Basic Balti Sauce Recipes

HOME MADE BALTI SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the onions, ginger and garlic. Chop the onions in slices, the garlic in small pieces and grate the ginger
• In a saucepan, add the oil and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop, add the curry leaves, onions, ginger and garlic. Keep stirring and make sure the garlic doesn't get burnt or it will ruin the taste of the sauce.
• In a separate hot griddle or frying pan, lightly toast the spices: cinnamon, ground coriander, turmeric, paprika, garam masala, ground cumin and chilli powder together. Keep the heat low and keep moving them with a wooden spoon until you get the fragrance of the spices. Remove the mixture in a bowl and allow to cool.
• Once the onions, garlic and ginger mixture is cooked, add the spice mixture and lower the heat.
• Now add the tomatoes with one cup of hot water. Also add the salt, lemon juice and cardamom seeds and allow this to simmer on a low heat.
• Once the sauce has thickened and looks rich, take it off the heat and allow to cool.
• Once cooled, remove the curry leaves and use a hand-blender to make it smooth.

BASIC BALTI SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Fry the onions, ginger and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add the tomato and stir-fry, breaking it up with the spoon. Pour in 300 ml / ½ UK pint water, and stir in the other ingredients. Bring to the boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour into a blender or food processor and liquidize. (Note: this is only one formula of thousands possible. There's no more a single recipe for Balti sauce than there's a single recipe for chili. Some cooks like more garlic, some more chili powder; some use fresh chilies as well: some add yogurt, coconut, cream. you name it.)

BALTI SAUCE - BASIC SAUCE FOR ANYTHING GOES CURRY

Steps:

• Measure out the 8 spices into a bowl (first 8 ingredients). If using fresh chilis then leave those out for now. Warm up a large skillet or pot (ideally cast iron) and bring to med-high heat. Gently roast the spices in the dry skillet -- watching the mixture doesn't burn, keep stirring. After about a minute it will become fragrant and begin to get dark - take it off the heat and pour back into the bowl - set aside.
• Put the skillet back on the heat, add in the oil and bring back to medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook thru until translucent. Once the onion is cooked, add in the ginger and garlic and mix well - watching the garlic doesn't burn. Next add the spice mixture back in, followed by the tinned tomatoes.
• Mix in about 1 cup of water - you want a thick sauce, but not too paste-like. Add in the salt, bay leaves and cardamom seeds.
• Grate the zest off of the lemon, add to the pot, along with the juice from 1/2 of the lemon. Save the other half for later, you may want to add more. Let it all simmer on medium-low.
• For a nice smooth sauce, remove the bay leaves and blend until smooth (an immersion blender works well).