If you like a good prawn balti, you’re going to love this recipe.
Balti curries like this prawn balti are pretty straight forward and can be made in minutes. If you’re looking for that restaurant quality prawn balti flavour, you’ll get it with this recipe.
I like to serve this recipe with homemade naans. In fact I always have a little naan dough at the ready in the fridge so I can treat myself when I feel I deserve it.

Great served with hot naan, chapati or paratha.
For those of you who are not familiar with baltis, they are usually quite dry and are meant to be eaten without cutlery. Just dip a hot naan in and go for it.
Step by step photos…

Fry the chopped onion in a balti bowl over high heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the ajwain.

Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for about 30 seconds.

Now add the ground spices and give it all a good stir.

Swirl in the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.

Add a ladle of base sauce and the green chillies.

Throw in the coriander and stir well.

Stir in the cream and tamarind concentrate and bring to a simmer.

To finish, add the cooked prawns, season with salt to taste and add lime juice to taste.
If you like this prawn balti, you might like to try some of these popular baltis too…
Chicken balti
Chicken balti no base
Duck and mushroom Balti
Duck Jalfrezi balti
Chicken and chickpea balti

Serve flaming hot right from the pan.
Dig in!
Prawn Balti

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp ajwain
- 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp basar curry powder OR
- 1 tbsp mixed powder
- 70ml (1/4 cup) tomato puree
- 250ml (1 cup) heated base curry sauce
- 2 green bird's eye chillie, slit down the middle
- 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 2 tbsp single cream
- Juice of one lime
- 250g (9 oz) cooked prawns
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the ghee or oil in a balti bowl over high heat. When hot, add the chopped onion and fry for about three minutes.
- Sprinkle in the ajwain. Be careful not to add to much. It has a very strong flavour.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for about 30 seconds and then stir in the ground spices.
- Cook the ground spices in the sauce for about 30 seconds and then add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in one ladle of the base sauce. Remember, baltis are thick curries so add more if needed but not too much.
- Add the green bird's eye chillies, tamarind and cream. Then stir in the coriander (cilantro). Taste the sauce and add lime juice to taste.
- To finish, stir the cooked prawns into the sauce and season with salt to taste.
Danny jones
Saturday 2nd of April 2022
Hi
I’m just wondering how many people this recipe serves? I’m looking at cooking for 4
Kind regards
Danny
Dan Toombs
Monday 4th of April 2022
The recipe serves 2-4 so I would double it as a main meal. Thanks Dan
John
Monday 17th of April 2017
Dan, no mention of vinegar or chilli pepper type/quantity in ingredients. Cheers, J.