You can make this chicken balti from scratch in no time!
As you can see from the publication date of this chicken Balti recipe, I wrote it quite a few years ago. I recently revisited the recipe as I often do.
I've learned a lot over the years messing about in my kitchen and wanted to give you my updated version. You will love this Balti recipe with naans or chapatis served with a selection of chutneys and raitas! A plain or flavoured rice side is also delicious. Don't forget the samosas!
This chicken Balti was actually one of the first curry house/Balti house recipes I learned while doing recipe research.
I remember very well walking into the restaurant kitchen in Birmingham's Balti triangle to see how it was done and being a bit disappointed.
What do you serve chicken balti with?
If you'd like to make this curry into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of Basmati rice or a flavoured rice.
If you'd like to make naans and/or chapatis, why not try one of these?
Samosas are always good with a chicken balti and you might like to try one or all of these recipes. You might also enjoy homemade fried onion bhajis, baked onion bhajis or air-fryer onion bhajis.
Want to start your chicken balti meal off with a bang? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.
This is how chicken baltis were first made.
Not that I didn't like the chicken Balti that was served to me that day! I loved it. So perhaps I should explain...
The chef that day decided to show me his balti recipe from scratch. Although he used a base sauce for his baltis and added pre-cooked tandoori chicken to the baltis that he served in the restaurant, he thought he should break it down for me.
In hindsight, this was a great idea.
I wanted to learn the actual chicken balti recipe from the restaurant but he assumed I didn't know what that 'secret' base sauce recipe was all about.
He also thought that many of my readers would not want to make a base sauce before starting cooking.
He was right there!
The base sauce...
The curry house base sauce was developed for speed and economy. The thing is, it also makes the curry delicious.
Rather than frying up a large amount of onion and tomatoes and adding water as is done in the following recipe, base sauce is added instead.
This is not only faster but also gives the chicken balti and completely different flavour and a smoother texture.
Many people prefer this chicken balti cooked from scratch. There is a lot less prep work to do and it does taste amazing.
What exactly is a Balti?
Balti curries first became popular in the 70s and 80s.
At the time, many Pakistani run restaurants were finding it difficult to compete with the Bangladeshi run restaurants across town.
These Pakistani restaurants were serving their own neighbourhoods but few others.
The Bangladeshi restaurant chefs were dishing up delicious chicken tikka masalas, Madras and vindaloo curries but the authentic Pakistani curries served at Pakistani restaurants needed forward planning and took a lot longer to get out to the table.
The idea of using small stainless steel pans (Balti Bowls) instead of the more authentic cast iron karahis changed all this. Special Balti bowls were produced the first time.
The hot Balti curries were cooked over high heat and served in the same bowls they were cooked in. The stainless steel pans heated up much faster than cast iron so service was much faster too.
Unfortunately, the company that produced all those Balti bowls went out of business and the manufacture of the bowls was sourced out to India and China.
These imported Balti bowls were inferior in quality and eventually, the Balti craze and the pans became far less popular.
The good news is, the original Balti pans are now, once again produced in the UK and the popularity of authentic Baltis is again on the increase. A true Balti needs to be cooked in a stainless steel Balti pan and served in it, sizzling hot too!
Nowadays, most restaurant chefs cook their 'Baltis' in a normal frying pan and then serve them in an ornamental balti bowl but this, thankfully is changing.
Why should you try this chicken Balti recipe?
The original recipe on this page wasn't cooked in a balti bowl so it really wasn't a Balti. It also served 4 which again, just isn't what Balti cooking is all about.
Here I have downsized the recipe and shown it cooked in an authentic stainless steel Balti bowl. I hope you give it a try but if you would like to make a Balti using the base sauce and pre-cooked meat, you should do that too.
If you would like to try an authentic Balti using a base curry sauce, pre-cooked marinated meat and special spices just like those at the best Balti houses, try my much more recent chicken, mushroom, chickpea, chilli and garlic Balti recipe here.
I think you'll love them both.
Step by Step Photos
Add oil to the hot pan. About 2 - 3 tbsp should do.
When you stir all these ingredients together, you have what is called a base masala.
That is the base of your sauce. It is what you do instead of adding base sauce. Adding base sauce, if you have it is a quicker option. It is also my preferred way to cook a Balti.
Here is the same Balti recipe but using a base sauce.
Balti cooking tips
When you first start cooking baltis, you should cook over medium high heat. That is until you get used to cooking in the small stainless steel Balti bowl which gets really hot fast.
After you've made a few Baltis, you can and should turn the heat up. The sauce will caramelise around the edges of the bowl which adds amazing flavour.
Scrape the caramelised sauce back in for flavour.
Never fill your Balti bowl more than 2/3 of the way up. The curry will cook better if your pan isn't full to the rim.
Plus, this is a curry to serve one to two people so filling it to the rim would be a bit much.
Any more advice?
Yes. Have a kitchen towel nearby.
The balti pan will get very hot. Too hot to handle.
I have seen Baltis on fire when Balti chefs cook. How and why is that done?
Many chefs say they do this to burn off the excess oil. Personally, I think it is more for show.
If you want to do that, it usually happens when the garlic and ginger paste are added to the oil. There is moisture in the paste that flares up when it hits the flaming hot oil.
Doing this would be difficult with this recipe but if you want to give it a try, you should try my authentic balti with base sauce here.
Chicken Balti from Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or ghee
- 1/2 large onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 1/2 inch piece of ginger - grated and finely chopped
- 2 fresh green bird's eye chilli peppers
- 1/2 large green or red pepper roughly chopped
- 1 tomato - diced
- 2 - 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbs tandoori masala - good quality store bought or homemade
- 2 tsp Madras curry powder
- 225g (1/2 lb) - skinned and cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) chunks
- 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 5 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.
- Throw in the chicken pieces and brown this in the onion mixture. Stir continuously to brown the chicken evenly.
- Now add about (1/2 cup) 125ml of water. You can add more to assist in cooking the chicken but Baltis are dry curries so try not to add too much.
- Simmer for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- 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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 402mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 7gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g
badger1010 says
I tried this last night (the non-smoky version) and was looking forward to a stunning chicken balti.
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the end result and having looked into it a bit deeper, it seems that the recipe above suggests using two tablespoons of balti masala whereas the balti masala recipe recommends 1 tablespoon per person.
Also, the method says to "add the sliced pepper, chili pepper," however there is no mention of chili pepper on the ingredient list and so I didn't have any to add.
Anyway, I'm not going to be deterred, I'll give it another go and see if the missing ingredients give it the extra something that I thought it lacked.
Looking forward to trying the smoky version.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Paul
Thanks for your comment. I did actually leave the chilli pepper out of the ingredients list. Thanks for noticing. I also use one more tablespoon of garam masala. All amended now.
To be honest, I use more chilli and also more balti masala when cooking this recipe. The problem is I used to get a lot of people writing to me saying that my recipes were too spicy and that they couldn't eat them. I have now reduced the spices in my recipes knowing that people can always add more to taste.
I hope you get a chance to try the smoky version. You can always add more spice at the end of cooking to make it perfect for your taste.
Thanks
Dan
Rob says
Is the masala sauce the premade curry sauce you mentioned in the description??
Dan Toombs says
Hi
Yes - that is right.
Thanks
Dan
stewart says
it says above.....your CHICKEN balti is ready when your PRAWNS!!!! are cooked through..confused.com!! lol.
Dan Toombs says
I'm confused too. LOL. I think I better slow down. Thanks for catching that.
Dan
Paul says
Hi, is it balti masala or tandoori masala you use in this recipe?
I've been trying to make a really good BIR curry for ages but no recipe never seems like the real thing 🙁
Pat says
Hi Dan.
Thank you for this recipe which I have made several time so far. I don't eat curry, but my hubby loves it and loves this recipe, although I have to say, I have amended it to what I think he would like, and that seems to work. I have tried it out on dinner guests and they love it too.
I love baking and cooking, and rarely stick rigidly to recipes, even if I stick to the recipe the first time, then I adjust to suit our palates.
I should also say that I have made your lime pickle, but I mix limes and lemons, and again have adjusted the recipe (and again this is something I don't eat but Jon loves). Anyhow, thank you for sharing
bristol plasterers says
Yummy. My favorite Indian dish. Thanks for sharing this.
Simon
Don says
Looking at this recipe and the comments, I think I am going to try it. However, with all curries and the like I think that sometimes it is about personal taste. I personally am a chili head, and would add more hot peppers to this. Whereas my dad would probably add another teaspoon of Garam Masala. The best thing about curries, and this comes from someone who has been to India, the U.K and has talked to a lot of Indian moms and grandmas, is that each house like a Masala, is different. Cheers to all the great ideas, and a great website.
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Don
That's what got me started cooking curries. It's nice to be able to alter them to your own personal tastes. Thanks for stopping by.
Dan
Emma? says
Wow amazing dish. I might not be that old but I love a real spicy curry. My dad makes tham almost every Saturday and I would suggest a dish. I would help him do preparations and everything! Really all the credit goes to me?But back to my dad, I wouldn't of had this exceptional dish without him. Lovely recipe to eat every now and then ( but not all the time) thanks for the awesome recipe!❤️????
The young Emma who loves food!?????
Bye bye!?
gurdeep says
How long should you cook the chicken for on average?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Gurdeep
Thank you for getting in touch. Just cook it until it is completely cooked through. The time will vary depending on how big your chicken pieces are but mine usually takes about 8 mins.
Thanks,
Dan
Josphin Silva says
Hi,
I tried cooking Veg Balti ..All I can say amazing..really nice turn out. That was something new for my visitors.
Thanks & Regards,
Josh Silva
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear Josphin! I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks
Dan
Sandra Hauptman says
Hi, I don’t own a Balti pan so what brand would you recommend?
Dan Toombs says
Google The Birmingham Balti Bowl Company. Their Balti pans are the best.
Thanks,
Dan
Graham Gledhill says
Just made this and I've got to say it was absolutely amazing. I left it to cook longer so I got those nice charred bits, I used a wok as I didn't have a balti dish but it worked great. Served with a home made naan and papadams.
Dan Toombs says
Thanks so much for letting me know. I am glad the wok worked.
Cheers
Dan
Claire says
Hi is the the tandoori masala a paste ? thank you xx
Dan Toombs says
Tandaoori masala is a powder, available in Asian stores.
Thanks
Dan
Alex says
I made this curry for my mother in law and she loved it, as did the rest of the family. I visited my local Tesco the day after and noticed 'The curry guy bible', I bought it! There are some superb dishes that I can't wait to make.
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear, thank you for letting me know.
Dan
Susan Cripps says
Hi Dan,
Just to let you know I’m a big fan and adore Indian food, however I have just made your chicken Balti recipe from my curry guy bible, and have noticed that your online recipe ingredients are quite different to the book . I make my own base curry and toast/grind fresh spices from your recipes . I am disappointed as not sure which recipe would be better, plus is there any additional recipes that vary from your books to your online recipes .
Dan Toombs says
Hi Susan
Quite a few of my online recipes differ to those in my books. I have learned things over the years and sometimes tweak my recipes but in most cases recipes differ as there is never any one definitive recipe for anything. It is up to you to decide which one you prefer and even then play around with it a bit to make it exactly how you like it.
Thanks
Dan
Steve says
I've made this and it is ridiculously salty, I use the store bought tandoori masala and madras powder. But it just tastes overky salty.
You mention Balti masala and garam masala in the comments but that is not in the recipe. I'm totally confused by this
Dan Toombs says
I would suggest that you try different brands of tandoori masala and madras powder and definitely don't add salt at the end when I state 'salt to taste.' The saltiness of the recipe is up to you as I appreciate that everyone likes different salt levels. If you can find Balti masala and want to use that instead of tandoori masala that would work well too. You can sprinkle some garam masala over the dish at the end if you have it.
Thanks
Dan
Martin Brazil says
@Dan Toombs, I have done your base gravy recipe that has turned out great on colour and texture, now I have all the ingredients to make the chicken balti.i will be doing it later on in the day, I'm really looking forward to it,i have tried last year but gave up,now this time I'm giving it another shot.thanks for sharing your recipes and i will let you know how it goes, hopefully this recipe nails it this time around.thanks again don.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Martin
All great to hear.
Thanks very much.
Dan
jane says
@Steve, if it's too salty just add sugar ..same as to sweet add salt
Steve says
Hi Dan,
Not sure about the tablespoon of vinegar, and lime juice. Way too acidic for me. I think I'll use a smaller amount of vinegar OR lime/lemon if there's a next time. I know taste is subjective but I didn't like this which for me is unheard of with your recipes, and I've cooked plenty of them. Your base gravy Balti is fantastic!
Dan Toombs says
Yes, as I always say adapt the recipe to your own tastes. I have got some very positive feedback about this recipe so hopefully you can tweak it to make it enjoyable for you.
Thanks
Dan