balti.  From experience with MDB MKI, even pinching in a little is risky; it'll imbalance the dish.  If a spoon is involved, forget it.  Nowadays I avoid it altogether.  Instead, stoke it up (if desired), carefully, with black pepper, or/and fresh green chillies (chopped or paste).  Freshly ground black pepper and cumin, to finish.  I found this combo on here somewhere, a long time ago.  Recall it was described as a popular Pakistani GM.

Anyway, looking forward to my next visit to the Tilted Pan.  I will order mild/medium.  The pathia was amazing though. Hot!

Rob