A Great British Bake Off contestant has given two thumbs up to a new curry developed in Bolton.
Luis Troyano – a finalist on the 2014 version of the show – described the recipe as ‘delicious’ upon trying it.
The television star was among guests invited to sample the dish – dubbed the Bolti – for the first time at an event part of the Bolton Food and Drink Festival.
The new version has been developed at The Royal Balti House in Bolton to mark forty years since the Balti was created in Birmingham.
Now the new recipe is set to rival the classic favourite, a staple on British curry menus which is enjoyed by thousands of people every week.
Nicknamed the Bolti after the town where it was made, the new recipe features achari pickle and Lancashire Sauce as key ingredients.
According to the restaurant, the sauce – which is made by family firm Entwistle’s of Ramsbottom – takes the dish to a ‘whole different level’.
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Speaking at the event on Thursday, Bake Off star Luis agreed, saying: “It’s got some special ingredients and people should hunt it out.”
Traditionally, Balti curries are cooked in a steel round-bottomed pan and eaten straight from the dish, using naan bread to mop up the sauce.
In Hindi, Urdu and Bengali, Balti means ‘bucket’ and is often used to refer to the pan used to cook the curry.
The Royal Balti House in Farnworth, where the new version was created, has won many awards and until recently was ranked first Indian restaurant in Greater Manchester on TripAdvisor.
The Bolti was created after customers who had tried everything on the menu asked for something ‘bigger and bolder’.
After it proved a hit with locals, manager Keith Meah and chef Anwar Hossein decided it was time to add it to the restaurant’s regular menu.
The recipe – which is more spicy, tangy, and aromatic than the Birmingham original – is now set to be officially launched at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival later this month.
The event runs across the Bank Holiday weekend and features celebrity guests including TV stars Ainsley Harriott and James Martin.
Having sampled the Bolti, Luis has predicted it will be a big hit at the festival.
He said: “Birmingham has always been known as the place to get a Balti, but people need to come to Bolton to try this dish.”