I don't think any of the bases on this site qualify as a "Balti" base, though, right? What if you want something else?

I'd really like a copy of this book for the Balti recipes but it's entirely unavailable in Germany. Does anyone have a scan of it? I'd be happy to buy it but it's simply not available :/

I really gotta try a Chasni sometime. Thanks bigboaby!

Baking soda as leavening agent only works in connection with an acid, such as citric acid from lime juice or lactic acid from yoghurt. A certain ratio of baking soda to acid must be met for best results.

Baking powder is sort of of an Instant Baking soda because it's a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar, which is basically wine acid. Plus, maybe some preservatives sometimes.

The yeast you have is a dry yeast. It might be Active Dry Yeast or Instant Dry Yeast, I don't know what's more common in the UK. Over here the powdered stuff is Active Dry Yeast. For most intents it doesn't make any difference (there's a negligable amount of difference in the way they should be dosaged but it really only applies to very sensitive doughs). There's also fresh yeast (aka cake yeast) which I often use for baking. There's also champagne yeast, ale yeast and so on but the latter are only available in specialty shops.

The reason why some recipes call for a combination of baking soda or baking powder *and* (fresh or dry 'baking') yeast might be because both react at different times and/or temperatures. Some recipes even include baking soda and baking powder, which seems a little redundant, but maybe there's a lot of acid in the dough.

To answer your question - yes, both seem fine to me

Netik, how about you ask which region the dishes are from next time you go there? Here in Germany, the restaurant owners are usually very friendly (even if the food sucks) and they're happy to talk about origins of dishes, ingredients and so on.