Balti Beef with Broccoli
Balti is a British-Indian wok dish named after the thick-bottomed steel pan – balti means “bucket” in Urdu and Hindi – in which the food is both cooked and served. The style emerged in Birmingham’s Indian restaurants in the 1970s and quickly caught on because the food goes straight from pan to table.
Here, strips of beef are first browned hard and then simmered tender in their own juices. The spices – ground coriander, garam masala, chilli, and mustard powder – are toasted briefly with the meat to open up the flavour. Tomatoes provide a sour background, and the broccoli goes in last so it keeps its bite.
The whole dish is ready in about half an hour. Serve with basmati rice or naan.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 50 g ghee (or vegetable oil)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 500 g beef (e.g. topside), cut into thin strips
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 250 g canned peeled tomatoes
- 250 g broccoli, broken into florets
- salt, to taste
Directions
Heat the ghee or oil in a sauté pan or wok over medium-high heat. Fry the onion until lightly browned. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute more.
Increase the heat and add the beef. Stir-fry the strips until well browned on both sides. Reduce the heat, cover, and let the meat simmer tender in its own juices for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the coriander, garam masala, chilli, mustard powder, and a little salt. Fry over low heat for a few seconds until the spices are fragrant.
Add the peeled tomatoes with their juice and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in the broccoli florets and cook for a few minutes more. Half-cover and simmer until the broccoli is tender but still has some bite. Season with salt and serve immediately.
Notes
Active time about 20 minutes, total time about 50 minutes.
If you use oil instead of ghee, the dish gains a little freshness but loses the buttery depth – neutral oil is fine, olive oil does not suit the spices.
Topside is lean and works well for quick frying. If you use a fattier cut like chuck, extend the simmering time to 20–25 minutes.
See Also
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Green Chutney
Boondi Raita
