Topic: Balti Lamb Madras

[Kashmiri Bob]

Pre-cook under way



Adapted Mick's Birmingham Balti spicing/method for this.  So, 2 medium onions, 1/4 green green pepper, 1/4 red pepper, 1 tsp salt.  1 kg mutton shoulder on the bone; small pieces.  Mick's Akhni stock (replaced 4 of the green cardamom with black cardamom).  Mick's spice mix to spec including 2 tsp chilli powder.  Plenty chopped coriander.  Cooked on low heat lid on for about 3 hours, after which the meat comes easily off the bone.  Ended up a fairly dry finish.

By itself, tasted spectacular.  I have had this quandary before with pre-cooks.  They can turn out so tasty that adding a base gravy to them does not improve the dish, indeed quite the opposite.  But, in my opinion, Mick's Balti gravy is clearly no ordinary base.  Couldn't see any issues adding spectacular to spectacular, so to speak.  One thing I did notice straightaway though was that the pre-cook chilli powder needs to be reduced.  Thinking 1/4 tsp next time, or left out completely. 

Balti on the bubble



Mick's basic Balti method, to spec, except for a pinch of salt in with the onions at the start.

Done



Gave another Balti flavour-fest, albeit with a little too much chilli heat.  I never had a Balti Lamb from the Al Frash.  Had a few from Adil's though, which had a wonderful smokey edge (absent from their Balti Chicken).  I am thinking more black cardamons, and some mace.

Not concerned with presentation at the moment.  I'll see if I can find a pressed steel or iron balti dish.  A minute or so under a quartz grill to finish should do the trick.

Rob

Link to Mick's Birmingham Balti recipes:

www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=47533.0     

     

[livo]

Bob, that looks great and lamb is my favourite. Getting a bit pricey even out here though.  The leftover juices from pre-cooks always left me with a bit of a dilemma.  I usually managed to use some and you're correct. Adding good to good seems like a no brainer, and for us it probably is.  In a restaurant though, you don't want everything tasting the same.  Still very hard to discard it though.