Aldi's extra large cooked Ecuadorian king prawns.

Rob

Takeaway yesterday. Khyber Pass. Birmingham. One of JerryM's favourite places. We went there together all those years ago.

Now in Andy Munro's top 6 list of Birmingham balti houses; where he describes it as "one for the balti connoisseur...". I will put together a review. First impressions. 10/10. For now, here are a couple of photos.










Rob

Hi Robbo. Sorry I am late. This one was Mick's base. Additions,1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp hot madras curry powder, 1 tbsp mustard oil, pinch Kasoori methi, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, fresh lemon juice/zest and a slosh of dark soy. And about 1 ½ tsp salt. Jalpur GM to finish. Hit the spot.

Rob

Last night''s effort. Freshly ground cumin and black pepper to finish. Weaning myself of the hot ones. Pint can of Budweiser on yellow sticker at my local outdoor. 50 p.



Rob

Quote from: curryhell on September 28, 2025, 11:29 AM
That vindy is looking damn good Rob.  Love that "dinky" naan    I'll have a couple to go with that balti please.

Had a bit of defrosted dough to use up. Have discovered since what I actually made here though is, in fact, a cheese Kulcha. Checked back on the Milan video. This is great as it sounds more upmarket. Getting the hang of it now.

Rob

Seem to be craving hotter curries lately. MDB balti base, including the pre-cook.

Balti chicken (vindaloo)








Pre-cooked chicken (chilled)





Introducing the Nano Naan (cheese). Extra small size. For those watching their carb intake and waistline.





Rob

Quote from: martinvic on September 24, 2025, 01:22 PM
Looks great to me. 
Do you turn the Tawa upside down over the ring, with the naan stuck, to do the top?
I found you only need a minimum amount of time when cooking the bottom on a very hot tawa. Just slap it on, press it down all over with a finger, to make sure it's stuck, then turn over. seconds really as it carries on cooking when turned over.
Best thing I found to get them off was a cheapo, flexible, metal spatula/fish slice used upside down.

Thanks for the tips Martin. Yes, upside down over the ring. This is where I will need practice. Getting the distance right.

Rob

Quote from: curryhell on September 24, 2025, 01:40 PM
That naan is looking fairy sexy.  An almond, coconut and sugar filling and a brushing with syrup would certainly elevate it to the next level, or even  stuffing it with sheek kebab mince would do the trick.  Good job Rob.  The original Happy naan recipe really does take some beating. It never fails to deliver.

Yes, not bad at all for a first go I suppose. Feeling more confident. Anything with flour normally means a disaster for me. Starting to really like the bubble naan. Have done one since stuffed with mozzarella and cheddar. Rolled in some kalonji seeds too. Very nice!

Rob

First go at homemade naan. Followed Misty's online recipe. He does acknowledge that it is essentially Chris' YouTube recipe. Halved everything. Due to my aversion to the feel of flour used a plastic glove for the mixing/kneading stage. Found the mix hardly sticks to the glove material, which made things easy.  Rolled in some thinly sliced fresh garlic. Ultimately overdid it a bit on the tawa. Some burning. Came off intact though with a knife.  Lots of bubbles. Too many, imo. Before serving brushed with melted butter ghee, containing freshly chopped coriander leaf (not shown). With this, a cluster of the bubbles resembled the scary eyeball monster thing in the new FX Alien Earth series; very off-putting.   

Anyway, had the naan with a 10/10 Balti chicken (Mick's base). Identical taste/texture to the soda naans we used to get (5 for £1), but with the lift of fresh garlic and ghee. On retiring for the evening I experienced a wonderful garlic haze with that mild, but not unpleasant, indigestion. Concluded that the naans will be a keeper and an alternative to rice (or crinkle cuts) now and then. However, that night I had real trouble sleeping. My tummy started to gurgle. Also noticed I was burping and passing wind, simultaneously, which is not ideal. There does seem to be a lot a baking powder in the recipe. Will reduce it next time, or perhaps try a yeast based alternative. Early days though. Have loads of the dough left in the freezer. Practice makes perfect and all that.

Garlic naan underway



Rob

Been rough for over a week. Freezer raid/lucky dip last night. Cleared the tubes and reset my palate.  Feeling better already.



Rob