Description
Chicken Balti is a bold and comforting British-Indian curry made with tender chicken, warming spices, peppers, tomatoes, and a rich homemade balti sauce. This easy one-pan dinner brings authentic curry-house flavor straight to your kitchen in about an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Balti Sauce
- 1 small-medium onion, diced
- ½ red pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 15g fresh ginger, chopped
- 3 red chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil
- 6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon onion seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 250ml water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Curry
- 400g chicken thighs, cubed
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ red pepper, diced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 125ml water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon jaggery or brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon garam masala
- ½ tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- Fresh coriander for garnish
Instructions
- Heat mustard oil in a wok over high heat. Add onion, red pepper, and chili peppers. Stir fry for 3–4 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
- Lower heat and stir in curry leaves, onion seeds, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cloves. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add turmeric, nutmeg, and fenugreek leaves. Stir continuously for 1 minute.
- Mix in tomato puree and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Pour in water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat ghee in a clean wok over high heat. Add onion and red pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook for 2–3 minutes until lightly browned.
- Stir in chopped tomato and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour the blended balti sauce into the wok with water. Stir well.
- Add jaggery, garam masala, salt, and dried fenugreek leaves.
- Cook over high heat for 5–7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.
Notes
Chicken thighs stay juicier than chicken breast during high-heat cooking.
Adjust the chili peppers for your preferred spice level.
Dried fenugreek leaves add authentic curry-house flavor and aroma.
Serve with naan, flatbread, or basmati rice for the best experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British-Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 676 kcal
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 1408mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 61g
- Cholesterol: 154mg