MDB’s Birmingham Balti Gravy 100% Clone Al Frash Balti Restaurant and simple Balti Recipie Mk II Simplified Method

This is the same recipe as the MKI recipe but a different methodology.

I have simplified it to a 2 pot affair

For the Gravy you will need:
•   Stick Blender
•   A fine sieve
•   Weighing Scales
•   1 Large Pan with lid for onions approx. 5 litres
•   1 Small/Medium pan with lid for Akhni Stock approx. 1 litre


Ingredients:
100g vegetable oil – not olive oil
1 kg onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
small pinch Ajwain seeds
1/2 green and 1/2 red pepper, chopped
125g fresh carrot, roughly chopped

Whole Spices:
Weigh 55g pieces of cassia bark broken up into 1 inch pieces
5 cloves
10 green cardamom pods cracked
3 star anise
5 tej patta (Indian bay leaves) dried DON’T use normal bay leaves – omit instead

Spice Mix: (rounded teaspoons)
2 tsp Kashmiri Mirch chilli powder (optional)
2.5 tsp coriander powder
1.5 tsp cumin powder
3 tsp turmeric powder
2.5 tsp curry powder
a good pinch kasoori methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)
2 tsp garam masala powder
Large handful fresh coriander roughly chopped
30g peeled fresh garlic
30g peeled fresh ginger
250g of chopped tomatoes

Method:
Take the large pan and add:
100g vegetable oil
1 kg onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1pint cold water
1/2 green and 1/2 red pepper, chopped
125g fresh carrot, roughly chopped

Take 30g peeled fresh garlic
30g peeled fresh ginger
Using a stick blender, blitz 30g garlic and 30g ginger with a small amount of water into an emulsion and
add to the onions along with a small pinch Ajwain seeds (optional)
 
Bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer for 1 hr stirring frequently

While the onions are cooking:

Take:
whole spices,
Drop these into the second pan, along with 1 pint of water and simmer with lid on for an hour stirring occasionally to make an Akhni Stock
After an hour strain the Akhni Stock from the second pan through the fine sieve directly into the large pan of onions
discard the whole spices.
stir well
Add the fresh coriander, the chopped tomato and the powdered spices into the large pan of onions and allow to simmer for five minutes
Blend Well
Add additional water to desired gravy consistency.
The Gravy is now ready to use.
Once cooled, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days without any problem



To make simple balti:
 
No need for additional ground spices or extra salt!

Ingredients:
Cooking Oil - any will do except olive oil
¼ medium onion Finely chopped
¼ medium tomato Finely chopped
Garlic Paste
Roughly chopped fresh coriander (to taste) I use quite a lot
Method:

In a frying pan on medium heat add 1 chef spoon oil
add onion
When just starting to go brown around the edges
add 1/2 tsp minced garlic

Once the spitting has stopped

Add 1/2 large raw chicken breast diced into 1inch cubes (pre-cooked chicken can be used but add after 3rd reduction to avoid overcooking)

Turn up heat

Add 1st ladle gravy

Reduce well until oil starts to separate

Add 2nd ladle gravy

add the chopped tomato
Reduce well until oil starts to separate

Add 3rd ladle gravy, stir in chopped fresh coriander and reduce to desired consistency

finish on low heat until chicken is cooked

Leave to stand for a few minutes and serve with hot naan.

I joined the forum a long time ago with the hope of finding a good balti recipe but have always been very disappointed with the outcome.The same can be said for all the t/a baltis I have tried. Nothing came close to the Holy Grail of a proper Birmingham Balti - my favourite being from a now defunct Al Frash in the famous Balti Triangle - the home of The Balti.

Anyway, without wanting to waffle on and on, Yesterday I was bored and looking for some inspiration, I decided to search the forum for a new base to try and decided to revisit the Kushi "Authentic Balti Curry" Cookbook Base
https://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4283.msg38978#msg38978

I made it almost exactly to spec except I reduced the chilli powder to 0.5 tsp and added 1 tsp salt instead of the 1 tbsp stated. I remembered that when I made the base the first time around, I almost burnt the fresh garlic & ginger puree and added it to the base sauce before I had cooked out the raw garlic taste. Being more experienced this time round some ten years later lol, as soon as it started to catch the bottom of the pan, I added some hot water from the kettle to deglaze the pan and continued to cook it on a lowish heat for a good ten minutes. The recipe states to use 200g chopped tinned tomatoes - which is basically half a tin. (Im pretty sure I added a whole tin first time around). That coupled with the raw garlic taste ruined the base completely for me.
This second time around, I nearly forgot to add the fresh coriander, but remembered just before I blitzed the whole thing. I also added about a pint of water to thin the base down as it was too thick. I left it overnight on the side. (Sorry to be a pain with all this detail, but I wanted to explain exactly as I can, the process that I used as I am so chuffed with the end result!)
This morning at 9am I decided to have a balti breakfast
I took a raw chicken breast and cut it into 3 strips lengthways and then diced it into cubes. I heated a generous heart stopping 2 chef spoons of oil in a pan and added 0.5 tsp minced garlic paste on a medium heat (5 on my induction hob) and when the splattering started to subside I added about half of the diced chicken breast, and kept stirring until it was sealed. I then turned the heat up to 7 (egg frying temp) and added a ladle of the reheated gravy. I reduced it down hard and added another ladle. Gave it a good stir and then left it alone to reduce down again. I then added a third ladle and a generous amount of coarsely chopped coriander. Reduced it to the desired consistency and 10 minutes later from start to finish that was it. Done
I didnt add any extra spices whatsoever  which is why I reduced so heavily to try and maximise the spices in the base and I can honestly say it is by and far one of the best baltis I have ever eaten anywhere ever. It was actually one of the easiest curries I have ever cooked because there was no additional spices to worry about cooking/burning/overdosing etc and has made it an absolute cinch to reproduce time after time. Ive made five tonight and they are all absolutely identical with no variations in taste whatsoever.

Sometimes as they say: less is more

You all really must try it.

For me, The Birmingham Balti is now cracked 100%. It also makes perfect sense to me because as far as I understand; a balti house was originally the equivalent of a roadside cafe/ burger joint where customers could stop and get a quick meal. I could have cooked it in literally half the time with precooked chicken and higher heat but I always cook raw chicken for 10 mins to make sure its cooked through.

As far as I am concerned my mission has finally been accomplished after 16 years

A massive THANK YOU to everyone on this forum who has inspired me over the years XXX


Kindest Regards

Mickdabass 

PS Ive tried to upload photos but failed. I will post some in the next couple of days!!

Serves 1 person
Apologies for the lack of photos. I will put some up soon

Im not a big fan of CTM but have made this lots of times for people that do, and have never had a bad comment.
No complicated "fruit Stews" or Yoghurt infusions to make either 

As always with my recipes there are no Pataks Pastes used so none of those nasty aftertastes either hahaha

Ingredients
1 portion of Chicken Tikka http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5829.0.html
3 ladles of gravy (about 350 ml roughly)
1 tbsp Veg oil or butter ghee (you don

And here it is....

Instead of derailing other threads guys, why not use this one for all your inane drivel.
Its always the same people doing it, so ramble on here instead and leave the other threads alone.
Show some respect to the Original Posters for a change instead of trying to impress us with your "superior" command of the English Language

Ok this is not a bir restaurant recipe but is one that I have been fine tuning for the last couple of years.

Im a big fan of Blades recipe but I never, ever use any pastes.

Ive been a member of this forum quite a long time and this is my first recipe. Hope its been worth the wait lol

Measuring Guide
a teaspoon is the same size as the spoon I use for making a cup of coffee etc 
a tablespoon is the spoon I use to eat my cornflakes with. Some people may call that a desert spoon  :
I have got the proper measuring spoons but dont bother.

I think its more to do with ratios rather than exact measurements

All spoonfulls are heaped

Ingredients

4 large Chicken breasts/ Lamb /fish/prawns etc  diced to the required size
2 tbsp Lemon juice - I use KTC
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp garlic paste -fresh or bottled
2 tsp ginger paste -fresh or bottled
3 tbsp your favourite Tandoori Massala- I use Rajah
1 tsp Garam Massala
Kashmiri Mirch or green finger chilles finely chopped according to taste (optional)
1 tbsp your favourite spice mix - I use BE's ( Coriander / Turmeric / Cumin / Curry Powder 8:7:5:4 parts by volume) http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2815.0
1 tsp dried methi rubbed into a fine powder between finger & thumb
2 tsp mint sauce - I use Colemans vinegar based
1 tsp ground fennel seeds or 1 ground star anise (both optional)
1 tbsp veg oil
Mug full of water yes a whole mug full about 1/3 - 1/2 of a pint?trust me
There is no need to add salt or food colouring  The Tandoori Massala i prefer has plenty

Method

Dice meat ( I cut large chicken breasts into 6) and put into bowl or re-sealable bag
Add garlic and ginger paste and lemon juice
Mix well and leave to stand for 15 minutes
Add all the other ingredients into a jug and stir well. It will have the consistency of tomato soup
Pour onto the meat, mix well and try to ensure all the meat is completely submerged
Leave overnight in the fridge and mix a couple of times over the next 24 hrs to make sure the meat is properly marinated.
The marinade will have thickened up quite a bit by now


notice how most of the marinade has dripped off the meat


Cook the next day using your preferred method- I use my tandoor ;D


Leave cooked Tikka pieces on some kitchen towel while they cool down to absorb the juices
Garnish with fresh chopped  coriander,(optional)

Serve with salad, raita & a wedge of lemon or add to your favourite curry

Enjoy