Topic: Chicken Balti

[paulirving]

Ok, the first step is to make your Balti paste.
Ingredients as follows
200ml Vegetable Oil
400ml Water
1 quarter teaspoon  Mango powder (small amount but very important, I have not tried using fresh mango juice)
25 gms Garlic powder
50 gms Ginger powder
50gms Sugar
50 gms Gram Flour
50 gms Paprika
50 gms Coriander
50 gms Turmeric
20 gms Salt
50 gms Chilli powder
50 gms Corn Flour
2 teaspoons Tomato Puree
20 gms Fenugreek
1 teaspoon Tamarind paste
1 half of Lemon Juice
100 ml Coconut Milk

Method

Combine all the dry spices, the flours the salt, the tamarind, and tomato paste together.
Add the oil and stir well, now fry on a moderately low heat (DO NOT BURN)
It should be quite thick at this stage, mix the milk, the water, and lemon juice together.
pour this in a bit at a time, your paste is ready when you see the oil separating from the paste.
for me this usually takes between 10 and 15 mins but I guess this depends on your heat.
Do not boil it, lower your heat if you see it boiling.

Ok so you have the paste ready, now its time to make the Balti main course meal.

Ingredients to serve up to 4 persons

500 gms Chicken breast cut into cubes (or how you prefer)
2 medium sized Onions approx 300 gms
Approx 1 inch fresh Ginger
3 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 birds eye green chillies
2 tomatoes ( remove skins and cut into Eighths and deseed) or alternative approx 7-8 cherry toms cut in half.
1 Green pepper cut into small cubes
75mls vegetable oil or approx 30-40 gms of ghee
1 half teaspoon Turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh Yoghurt
4 green cardomom pods (crush these with back of knife as you would a garlic glove)
2 Bay Leaves
55 gms of your home made Balti paste

Fresh Coriander (garnish

NOW THE FUN BIT
STEP ONE
Get together 1 Onion, half of your Tomatoes, half of your fresh Chilli half of your Green Pepper, 1 Garlic clove and a few Coriander leaves.
STEP TWO
Put above in a small pan with your Turmeric, 20 ml Oil and approx 250 ml Water.
STEP THREE
Bring to boil then add lid and simmer for approx 20 mins stirring occasionally.
Step FOUR
Blend your pan mixture into a puree.

OK so now you have your puree ready and your Balti paste ready

STEP FIVE
Heat the rest of your oil in your chosen curry pan ( I use a 14" heavy based wok)
STEP SIX
Add Garlic cloves, Cardomoms and the Bay leaves and slowly fry until the Garlic is golden. (do not burn garlic, if you do you must start this stage again)
STEP SEVEN
Add rest of your Onions, Green Pepper and Tomatoes with a touch of salt, fry until they start to soften.
STEP EIGHT
Add your Balti paste and stir continuously for approx 2-3 mins
STEP NINE
Add your puree from step One and stir in.
STEP TEN
Add your Chicken and approx 200ml of water
STEP ELEVEN
Stir well, put lid on and simmer for approx 45 mins
STEP TWELVE
stir in your Yoghurt, a small amount at a time.
STEP THIRTEEN
Add some chopped Coriander and leave your finished Balti for approx 10 mins and then serve.

[ifindforu]

Ok, the first step is to make your Balti paste.
Ingredients as follows
200ml Vegetable Oil
400ml Water
1 quarter teaspoon  Mango powder (small amount but very important, I have not tried using fresh mango juice)
25 gms Garlic powder
50 gms Ginger powder
50gms Sugar
50 gms Gram Flour
50 gms Paprika
50 gms Coriander
50 gms Turmeric
20 gms Salt
50 gms Chilli powder
50 gms Corn Flour
2 teaspoons Tomato Puree
20 gms Fenugreek
1 teaspoon Tamarind paste
1 half of Lemon Juice
100 ml Coconut Milk

Method

Combine all the dry spices, the flours the salt, the tamarind, and tomato paste together.
Add the oil and stir well, now fry on a moderately low heat (DO NOT BURN)
It should be quite thick at this stage, mix the milk, the water, and lemon juice together.
pour this in a bit at a time, your paste is ready when you see the oil separating from the paste.
for me this usually takes between 10 and 15 mins but I guess this depends on your heat.
Do not boil it, lower your heat if you see it boiling.

Ok so you have the paste ready, now its time to make the Balti main course meal.

Ingredients to serve up to 4 persons

500 gms Chicken breast cut into cubes (or how you prefer)
2 medium sized Onions approx 300 gms
Approx 1 inch fresh Ginger
3 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 birds eye green chillies
2 tomatoes ( remove skins and cut into Eighths and deseed) or alternative approx 7-8 cherry toms cut in half.
1 Green pepper cut into small cubes
75mls vegetable oil or approx 30-40 gms of ghee
1 half teaspoon Turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh Yoghurt
4 green cardomom pods (crush these with back of knife as you would a garlic glove)
2 Bay Leaves
55 gms of your home made Balti paste

Fresh Coriander (garnish

NOW THE FUN BIT
STEP ONE
Get together 1 Onion, half of your Tomatoes, half of your fresh Chilli half of your Green Pepper, 1 Garlic clove and a few Coriander leaves.
STEP TWO
Put above in a small pan with your Turmeric, 20 ml Oil and approx 250 ml Water.
STEP THREE
Bring to boil then add lid and simmer for approx 20 mins stirring occasionally.
Step FOUR
Blend your pan mixture into a puree.

OK so now you have your puree ready and your Balti paste ready

STEP FIVE
Heat the rest of your oil in your chosen curry pan ( I use a 14" heavy based wok)
STEP SIX
Add Garlic cloves, Cardomoms and the Bay leaves and slowly fry until the Garlic is golden. (do not burn garlic, if you do you must start this stage again)
STEP SEVEN
Add rest of your Onions, Green Pepper and Tomatoes with a touch of salt, fry until they start to soften.
STEP EIGHT
Add your Balti paste and stir continuously for approx 2-3 mins
STEP NINE
Add your puree from step One and stir in.
STEP TEN
Add your Chicken and approx 200ml of water
STEP ELEVEN
Stir well, put lid on and simmer for approx 45 mins
STEP TWELVE
stir in your Yoghurt, a small amount at a time.
STEP THIRTEEN
Add some chopped Coriander and leave your finished Balti for approx 10 mins and then serve.

nicly laid out,but honestly i think its a lot of work to make this balti easyest way i find is just make a curry of your choice add to a very hot balti iron dish with a little ghee and 1 chopped clove of garlic.The balti flavour will be created by the curry hitting very hot iron on the gas

[paulirving]

Thanks for your comment, much appreciated.
Although it looks a bit long winded the results are fantastic.
The cooking time is the longest part of it, one you have all the ingredients laid out in front of you.

[natterjak]

Thanks for posting the recipe Paul. Most people will appreciate it!

[martinvic]

Hi Paul

Where did this recipe come from?

Can I ask, as it's such a large amount. how long does the Balti paste keep for?
If not long. can it be frozen?

Cheers
Martin

[paulirving]

Hi

this recipe was given to me from a Bangla chef whilst I was working abroad.

I do have other recipes, these are regional to bangla/pakistan regions so will not have  commercial names.

this will keep good in an air tight container for 6 weeks no problem. (refrigerated to +5 degrees)

personally I would not freeze it unless done in a commercial freezer (-18 or below) I would also portion it down if needed.

[ELW]

Ok, the first step is to make your Balti paste.
Ingredients as follows
200ml Vegetable Oil
400ml Water
1 quarter teaspoon  Mango powder (small amount but very important, I have not tried using fresh mango juice)
25 gms Garlic powder
50 gms Ginger powder
50gms Sugar
50 gms Gram Flour
50 gms Paprika
50 gms Coriander
50 gms Turmeric
20 gms Salt
50 gms Chilli powder
50 gms Corn Flour
2 teaspoons Tomato Puree
20 gms Fenugreek
1 teaspoon Tamarind paste
1 half of Lemon Juice
100 ml Coconut Milk

Method

Combine all the dry spices, the flours the salt, the tamarind, and tomato paste together.
Add the oil and stir well, now fry on a moderately low heat (DO NOT BURN)
It should be quite thick at this stage, mix the milk, the water, and lemon juice together.
pour this in a bit at a time, your paste is ready when you see the oil separating from the paste.
for me this usually takes between 10 and 15 mins but I guess this depends on your heat.
Do not boil it, lower your heat if you see it boiling.

Ok so you have the paste ready, now its time to make the Balti main course meal.

Ingredients to serve up to 4 persons

500 gms Chicken breast cut into cubes (or how you prefer)
2 medium sized Onions approx 300 gms
Approx 1 inch fresh Ginger
3 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 birds eye green chillies
2 tomatoes ( remove skins and cut into Eighths and deseed) or alternative approx 7-8 cherry toms cut in half.
1 Green pepper cut into small cubes
75mls vegetable oil or approx 30-40 gms of ghee
1 half teaspoon Turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh Yoghurt
4 green cardomom pods (crush these with back of knife as you would a garlic glove)
2 Bay Leaves
55 gms of your home made Balti paste

Fresh Coriander (garnish

NOW THE FUN BIT
STEP ONE
Get together 1 Onion, half of your Tomatoes, half of your fresh Chilli half of your Green Pepper, 1 Garlic clove and a few Coriander leaves.
STEP TWO
Put above in a small pan with your Turmeric, 20 ml Oil and approx 250 ml Water.
STEP THREE
Bring to boil then add lid and simmer for approx 20 mins stirring occasionally.
Step FOUR
Blend your pan mixture into a puree.

OK so now you have your puree ready and your Balti paste ready

STEP FIVE
Heat the rest of your oil in your chosen curry pan ( I use a 14" heavy based wok)
STEP SIX
Add Garlic cloves, Cardomoms and the Bay leaves and slowly fry until the Garlic is golden. (do not burn garlic, if you do you must start this stage again)
STEP SEVEN
Add rest of your Onions, Green Pepper and Tomatoes with a touch of salt, fry until they start to soften.
STEP EIGHT
Add your Balti paste and stir continuously for approx 2-3 mins
STEP NINE
Add your puree from step One and stir in.
STEP TEN
Add your Chicken and approx 200ml of water
STEP ELEVEN
Stir well, put lid on and simmer for approx 45 mins
STEP TWELVE
stir in your Yoghurt, a small amount at a time.
STEP THIRTEEN
Add some chopped Coriander and leave your finished Balti for approx 10 mins and then serve.

Hi Paul, that looks like a good recipe from reading it..recipe's all look long winded to me until i've made them. Steps 8 & 9 is where I'm looking to improve  my own cooking. I'll add this paste to my ....other list of pastes...that I have still to try  ;D
ELW

[martinvic]

Thanks Paul.

The paste is now on my to do list, and yes I'll portion it down a bit.

The recipe is similar to another I have, but that uses vinegar and quite a bit of oil to help preserve it.
hence me asking how long you thought this would keep.

Martin

[bamble1976]

Any pics on the finished curry?

Barry

[paulirving]

I will try and make one over the next few days, unless someone beats me.