Jump to Recipe
This chicken balti recipe will get you restaurant quality results.
I first learned to make chicken Balti at a restaurant called Shababs in Birmingham’s Balti Triangle.
This is the recipe I learned that day and it is the chicken Balti I make most often and also teach at my cookery classes.
It’s the real deal unlike so many chicken Balti recipes out there.
Chicken balti cooked in an authentic stainless steel balti bowl.
One of the key ingredients in a true chicken Balti is the Balti bowl itself.
You can cook this chicken balti in any pan and it will still be delicious.
That said, part of going out for a balti is experiencing having your curry served to you sizzling hot in the same balti bowl it was cooked in.
I recommend picking up a couple of Balti bowls if you want that experience. They aren’t expensive and can be purchased right here from the Birmingham Balti Bowl Company.
I am not affiliated with them but highly recommend their product.
Use a real Balti bowl to cook this chicken Balti and you will love being able to experience an authentic Balti at home.
Most chicken Baltis served at restaurants are not actually Baltis.
Unfortunately, these days most Baltis are not cooked the way they should be.
They are still delicious but the presentation is all wrong. Most chefs cook their Baltis in a regular frying pan and then serve the curry in an ornamental Balti pan.
As I said above, you could do this too. But just think about that sizzling hot chicken Balti you could be dining from if you use a real stainless steel Balti bowl.
How I got to know Balti…
Andy Munro is one of the leading experts on all things Balti. You can read more about him and the Birmingham balti scene right here.
I met up with Andy recently and he showed me his Birmingham, Balti Birmingham.
We visited all of his favourite Balti restaurants and Shababs was one of them. That opened my eyes to the real thing. A good chicken Balti is a work of art.
Make it as it should be and you will be in Balti heaven!
The base sauce
The slow cooked base curry sauce is another of the most important ingredients in a true chicken Balti. It’s easy to make and one of my recipes is here.
My site features many recipes that call for the base curry house style sauce.
The smooth base is one of the things that makes a British curry, British. If you want that famous flavour and texture, you’ve got to make the base!
Can I make a Balti without making the base sauce?
Yes and no. In order to get a Balti right, the base sauce must be used. You can still make a delicious curry without it as I show in my chicken Balti from scratch recipe here.
Baltis should be quite thick when served. Perfect for soaking up with hot naans.
Pre-cooked meat
Another important ingredient in an authentic chicken Balti is pre-cooked chicken.
In my chicken Balti from scratch recipe I cooked the chicken from raw. It works but adding pre-cooked chicken such as my tandoori chicken or stewed chicken will get you superior results.
Cooking the chicken first adds another layer of delicious flavour.
The tandoori method gives an amazing flavour of smoky, marinated and grilled chicken. The meat juices can also be added to the sauce.
The stewed chicken option offers succulently cooked chicken with lots of sauce you can add with your base sauce.
Here I used tandoori chicken in my Balti. It was amazing!
Dig in!
If you like this chicken Balti recipe, you might like to try some of these favourites too…
Chicken Balti from Scratch
Aubergine Balti
Balti Dhal Fry
Yield: 1 - 2
CHICKEN BALTI
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or ghee
- 1/4 medium onion - finely chopped
- 1 tomato - diced
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 2 fresh green bird's eye chilli peppers
- 1/2 large green or red pepper roughly chopped
- 2 - 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbs tandoori masala
- Curry Base Sauce
- 2 tsp Mixed powder
- 225g (1/2 lb) - tandoori chicken
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan or balti pan over high heat.
- Toss in the chopped onion and allow to fry for about 3 minutes or until the onion is beginning to turn soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir to combine. About 30 seconds should do the job. You just want to cook off the rawness.
- Spoon in the tandoori masala and curry powder.
- Now add the green chillies, bell peppers, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Give this all a good stir to combine.
- Add about half of the base curry sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Throw in the chicken pieces and top as needed with more base sauce. Remember, Baltis are quite dry curries so don't add too much. If you do, you could always cook it down.
- Simmer for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is heated through. Stir in more base sauce as needed.
- Add the cider vinegar and simmer for another minute.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the coriander into the curry and season with salt and pepper to taste and then add the lime juice.
Did you like this recipe?
Please join me on Facebook where I share all my latest recipes and videos. Just click that Facebook icon on the left and let's get to know each other!
I hope you enjoy this chicken Balti recipe. If you do try it, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
FAQs
Ingredients: Mustard Powder, Coriander, Salt, Cumin, Fenugreek, Fennel, Cardamom, Cassia, Onion Powder, Paprika, Caraway, Chilli Powder, Cinnamon, Ginger, White Pepper, Turmeric, Rusk: Wheat Flour (calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), Salt; Spice Extracts (Turmeric, Paprika, Coriander, Cumin, Garlic), Nutmeg, ...
What is the spice level of Balti curry? ›
Most standard baltis however are cooked to a medium level of spice, hotter than a korma or a pasanda, but less spicy than a jalfrezi or madras. Restaurants are usually flexible however, and you can ask them to dial the spice up or down if you prefer, or choose one of the other traditional styles.
What is the difference between a curry and a Balti? ›
Curries are usually made in regular pots, while Balti curry is made in a special pan called a “balti.” Also, Balti curry has a mix of spices and ingredients, and it's often served right from the pan it was cooked in, which makes it different from other curries.
What is chicken balti made of? ›
Our stuffed to the brim Chicken Balti pie uses white & dark chicken with a creamy coconut & tomato sauce. With notes of mango chutney & mild curry spices, this pie is perfect for warming the senses.
Is Balti curry the same as curry powder? ›
About this balti masala…
Curry powders were introduced to the UK as a way of quickly and easily making curries at home. They are still used a lot in Indian restaurants and the best are homemade. This balti masala is really just a curry powder and it is so versatile.
What does balti mean in curry? ›
Balti is the term used for cast iron round-bottomed wok, also called karahi - the utensil in which the curries are cooked. To recreate the traditional Balti-style dishes, most restaurants serve in a wide-mouthed shallow or deep flat-bottomed skillet.
What is the closest curry to a Balti? ›
The Karahi curry is a spicy dish and is a particular favourite in Northern India and Pakistan. It is related to the Balti and Jalfrezi as all of them are stir fried dishes. A Karahi is actually the name for a type of Indian iron round bottomed wok in the same way that a Balti is a flat bottomed metal dish too.
What does Balti mean in Indian? ›
The word is found in Hindustani, Odia, and Bengali, and means "bucket". The word developed from the Portuguese balde, meaning bucket or pail, and traveled to the Indian subcontinent via the Portuguese seafaring enterprises of the early 16th century.
Is a Balti curry healthy? ›
The combination of both spices, allium vegetables and tomatoes used in a typical Balti, gives the dish some fantastic health giving properties! Balti's are particularly good for boosting your body's natural immunity and fighting off colds, thanks to the beneficial ingredients onions, turmeric, paprika and garlic.
What makes Balti dishes special? ›
One of the things that makes a balti a balti is the stainless steel pan or balti bowl is it cooked in. These can be amazing as the curry is served in the same pan it is cooked in. Sizzling hot and delicious.
Karahi. Karahi dish is similar to a balti, and so can sometimes be interchanged with balti recipes. The most well known karahi dish is made with chicken and hails from Northern India.
Is Balti an authentic Indian dish? ›
There are suggestions that it comes from Baltistan, a town in Northern Pakistan, while others claim that it was first served in Adil's restaurant in 1977 in Sparkbrook in Birmingham, which lays foundations to what was later known as the Balti triangle.
What Flavour is a Balti curry? ›
The Balti curry itself is a fusion of traditional South Asian flavours and cooking techniques with influences from British cuisine. It typically consists of marinated meat (such as chicken, lamb, or beef) cooked with a blend of spices, including cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili.
Where does Balti Curry originated from? ›
According to some sources, the style of cooking originated in the Baltistan region of Northern Pakistan. Others say the name actually comes from the Urdu word for bucket, referring to the wok-like pot in which Baltis are commonly served.
What are the active ingredients in curry powder? ›
Curry powders usually consist of turmeric, cumin, ginger, and black pepper. Some blends also incorporate garlic and cinnamon.
What are the spices in Balti paste? ›
Ingredients
- 5 tblsp coriander seeds.
- 3 tblsp powdered cumin.
- 2 cinnamon sticks.
- 1 dried chilli or 2 fresh chilli (or if you must 1 tsp chilli powder)
- 2 tspn mustard seed.
- 2 tspn fennel seed.
- 3 tspn cardamom seed.
- 1 tspn fenugreek seed.
Balti spices such as, cardamom and black pepper are all thought to ease digestion problems. Three common Balti ingredients – garlic, onion and chili peppers – have been found to help reduce high cholesterol levels.
What is the difference between a Balti and a normal dish? ›
Balti is a deep dish in which the food is prepared. The curry differs from normal curries because the exotic collection of fresh spices and herbs are used, creating a thicker richer and distinctive flavour. All balti dishes are freshly made and can be prepared mild, medium, hot or very hot.
