tefal woks are crap -- get a cheap iron one and season it. Chinese food like Indian gets some of its taste from the heavily carbonised woks and baltis used.

The chinese have a saying - the blacker the wok the better the cook

Spices in water will usually only cook at or just above 100oC.

It just takes practise, and a well seasoned pan will stop stuff sticking.

I use a pan which I think is carbon steel but I am not sure. When you are blasting things on a high heat you are adding so many ingredients quickly things dont have time to burn.

(just as an example)

30 secs garlic ginger.

30 secs onions and chiles

30 secs tomato paste

30 secs / 1 minute spices - keeping everything moving all the time

30 precooked meat and this brings more moisture in

then you are getting the base sauce in.

Also.....

I have mentioned this in a previous post..... My gas cooker is hot, but not as hot as I would prefer it so I heat my cast iron balti pans up till they are white hot - when you put a drop of water in it it should roll about and sizzle away in an instant.

Make sure your curry your serving is piping hot as much as you can get it and then ladel it all into the balti pan straight away -- this contact with the white hot surface gets the smoke and sizzling everywhere and serve while the smoke is still flying off the pan --- BIR taste and smell!

Remember the powdered spices as well as following in the full masala mix given by Chapman.

Also... it takes a few days for the smells to really develop in it

yep.

Each tbsp of chili paste pretty much equates to 1 full blended chile by my reckoning. This is just the heat/pungancy and some colour for the dish.

The madras masala can be dry fried if you wish... You need to be a master at making sure things dont stick though so I kept the recipe as pastes - The madras masala is the core of the taste for this dish though, and the Balti masala is just added to all my Balti dishes so there is still a signature taste present even in all the different dishes.

I am not into the type of curry making where 5 dishes are all the exact same except some different veg, and different amounts of chile powder. I am trying to create regional tastes in the BIR method of cooking.

Base wise --- use any base you wish as long as it is lightly spiced.

Water quantity - I just add enough so that it will flick off the spoon easily. If it runs off by itself then too much water, and if it sticks after a small flick then not enough. Measurements dont need to be exact

I love the taste from this  - No madras recipe can be made without coconut imho. A squeeze of lemon if you wish as well.

I am doing a vindaloo this weekend - proper Goa vindaloo with wine and plenty garlic.

Saved a second portion for today... although I came in drunk last night and scoffed half of it so I have not bothered heating a balti up as there wasnt much there.

Not a fan of the Ashoka/Harlequin chain to be honest. Mr Singhs in particular is pretty horrible imho.

Mother India's Cafe is indeed amazing, as is Mother India. I also love The Wee Curry Shop by the same owners on Byres Road.

okies.

Also I use rice bran oil for all my curry making.

It has a high smoke point.

It lowers cholesterol.

Has a very mild taste.

Just as healthy as Olive Oil in general.

For the balti base sauce and balti masala I use the recipes in the Pat Chapman book.

I am not sure the legalities of posting these.

This is the Madras recipe I follow. If I have missed anything out then let me know, or fire any questions at me. Delicious

Madras Recipe

Serves 1

4 tbsp x Chile Paste (seperate recipe)
4 x Red Chiles (heads cut off) (half for extra heat)
3 x Garlic Cloves
3" x Fresh Ginger
2 tbsp x Finely Chopped Onion
20g Fresh Coconut
250ml x heated Balti Base Sauce (Any other base should do)
1 x Tomato precooked Chicken Breast (recipe seperate)
2 tbsp x Sun Dried Tomato Paste (thin out with some water)
1 x Tomato (chopped)
2 tbsp x Rice Bran Oil
1 tbsp x Butter Ghee
2 tbsp x Coriander Leaves


[Spices]

2 tbsp x Madras masala paste (seperate recipe)
1 tbsp x Balti Masala paste (Pat Chapman recipe)

Grind Garlic and Ginger into a paste with a little water
Add coconut with the spices.

Heat all oil on highest heat.

Fry garlic/ginger paste till brown.

Fry onion, and whole chiles for 30 seconds

Add tomato paste

Fry Coconut / spice mix for a minute.

Add precooked chicken breast (let some of the tomatoes come in as well)

Add base sauce bit by bit to keep temp high, only adding more once oil
is seperating. Keep doing till all base has been added.

Add chopped coriander, and chopped tomato.

Heat balti till it starts smoking, and put the hot curry in straight away and serve
while it is smoking and sizzling.

Chile Paste

50 x Dried Red Chiles.

Soak in warm water for 30 mins.

Put all the soaked chiles in blender, and blend enough of the water
to get a medium paste consistancy.

Regridgerate.

Tomato precooked chicken

2 x Chicken Breasts - cut into bite sized pieces
1 x Tin of chopped tomato (blended)
1 tbsp x Balti Masala paste
2 tsp x Paprika
1 tsp x Tumeric
2 tsp x Chile Paste (as above)
1 x Garlic Clove
1 tsp x Cumin Seeds
2 tbsp x Oil

Add powdered spices with Chile paste (add some more water if needed)


Heat oil on highest heat

Add Cumin seeds

Add garlic and fry till brown

Add spice paste and fry for a minute

Add Chicken and seal.

Add blended tomatos. Bring to boil and simmer until chicken is tender.

Madras Masala

6 tsp x Paprika Powder
6 tsp x Coriander Powder
8 x Peppercorns
4 x Bay Leaves
20cm Cinnamon (Not cassia)
12 x Cloves
2 tsp x Cumin Powder
2 tsp x Poppy Seeds
1 tsp x Fennel Seeds

Roast each as nessessary, grind all together, and store in airtight container.

Yeah I imagine Pat Chapman was using Ajwain as well.