Thick and fragrant this Balti chicken curry is easy to make and healthy too!
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Balti chicken is a one-pot chicken and rice dish that is quick to prepare. Made from scratch, this easy and healthy chicken curry has a thick sauce made with fresh tomatoes.
👛 Cost To Make
Estimated cost AUD$ = $15.20 or $2.54 a serve
🌟 About This Recipe
- This one-pot recipe produces a thick and aromatic sauce that will keep you going back for more.
- Made from scratch, you control the heat in this dish by the amount of chilli you use.
- The recipe uses boneless chicken thigh fillets for quick cooking and flavoursome dish.
- This Balti curry is a tomato based, low in fat and gluten free.
What Is Balti Curry?
Balti curries are quick curries that can be made from different meats and vegetables. The curries are faster to make than traditional curries which require hours of long slow cooking.
Boneless small cuts of meats and vegetables are used to speed up the cooking process.
The curries are cooked and served in a thick flat bottomed Balti pan. It’s the pan that gives these curries the name Balti.
However, you don’t have to go out a buy a Balti pan to enjoy Balti food at home. A thick heavy based pan will do and then, if you like you can transfer the curry to stainless steel Balti bowls for serving.
Balti curries are not like traditional Indian dishes like lamb rogan josh but, are instead a mix of cooking styles and flavours which you can easily adapt to your own tastes.
🥘 Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
In this chicken curry recipe, we are not going to use readymade Balti sauce but, are instead going to add a mix of spices, powders and fresh ingredients to flavour this curry.
Spices in this recipe include cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, black peppercorns and black cumin seeds.
Powders used in this recipe include garam masala and chilli powder. If you don’t like a lot of heat in your curry use Kashmiri chilli powder it gives colour and flavour without a lot of heat.
FRESH INGREDIENTS
Chicken – use chicken thighs because, when cooked they are moist and tender and don’t dry out like chicken breasts. For quick-cooking choose boneless thighs and remove excess fat and skin for a healthier dish.
Oil – use vegetable oil
Onions – use brown onions and not red onions which will add sweetness to the dish.
Tomatoes – firm or overripe can be used in this dish. The juices from the tomatoes help to create a nice thick and tasty sauce.
Ginger and garlic – you can use either fresh or bottled. If you don’t like garlic, you can leave it out.
Natural yogurt – adds depth and flavor to the curry. You could also use cream or make it dairy-free by using coconut milk or cream.
Lemon juice – gives a hint of sourness to the dish without being overpowering. If you don’t like lemon juice reduce the amount or leave it out.
Green chilies – use them or don’t use them it’s up to you.
Fresh coriander leaves – these add a freshness to the dish and gives it a unique flavor that you won’t get with any other herb.
🍽 Equipment
- Kitchen scales
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Large sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Grater or garlic press (optional)
- Juicer
- Large deep saucepan with a lid
- Wooden spoon
🍳 Instructions
Step 1 - In a deep saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, then add the diced onions and fry until they become lightly golden brown.
Step 2 - Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, mixing well, scraping the bottom of the pan as you do.
Step 3 - Add the garlic, ginger, peppercorns, spices, chilli powder, salt and stir for 3- 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the mixture. Turn down the heat to low if necessary.
Step 4 - Add the chicken pieces to the pot, mixing the chicken until it is well coated with the mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5 - Then add the yogurt and ¼ cup of water, cover with a lid, turn down the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
Stir several times to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
The liquid in the pot should have increased slightly. If not, it’s okay to add a little more water while it is cooking.
Step 6 - Once the chicken is fully cooked, turn off the heat. Mix in the lemon juice, coriander leaves, and chilies. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
✏️ Recipe Notes
- If you can’t get fresh tomatoes or they are too expensive, use a 400 gram (14 ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes and a teaspoon of tomato puree (paste).
- Use less or no lemon juice if you don’t like a lemony flavour.
- After cooking remove the cinnamon stick, to avoid an overpowering cinnamon flavour in the curry, especially when storing leftovers.
- Before serving remove the cardamom pods because, they do taste awful when bitten into.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
What to Serve With Balti Chicken?
Serve with basmati rice or tomato rice, Indian-style vegetables, and side dishes like cucumber raita.
This Balti chicken curry also makes a nice naan bread wrap filling (as a filling in soft flour tortillas), with finely shredded cabbage or lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber, and yogurt.
No, this Balti recipe is nut free.
Yes, this recipe does have dairy in the form of yogurt. It can be made dairy free by replacing the yogurt with coconut milk or coconut cream.
This recipe for Balti chicken has 346 calories per serve.
Yes, this recipe is gluten free.
Not all chicken Balti recipes are tomato based, but the recipe on this page is tomato based.
🍲 More Easy Recipes
When you try this recipe for balti chicken, come back and leave a comment below because I would love to know how it went.
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📋 Recipe Card
Easy Recipe For Balti Chicken
EQUIPMENT
- Kitchen scales
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Large sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Grater or garlic press (optional)
- Juicer
- Large deep saucepan with a lid
- Wooden spoon
INGREDIENTS
- 750 grams (1.7 lb) chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- salt to season the chicken
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 360 grams (13 oz or 3 medium) onions thinly sliced
- 300 grams (11 oz or 3 medium) tomatoes cut in half and sliced
- 2.5 cm cinnamon stick
- 3 cardamom pods
- 4 black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon black cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons natural yogurt
- ¼ cup water
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 2 fresh green chillies chopped optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Lightly season the skinless chicken pieces with salt, rub the salt into the meat and put aside.
- On medium heat, heat the oil in a large deep pan. Add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown.
- Add the sliced tomatoes, mix well and cook for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon stick, cardamoms, peppercorns, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, gram masala, chilli powder and salt and stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes.
- Next add the chicken pieces, mixing the chicken into the spices and cook the chicken for 10 minutes and occasional stir.
- Add the yogurt and ¼ cup water and mix well.
- Lower the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir several times during cooking to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add a little water if the sauce is looking a bit dry and sticking to the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice, coriander leaves and green chillies. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve with basmati rice and or naan bread.
Notes
- If you can’t get fresh tomatoes or they are too expensive, use a 400 gram (14 ounce) can diced or crushed tomatoes and a teaspoon of tomato puree (paste).
- Use less or no lemon juice if you don’t like a lemony flavour.
- After cooking remove the cinnamon stick, to avoid an overpowering cinnamon flavour in the curry, especially when storing leftovers.
- Before serving remove the cardamom pods because, they do taste awful when bitten into.
This recipe was first published in April 2019. It has been republished with new images, information and updated recipe.
Claire says
My favorite chicken recipe!