Chicken Balti

prep time: 10 MINUTES
cook time: 50 MINUTES
total time: 1 HOUR
This chicken balti recipe is a chicken curry recipe that screams of its home town, Birmingham in the UK and it is a recipe that gives me a true taste of home!

Ingredients

For the Balti Sauce:

• 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
• ½ Red Pepper
• 4 Cloves Garlic
• 15g (½ Thumbnail Sized Piece) Ginger
• 3 Red Chilli Peppers
• 1 Tbsp Mustard Oil
• 6 Curry Leaves
• ½ Tsp Onion Seeds
• ½ Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tsp Ground Corriander Seeds
• 3 Cardamom Pods
• 2 Cloves
• ½ Tsp Ground Turmeric
• ¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1 Tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
• 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
• 250ml (1 Cup) Water
• ¼ Tsp Salt

For the Curry:

• 400g (14oz) Chicken Thighs
• 1 Tbsp Ghee
• 50g (⅓ Cup) Onion
• ½ Red Pepper
• 1 Medium (100g) Tomato
• 125ml (½ Cup) Water
• ½ Tsp Salt
• ½ Tbsp Jaggery
• ½ Tbsp Garam Masala
• ½ Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves

Instructions

1. Cut the onion for the gravy base into a 1cm (1/2″) dice.
2. Cut the the half of the red pepper for the gravy into a 1.5-2cm (1/2-3/4″) dice.
3. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger.
4. Pick the tops from the red chilli peppers.
5. Heat the oil for the gravy in a wok over a high heat and when it is hot add the onion, red pepper and red chilli peppers and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until everything gets a nice colour.
6. Throw in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two taking care not to burn the garlic.
7. Turn the heat down to low-medium then add the curry leaves, onion seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods and cloves and cook for two minutes.
8. Add the turmeric, nutmeg, and fenugreek leaves and cook for another minute stirring continuously.
9. Add the tomato puree and turn the heat up to high and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. Pour in the water and vinegar and add the salt, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
11. Transfer the gravy to a blender and blitz to a smooth sauce.
12. Cut the remaining half of the red pepper into a 1cm dice.
13. Cut the onion for the curry into a 5mm dice.
14. Cut the tomato into 8 wedges, then cut the wedges in half.
15. Cut the chicken into 2cm (3/4″) cubes.
16. Clean out the wok and heat it over a high heat and when it is hot add the ghee.
17. If you are planning to serve it in hot balti bowls add them to a fiercely hot oven now!
18. When the ghee has melted add the onion and red pepper and stir fry for 2 minutes.
19. Throw in the chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
20. Add the tomato and cook for a minute.
21. Add the blended sauce to the wok along with the water and stir to combine.
22. Add the jaggery, garam masala, salt and dried fenugreek and cook over a high heat until the chicken is cooked, which will take 5-7 minutes.
23. Transfer to a hot “Balti” dish and garnish with coriander.