Chicken Balti, the British Curry

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Introduction

Chicken Balti is a British Pakistani fusion curry. It is often something I will order when I eat out. Ironically, it it is not a dish that is known very well in Pakistan, and that is because the curry originated in the UK. Over time, this curry has now emigrated over to big cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. Being a British Pakistani myself, it only seemed right to feature the recipe on my website! Its bold flavours and hearty nature.

Why make Chicken Balti

I particularly like making this curry due to how quickly you can cook it. Chicken ordinarily cooks quickly, and this curry does not require the typical bhunning of the masala base, which you usually need a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes of alone. This makes is another great weeknight curry in my book.

It’s also a versatile dish, you can throw in any veggies. I quite like to add in a chopped green capiscum/ pepper or spinach. You can also cook a balti with any meat, lamb is probably the next most commonly cooked version of the dish in the UK.

You normally would make this dish in a flat bottomed wok, however a saucepan will also work just as well. It’s also another one pot dish, so less washing to do at the end which I always like.

Chicken Balti is traditionally served in a Balti dish, a type of flat-bottomed wok with small handles that originated in the Indian subcontinent. I have to admit that I recently bought one in a main stream supermarket! I could not resist adding this authentic serving dish to my range. It definitely adds to the dining experience seeing the Balti served in the traditional flat bottomed wok. It’s as if my guests are eating in a Pakistani restaurant, well this is what I tell myself!

I would serve the curry with roti or naan. You could also serve it with rice if you prefer. However I prefer my curries to be saucier with rice, and a balti should be on the dryer side of things. But it’s really down to you personal preference.

History of Chicken Balti

So earlier I touched on the origins of this dish being from the UK rather than Pakistan. The dish is thought to have actually originated from Birmingham in the 1970s or 1980s. I have to say I was slightly surprised to hear it originated in Birmingham, perhaps I am biased in thinking all good curries come from Bradford! Either way, this dish really is evidence that curry is now very much considered part of British culture.

Over time, the curry has been evolved. Some recipes may include cream or yogurt for richness, while others may focus on a lighter, tomato-based sauce. I have added yoghurt to this recipe.

I never ate this curry at home growing up. However, we would often order this curry when we went to eat out (yes we ate curry at home, and when we went out to eat, we would go to a curry house!) I just loved the rich flavour of a Balti, sometimes we would order a range of Balti’s to make the most of our Balti eating experience!

My take on the dish

I have used chicken thigh in my recipe, I find chicken breast can dry out on cooking, where as leg, in particular thigh stays moist and succulent. However as this dish cooks so quickly, you could alternatively, use chicken breast. If you prefer chicken on the bone, feel free to add a medium whole chicken to the recipe.

If you use chicken on the bone, just cook it for a few more minutes to ensure it’s cooked thoroughly. I particularly love this this chicken curry because of the speed in which you can make the curry and flavour is not compromised at all in the process. This makes it a great option for a weeknight curry you can whip up easily after a hard days work. I also throw in a green pepper (capsicum) just to bulk up the curry and add some vegetable content. It works very well this the dish. Serve this curry with some of my spicy sweetcorn, for the ultimate fusion meal.

See my video on Instagram or TikTok to see how to make this dish!

Ingredients for Chicken Balti

Serves 6

Time 40 minutes

• 1kg chicken thigh, skinned and cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil (or any other you prefer)
• 3 medium onions roughly chopped (I use a food processor for speed, be careful not to over process)
• 3 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 2.5cm/ 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 black cardamom pods
• 5 black peppercorns
• 3/4 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1.5 heaped teaspoon of finely chopped ginger (I use a mini food processor for speed, be careful not to over process)
• 1.5 heaped teaspoon of finely chopped garlic (I use a mini food processor for speed, be careful not to over process)
• 1.5 teaspoons of chilli powder (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon of paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala
• 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• 2 heaped of tablespoons of natural yoghurt
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander

Method

1. Firstly, heat the oil on medium heat in a large sauce pan (or flat bottomed wok if you have one) and fry the onions until they are golden brown. This will take around 12 minutes.

2) Then add the chopped tomatoes and stir through.

3) Add in the cinnamon stick, cardamoms, peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, garam masala, chilli powder, paprika, and salt. Lower the heat and again stir through, let it cook together for 3 minutes.

4) Next add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until the chicken is coated in the spices and the chicken has browned. Then add the yoghurt to the pan and stir through thoroughly.

5) Lower the heat and cover the pan with the lid, let the chicken cook for around 12-15 minutes. Keep checking the pan and stirring as regular intervals. You will need to check the chicken is not sticking to the pan.

6) Finally, add the lemon juice, fresh coriander and serve with naan or chapatis!