When I got married that is when I came across bassar, it was widely used by the in-laws. It makes life so much easier using this ready made spice mix! My mother in law makes her own, I have bought many different brands over the years and my favourite is the one pictured.

It is a fairly ‘Hot’ & complete blend, that requires nothing else- though salt can be added to personal tastes. A true balti will be cooked in an authentic Balti bowl and be served hot of the fire in the same bowl. Here we have an alternative to the Misty Ricardo (mark I) base gravy. This one has a savoury feel to it, as it’s more refined and has a touch more of a ‘grown up’ flavour. It has a little less sweetness due to the omission of carrot and coconut, but adds two new vegetables to the pot: celery and white cabbage. Both of these add a pleasant piquancy and provide a nice contrast to the sweetness of onions. Although not essential, a keema balti should be cooked over high heat. For this reason, I like to cook mine on the barbecue but a good gas hob will be close enough. water to the approximate consistency of semi-skimmed milk. The amount stated in the recipes is for the diluted version. Heat the base gravy up before making a curry with it to avoid impairing the cooking process.

Bassar Mix Powder

Boil meat with onions and salt, leave to simmer, with lid on for 25-30 minutes, depending on the meat used until it is tender.

Kashmiri Basaar Curry Powder uses a medium strength chilli and would be classed as producing a medium to slightly hot curry. Please follow the recipe below and let us know what you think: For best results, you should cook your balti in an authentic stainless steel balti bowl. They are now being made in the UK again by The Birmingham Balti Bowl Company.Remove the lid for the final ten minutes to allow gravy to reduce slightly before serving with saffron rice. Al Noor have used traditional spices and herbs to produce an aromatic Bassar Curry Masala. This curry masala is widely used in Asian communities around the world, especially Kashmir and Pakistan. Key to this base is the use of my new bassar mix powder. One of the components of this new mix is bassar curry powder, a commercially available Pakistani spice blend which has a heavier proportion of pungent spices than mild madras curry powder, not least amongst which is chilli powder. Cassia bark (or cinnamon powder) is given the chance to play a minor supporting role – an extra that’s not especially noticeable except by its absence. NOTE: Don’t forget to remove the cassia bark before blending the base. You can use this Bassar Curry Masala in the preparation of various curries. It is a complete mixture which only requires the addition of salt according to individual taste.