Quote from: Secret Santa on August 14, 2022, 10:55 AM
I even have my doubts they use raw chicken in anything other than the demo.

I agree. I avoid using raw chicken in any BIR type dish. The flavour of the chicken juices can dwarf the indian spicing and ruin everything. As well as taking far longer to cook than almost any BIR or Balti establishment has the time for.

Quote from: livo on August 14, 2022, 01:45 AM
Surely these are Birmingham Baltis.  If they're not then there is nowhere to go with this discussion.

In my opinion, it's all getting too confusing. I have to wonder why I am even contemplating trying to replicate a dish from Shebabs which I only rated as 'half decent'. There are so many other dishes more worthy of R&D time spent by me. For example, in the late 1980s, the best lasagnes I'd ever tasted came from Spaghetti House in London and a hotel in Lagos, Nigeria.  I managed to devise a lasagne which was probably almost as good as either of these and my satisfaction lasted for decades until I tasted a ragu sauce at a hotel on Malta. This was in a different league and I need to see if I can raise my game. In summary, the Maltese lasagne was far better as a lasagne than Shababs Balti Chicken was as a curry.

Quote from: livo on August 13, 2022, 11:42 PM
Easiest things first, process of elimination, basic problem solving.

Many thanks. I agree with your suggested approach. I missed the curry culture link before and will now take a look.

I wonder if Livo was mistaken in thinking any of the balti recipes under consideration here are 'from scratch' as in without the use of base sauce.

The 'Holy Grail' version uses base sauce as well. Regardless, it may be worth me making both of Mick's versions, and the Misty Ricardo one, too. I will see if any of them taste remotely like the balti chicken dishes I had at Shababs. My recollection is that the 2018 and 2020 versions tasted similar, even though they looked different. I think there was more oil than much evidence of base sauce.

Quote from: livo on August 13, 2022, 12:08 AM
George, I would suggest that before you make either base gravy, you at least once try the Balti cooked from scratch using basic fresh ingredients. The recipes and method shown by Shababs and Rishton chefs are all but identical and I found it to be very quick, easy and affordable as well as producing a nice dish.  You might instantly recognise it as the Shababs Balti you've already tried.

Many thanks. Where can I find the recipe for 'Balti cooked from scratch'? Whose recipe is it?

Quote from: Secret Santa on August 12, 2022, 01:30 PM

Quote from: George on August 11, 2022, 07:47 PMAt present, my priority is to be in a position to move my solar panels for winter.

Careful now. You don't want to go the way of Rod Hull.

I just read that Rod Hull died after falling off the roof of his home while adjusting a TV aerial. No, my solar panels are not on the roof. But I do sometimes walk/crawl around the roof and I always keep hold of a safety rope.

Back to Balti ... I was going to try Misty Ricardo's recipe first but does anyone think Mick's recipe is better? Even if it is better, perhaps Misty's recipe stands a better chance of being like the balti at Shababs.

Quote from: Secret Santa on August 11, 2022, 01:48 PM
Hey George, it's great to know you've sampled the real thing, not once, but twice!
What would be even greater would be if you'd make Mick's version and give some qualified feedback.

I will try to get around to it at some time. At present, my priority is to be in a position to move my solar panels for winter. I have now gone almost 6 months without using any mains electricity. If I can keep it up for 12 months, they will refund the standing charge and not charge me any more, for as long as I can make do without. No way will I be forking out the astronomic figures forecast for energy bills from Spring 2023, like £5K.

Livo - I used the Big Mac as an example of a consistent product because I found it always seems the same wherever I've had one at many locations around the world. But not in Australia which I have never visited. My recollection of the Balti Chicken dishes I had in 2018 and 2020 was that they were both half-decent curries, different to anything I've ever had before or since. It concerns me that Bob had a bad experience and my current position is that I will not bother travelling to Birmingham at all now. For several years running, I camped with my tent quite close to the NEC in October and attended exhibitions such as the Channel 4 spin off 'Grand Designs'. I cycle to the NEC and it was a low cost outing. A Gourmet Society card got me 25% off curries at a BIR in Tamworth and at Shababs. Whereas hotels anywhere near the NEC cost a fortune, the camp site is only about £11 per night. The exhibition tickets are free. But the Tamworth place no longer recognises Gourmet Society and I am not sure about Shababs. Fuel costs for the car have also gone up too much. End of an era, probably, for my October journeys.

And here is a photo of Shebabs Balti chicken which I enjoyed in 2020. But there's no consistency (quality assurance). They look quite different. You'd never get that with a Big Mac, for example - always the same.