Hi TS

LOL Fried is indeed right. It seems like you are trying to crack the toughest nut of them all. I personally as recently posted on the said 3 balties topic absolutely love the results from the Kushi balti book. But I don't think anyone else is convinced that it's the real McCoy. You could do a lot worse though. Give it a try.

Right that's it I'm going to have to take a trip up to the triangle soon and see what the fuss is about. If the kushi book doesnt produce the genuine artical then true balties are clearly a different animal to what I get from my local Shimla Peppers.. Is Adils the place to go then fellas?

I was in my nearest Wing Yip supermarket the other day buying a wok and I noticed they had some HUGE prawns in the freezer. I suppose any oriental supermarket could potentially sell a similar product. May be worth you looking into perhaps?

Cheers Stephen. 

Quote from: jb on March 14, 2014, 08:46 AM
Looking good,I've always liked the Kushi book.I know some haven't had much success but I've made some lovely curries from it.Never worked out though what makes it a specific 'balti' recipe book,they just look like standard BIR recipes to me.Nice looking naans as well,I must get round to trying them.
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People on here have mentioned baltis tasting "floral". Do all standard baltis from the triangle contain kewra water or is that just the speciality dishes? 

Ps thanks for all your comments.

Mike

Quote from: ajb225 on March 12, 2014, 11:54 AM
Hi all,

I sometimes find a batch of base can turn too dark and sweet after a few hours or a day. I presume this is because of my low skill level, as a good chef produces consistent results. However can anyone enlighten me as to why a base that is nicely spiced, golden yellow in colour and mellow in taste could turn into a reddish brown and overly sweet concoction overnight?

My first guess is that the base is over cooked, but I have found that sometimes a freshly cooked base left to cool is excellent, then a few hours later it tastes like a bag of sugar has been poured into the batch along with a very dramatic colour change?

Thanks,
Andrew

You say the base tastes different the longer you leave it but is there any difference in taste in the finished dish? I would have thought (to an extent of course) the sweetness from the onions could produce a better curry.

Also presuming your not having curry every night for days on end (although I reckon some on here must do!) Why not use what you want when it's freshly made and then quickly portion the rest off into plastic takeaway containers and freeze it for later currying sessions. Just a thought but maybe this could prevent it from "turning"?

Mike

Having read the Kushi balti house mentioned at the start of the thread I thought it might be of some interest to post the results of last Sunday's dinner. I was bought the Authentic Balti Curry Book for my birthday the other week and what a corker it is. Despite living not too far from the balti triangle I still haven't actually been for a curry there so I can't say for certain if I have ever had a "proper" balti. That said the ones I have had elsewhere I have really enjoyed and have always had a preference for those over say madras and jalfrezi etc.

I made up the kushi spice, the pre cooked chicken, the gravy and followed the instructions for the most basic curry recipe in the book. Final dish recipes just don't come any simpler. What I achieved was exactly what I have been looking for since I began my takeaway curry quest. The aroma, the colour, the texture of the sauce, the taste, everything was the same as I have had from a TA. Rich, deeply savoury and extremely moreish, I just couldn't believe the results and not a jar of Patak's anywhere to be seen!

I made the base with Dutch onions which I believe give superb results and "singed" the Kushi spice very gently in the oil before adding the tomatoes etc which I have recently discovered makes a big difference in achieving the taste. You know when the spices are done because you can feel your sinuses burning! Contrary to the recipe I added a second ladle of base to the pan. Having had a crafty mid-cook taste I decided the spices were too strong and the sauce too dry for that stage of the cooking. I think that made an infinite improvement on the prescribed recipe. In fact so much so that I thought there must have been a publishing error and someone had left out "Ladle No.2" from the recipe before going to print. Served with H4ppy Chris's superb naans and the fried rice from another present from the inlaws More Takeaway Secrets by Kenny McGovern.

I am aware curry portions look a bit on the measly side but I reduced the sauce down bhuna style. (Plus my daughter was over so had to split three ways.) I really like a dryer curry when eating with naans as I find it is easier to scoop. No forks allowed here! Also please excuse the picture quality. iPads in artificial light take worse pictures than my crapberry! Anyway absolutely beautiful curry and 100% authentic (at least as far as my local TAs go!)

My first pictorial post so go easy on me! 

Mike

Hi Meggeth

I just used oil in mine to be honest. Give it a whirl. When I discovered it I very nearly cleaned out the pan and started again as it smelled slightly too far gone but as it was late at night I couldn't be bothered. I'm glad I didn't. I wondered afterwards if the burning was the key and then I read chewy's signature on the bottom of one of his posts and that's when the penny dropped...

No worries Gav.

To be honest I can only assume the rice I'm trying to recreate is what takeaways describe as 'special fried' it's a dark yellow, oily, spicey and garlicky and very tasty.

I looked at this curryhell one when I did a quick search before posting and I'm not sure. I don't think the one I've had contains egg either. It was such a long time ago that I bought some that I can't remember the exact detail. Just that it was dark, had bits of other stuff in it and tasted out of this world.

Regards

Hi Gav

I'm after more an Indian TA rice rather than Chinese to be honest.

Cheers