Balti Chicken
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This Balti Chicken is tender chicken breast perfectly cooked together with a fantastic blend of aromatic Indian spices including a bit of Kashmiri chili powder for heat! It’s bursting with layers of flavor and a touch spicy, yet perfectly balanced and restaurant quality delicious!
What Is Balti Chicken?
This yummy Indian chicken balti is basically a type of chicken curry that is really popular in the UK. It got its name because it’s traditionally served in the wok-style pot that it is cooked in called a “balti bowl”. So the name is more about the cooking vessel rather than the dish. However, balti curries do have a few small differences. Unlike other curries, they are typically made using vegetable oil rather than ghee and are cooked very quickly over high heat rather than stewed for hours.
Though there is a little debate about where the dish first originated. Some say balti chicken comes from a town in Northern Pakistan known as Baltistan. Yet, others believe it was created in the city of Birmingham when some Pakistani immigrants created a dish to appeal to western tastes. However, regardless of its origins, it’s absolutely delicious!
The core of this chicken balti recipe is in its spicy thick tomato-based sauce that is made with layers of onions, garlic, ginger, and lots of aromatic Indian ground spices like Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala. But while the dish is complex in flavor it only takes about 30 minutes to make. Yet, even though it’s cooked quite quickly, because the chicken breast is cooked in the flavorful curry sauce it turns out super tender and tasty.
Why You’ll This Balti Chicken
- Quick and Easy! This balti chicken recipe requires no fancy equipment or special skills, and comes together in just 30 minutes! Perfect for first-time curry cooks!
- Spicy Tomato Curry! Perfectly balanced with just the right amount of heat and made with lots of aromatics, Indian spices, and fresh tomatoes this spicy chicken curry is incredibly good.
- Make Ahead Meal! Indian dishes like curry keep really well in the fridge for days and freezer for months making them fantastic make-ahead meals for busy weeknights.
- Rapeseed Oil – Also called canola oil, I used rapeseed oil. You can use any type of flavorless vegetable oil you like.
- Onion – I like to use brown or yellow onions, but any type of onion you have on hand will work.
- Garlic – Always use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Ginger – You’ll need a fresh knob of ginger to give the dish a more authentic taste.
- Tomatoes – Fresh chopped tomatoes are best, but in a pinch canned diced tomatoes can be used.
- Kashmiri Chili Powder – Made with Kashmiri chilis, it’s a tad bit hotter. A good substitution is a mixture of cayenne pepper and sweet paprika.
- Turmeric – Adds a touch of color to the dish as well as another layer of flavor.
- Garam Masala – It’s a mix of Indian spices that can be found in almost any grocery store or you can make your own with my homemade garam masala recipe.
- Ground Coriander – It’s got an aromatic taste with a very subtle floral finish. Cumin can be used if you don’t have any coriander on hand.
- Fenugreek Seeds – The seeds are aromatic with a nutty sweet taste.
- Green Chilis – Anaheim chilis are a good green chili to use. You can use jalapenos if you prefer but they are hotter and will add much more spice to the dish.
- Chicken – You’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. But you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Salt – Used to season the dish and boost the flavor.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is used to garnish the curry.
This recipe may call for some unique ingredients but it’s really simple to make. Just follow these easy instructions and you’ll have a super tasty curry dinner on the table in just 30 minutes!
To begin, you need to saute the onions. First, heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pot. Then add the onions and cook them for about 5 minutes until they have softened and are starting to become slightly brown. Next, add the garlic and ginger to the onions along with a sprinkle of salt, and cook the mixture for another 30 seconds until it’s aromatic.
Now, let’s get some flavor into the dish. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot and cook them for 3 minutes while stirring from time to time. Next, add the Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, fenugreek seeds, and green chili. Then stir everything together well and let the mixture cook for another minute.
Time to turn this into a chicken curry. Just add the chicken pieces to the pot and then stir everything together. Next, let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Then add the cold water and bring the sauce to a boil while stirring occasionally. Now, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Then taste the curry and season with more salt if needed.
To enjoy, garnish the balti chicken with fresh chopped cilantro. Then serve it with hot steamed basmati rice with a dollop of yogurt and some warm naan bread if you like.
What Is The Difference Between A Curry And A Balti?
These dishes are very similar and a balti is actually a curry. The only real difference is that a balti is a type of Pakistani curry cooked and served in an iron pan with two handles that looks like a wok. Baltis also tend to be cooked faster than curries and without ghee.
Can I Use Other Types Of Meat?
Yes! However, for this particular 30-minute balti recipe I suggest only using chicken, shrimp, fish, tofu, or paneer cheese. Baltis and curries can be made with beef and lamb as well, but they tend to take much longer to cook. For example, my Lamb Korma is phenomenal but takes about 90 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Don’t burn the aromatics. The garlic and ginger only need to be cooked for about 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes. If they burn they can make the dish bitter.
- Make it less spicy. Use half the amount of the Kashmiri chili powder and green chili to make the chicken balti dish less spicy. You can even omit them altogether if you like.
- Season at the end. Taste the dish at the very end and then add salt only if needed. Curry sauce reduces as it simmers, so adding salt too early can result in oversalted balti chicken.
Storage
Leftover balti chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, just put the leftovers in the microwave for about 4 minutes on medium heat. You can also reheat the curry on the stovetop in a saucepan. However, if the chicken balti has been frozen it’s best to let it thaw out overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Other Delicious Indian Inspired Recipes To Try
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Jalfrezi
- Tandoori Chicken
- Chicken Korma
- Vegetable Biryani
- Chicken Tikka Masala
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Balti Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup rapeseed oil
- 2 large onion (chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 2 inch ginger piece (peeled and sliced)
- 6 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri chili powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 small green chili (chopped)
- 2 pounds chicken breast (boneless and skinless cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 2 cup cold water
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Heat the rapeseed oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens and starts to slightly brown. Add the garlic and ginger to the pot and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Lightly season with a bit of salt.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add in the Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, fenugreek seeds and green chili. Stir well and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cold water and bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt as necessary.
- Garnish with cilantro. Serve over basmati rice with naan.
Equipment
Notes
- Don’t burn the aromatics. The garlic and ginger only need to be cooked for about 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes. If they burn they can make the dish bitter.
- Make it less spicy. Use half the amount of the Kashmiri chili powder and green chili to make the chicken balti dish less spicy. You can even omit them altogether if you like.
- Season at the end. Taste the dish at the very end and then add salt only if needed. Curry sauce reduces as it simmers, so adding salt too early can result in oversalted balti chicken.
- Leftover balti chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, just put the leftovers in the microwave for about 4 minutes on medium heat. You can also reheat the curry on the stovetop in a saucepan. However, if the chicken balti has been frozen it’s best to let it thaw out overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
