Curry hell,

Touch clearly not lost.

Is the recipe posted. Very jealous 25 yr BIR getting harder to find.

pic before blending



ready for chicken addition and final cook

Haldi,

many thanks for suggestion on the east end (Ashoka preferred spice as well). did not buy the rajah mild - ingredients looked to close to the hot.

ended up getting heera to compare. both very nice but the east end had the edge. very clear curry powder is taste bud dependent.



i'm now happy on the basic spice ingredients and intend to try out a few variations inc the abdul mix. thinking i can do the finished curry tasting via harilor's crock pot curry.

pic of the black limes

harilor,

a part update. have made the curry sauce so far ie not added meat. I feel it tastes pretty good and intend adding in chicken for a Monday night tea. 

the sweetness of the pineapple got me to try the chicken in place of beef.

I followed the method which was spot on

had difficulty on the amount of spicing. was also torn against memory glimpses causing me to leave out some ingredients

can post details if you interested. as you say the beauty of this dish is that you can easily tweak it to suit your own tastebuds whilst keeping to the overall framework.

I am well pleased and see me using this to try out my efforts on spice tasting trials - assuming family share my enthusiasm.

many many thanks - I'm optimistic I've finally cracked the gap in my curry for a quick easy delicious mid week curry

last go changes:
1) used dry parsley 0.5 tsp per  tahine portion - not as good as fresh but good enough
2) served bought humus - a real find from atlas in rusholme
3) Added green cardamom 4 off to the lamb marinade (again a find from atlas) -too little will try 8 off next
4) used lamb leg boned and sliced  10 mm thk by butcher - worked a treat sorted
5) used half a black lime 1.5 tsp ground - real McCoy stuff well pleased. Might try full lime on next go

Was well impressed with this make - feel I'm almost sorted ie in heaven

Gav Iscon,

It's purely interest not worry.

The one thing of interest being the continuing cooking around the rim of the dish/pan after it's served. 

At the time I frequented balti my focus was far from the food. The one thing that sticks in memory (difference from BIR) was how hot the dishes were and they cooked on for some time after they were served at the table. They also produced some smoke.

The interest being how this was done when the food is cooked in the same dish. It's not an empty interest so to speak I have tried hot frying in my dishes/pans which led to the pre heating approach.

Bob 

Many thanks for confirming Pressed steel at adil. Puts my mind at rest and Les's too (balti was late 70's for me). Quite amazing how the weight has led me to the wrong conclusion. I'd have put money on cast iron. My BIR pan being black steel and feeling light in comparison but maybe that's another wrong perception. The black steel does rust just to muddy the picture.

I guess the 2 balti pans I have must be pressed steel (eBay and rusholme) - they don't rust and are heavy. Given the pic not authentic though. They do work though (caramelise, smoke, retain heat).

It does not help that my zaal omelette pan is very much what I would think of as pressed steel ie thin. It does not rust either but is no good to cook curry in (burns not caremelise)

Looking forward to chewytikka and Gav lscon's balti cook off. Be interesting to see how the authentic pan performs in comparison to the BIR Ali pan.

That pan pic is quite a personal challenge for me. My history only covers the khyber pass which is outside the triangle yet known as balti.

I can't say I recognise the steel pan. I'm fairly sure the khyber has only used cast iron pan/balti dish. The adil seemed to me to use the same cast iron. 

The steel pans will be very light and my memory says they weren't. 

The short cooking time does sit right - most tables had 6 to 10 seated and although you often had to wait for the food it was because the place was heaving. I think I cook out at 5 mins on the hob c/w 7 for BIR. The base is thick being the difference.

Managed to get some whole black lime from rusholme. Will post pic when I get chance. The idea being to grind yourself.

Also picked up on tasting the Atlas lamb shawarma that green cardamom is used. Thought it worked well with the black lime and will adopt.