Baba G’s – Crazy Lamb Jalfrezi DIY

The Crazy Lamb Jalfrezi burger was my least exciting DIY Kit delivery to come through the house this year. Although I just had to try it, I didn’t have the same excitement that I have when I have ordered more familiar offerings. I was completely wrong on judgement about this Burger, it was adventurous, fun and my taste buds were thrown all over the place in an Indian-infused burger DIY.

This DIY kit came with a ton of ingredients that just had the mouth salivating reading the instruction card. A combination of Indian-infused ingredients to make a Burger that had me in a confused stupor. I have never in my life tried a Burger that had so many obscure components to the status quo of burgers, let alone cooked one!

The Bun: 18/20

This was a: Black seed and onion brioche bun! Yep, the mind boggles. Another thing to note about these buns was the sheer size of them, they were huge buns much bigger than I have had of late. On first look, the thickness of the bun threatened to be too filling on bread in my eyes. I like a big Burger but having a burger bun that completely soaks the moisture and limits the amount of flavour extracted from the components is something I really hate. Thank goodness, this bun did not do any of that. It was toasted to my version of perfection, still fluffy inside but toasted enough to give a layer of protection to what was about to happen between the sheets! Baba G’s did well on the bun that’s for sure.

The Toppings: 6/10

Chilli Pickle. Wow, the pickle was out of this world! It was fiery hot with an amazing flavour that just absolutely complimented the condiments. I cannot stress that these pickles were hot and they could damage a pallet that is not used to heat.

Now, an area that really let this burger down, there was no salad mix. On the instructions we were supposed to have been given a salad mix to go on the bottom layer of the burger and this did not happen. The suppliers of the DIY Kit, no doubt, will have to own the blame for this but irrespective this oversight cost scoring in this category.

The Condiments: 10/10

For me, this blend of condiment flavour has to be the best I have tried this year. I am a fan of Burger Sauce, of Mustard and in particular the Burger and Beyond Burnt Butter Mayo. Please allow me to really put this in perspective… Indian-infused! I did not really know what to expect and whether or not the condiments could compete in a space where my pallet is trained to go after the complimenting condiments we see with our great beef patties. Mango Ketchup, Tamarind and Fresh Mint Riatha. Seeing these on the instruction card meant nothing to me. Then it all began to make sense.

The Mango Ketchup gave a sweetness that layered off the rest with a counterbalance to the mounds of pickle that I had put inside this burger. It was astonishing that with the level of the heat my tongue was contesting with I was able to find pleasure with this ketchup interacting with the taste buds, almost confusing the mind. The Tamarind I liked because it was nostalgic. I am a fan of Rendang, which is a reduction curry from South East Asia, which has Tamarind as one of its primary components. Then, this Mint Riatha was phenomenal. It was able to give the “look” in this burger that was so pleasing but it certainly was not just there to top off the burger. It was not a heavy mint, that I almost expected, instead it offered a subtle balance to the other condiments that quelled the heat of the pickle to an extent and heightened the flavour of the lamb.

The Cheese or Onion Bhaji!: 10/20

Replacing our beloved cheese was the onion bhaji. To be quite honest, it was average. I have had onion bhajis a few times and usually they are quite strong in flavour and have to be mixed with something. I thought that this burger would be a perfect opportunity to taste some heavy onion balancing out the other components in the burger. I thought the bhaji was pretty bland and although the texture did offer a nice crunch with each bite it did not do anything in the stack for ‘taste’.

The Patty: 12/20

160g Lamb Bhangra patty was placed between the buns. The actual timing on the instruction for the cook is perfect. I went for a medium cooked lamb patty and was excited to taste that strong lamb flavour in between two buns and with these other amazing components inside of the stack. Unfortunately the lamb was slightly above average for me. I saw the name bhangra and expected well spiced, well seasoned lamb that has become so synonymous with Indian cooking. The patty was a nice texture, soft and tender inside yet chargrilled on the outer layer but the flavour itself was not there for me.

The Taste: 18/20

All in all the taste was immense. The condiments were phenomenal, well supported by a well textured lamb and great buns. Genuinely, I feel that the salad would have made a difference in this stack and it was noticeable that it was missing. Irrespective, with condiments like the Mint Riatha and the Mango Ketchup in the mix my taste buds were pretty forgiving in this category! We have had some pretty brilliant homemade sauces from restaurants, should check out some of the others that are strong, Cheeky Burger for one to mention.

Our Verdict: 74/100

Baba G’s Crazy Lamb Jalfrezi is a different proposal in the burger space and I can honestly say that it is certainly worth trying. The fun with the stack is something that was not quite as methodical as some of the other DIY Kits that I have tried. I think, had the salad been with the delivery, it would have been a higher scoring and if the bhaji had just a touch more flavour the Crazy Lamb Jalfrezi would be up there in the 80s. I couldn’t help but think, later in the evening, what a spicy cheese could do in this burger rather than the onion bhaji and that could be a little ‘hack’ that I offer myself later on in the year for fun!