Chicken Balti is one of the most popular curries in British Indian Restaurants. It’s a deliciously rich curry with a tomato-based sauce full of flavour from garlic, coriander and spices.
This chicken Balti curry recipe has taken me months to perfect. A traditional Balti uses a base sauce and two stages of frying the spices – which is a little too much effort for the normal home cook! I’ve instead made the steps as straight forward and fuss-free as possible – using ingredients which you can easily find in the supermarket.
The result is amazing! It’s honestly as good as takeaway, with a fraction of the calories and price – win, win!
I love to serve this chicken balti with rice and garlic parathas or naan – just as I’d order if I was getting takeout. I don’t order takeout anymore by the way – cooking curry at home really is better once you perfect it!
Chicken Balti is a medium spiced curry – but you can add or remove chillis depending on your spice preference.
You can make double the batch of this and freeze for a lazy dinner later in the month, or just eat it over a couple of evenings – which I tend to do! Whilst the ingredient list on this recipe is a little longer than my usual, it is much simpler than a traditional restaurant cooking method, but with better results. So it is worth the time!
If you enjoy cooking take-away dishes at home check out my take-away recipes.
How to Cook A Chicken Balti At Home
Scroll down for recipe card and ingredient list.
1. Dice the chicken into equal-sized pieces. I always chose cubes as this is the shape I most associate with a take-away curry, but you might prefer strips.
2. Finely dice the onions, garlic cloves, ginger and chilli. I always do this in my food processor to save time, but you can use a chopping board and knife if you don’t have a food processor.
3. Heat oil in a large, non-stick pan then add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and chilli
4. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes
5. Then add in the chicken pieces, and stir to coat in the onion mixture
6. Cook for 7 minutes – until the onions are much browner – like the photo below
7. Then add in the spices
8. Stir to combine and add in the tomato puree
9. Stir to coat everything in the tomato puree, then pour in the tinned tomatoes
10. Again, stir everything, then add in water – bring to a low simmer
11. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and chicken is cooked through. Then, add in the chopped coriander, garam masala and salt
12. Then, turn off the heat, stir to evenly distribute the coriander and then it’s ready to serve!
Yield: 4 Servings
A British Indian Restaurant Style Chicken Balti. Made at home without the need for base sauce. Tastes just like takeaway, and it's way heatheir!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Veg Oil
- 2 Onions
- 1 Inch Ginger
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Green Chilli
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Tin Tomatoes
- 1 Tsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1/2 Pint Water
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Coriander
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
- 1 Tsp Salt (to taste)
Spices
- 1 Tbsp Ground Coriander
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tsp chilli powder
- 1 Tsp Paprika
- 3 Cloves
Instructions
- Finely dice the onions, garlic, chilli and garlic (I use my food processor)
- Dice the chicken into equal-sized pieces
- Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan
- Add the finely diced onions, garlic, chilli and garlic
- Cook on high for 3 minutes - stirring often
- Then add in the chicken pieces, stir to coat and cook for 7 minutes
- Then add in the spices, except garam masala (so ground Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric, Chilli Powder, Paprika, Cloves) and fry for 30 seconds - 1 minute
- Add in the tomato puree, sugar and tinned tomatoes
- Stir to combine all the flavours, then add in the 1/2 pint of water
- Bring to a low simmer and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until sauce is thick and chicken cooked through
- Turn the heat off, sprinkle in the chopped coriander leaves, garam masala and salt - stir to combine
- Then serve! I love to serve with naan breads, rice and an additional sprinkle of coriander on top.
Notes
If you like a spicier curry, add more chilli. If you like a milder curry, don't add chilli.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 458Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCarbohydrates 19gFiber 4gSugar 6gProtein 48g
Nutritional data provided here is only an estimate. If you're tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
See more: British Recipes, By Ingredient, Chicken Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Featured Recipes, Indian, Indian Take Away, Recipes, Rice Recipes, Take-Away Recipes
