Balti Chicken with Green Pepper
Balti is a stir-fried curry style from British-Indian cooking, developed in Birmingham in the 1970s. The dish takes its name from the round steel pan with two handles – the balti pan – in which the food is both cooked and served. The style is fast and over high heat, so the spices and vegetables keep their life and colour.
The green pepper goes in last and only just softens. That keeps its bite fresh and provides a counterpoint to the fried spices and the reduced tomato sauce. Chilli and garlic also go in late so they do not burn off.
The dish is dry rather than saucy. The tomatoes must cook right down so the chicken is coated in the spices rather than swimming in liquid. It makes a quick weeknight dinner. Serve piping hot with naan or basmati rice.
Ingredients
Serves 4–6
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tbsp water
- 750 g chicken (skinless, boneless), cut into chunks
- 1 kg tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large green pepper, deseeded, quartered
- 4–6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 fresh green chillies, chopped
- salt
Garnish
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- fresh coriander sprigs
Directions
Heat the oil in a large wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and fry, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
Mix the turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chilli powder with the water to form a paste. Add the spice paste to the onion and fry, stirring, until the water has evaporated and the spices are fragrant, about 3–4 minutes.
Add the chicken chunks and stir until browned on all sides. Add the chopped tomatoes and a good pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is tender and the tomatoes have broken down.
Remove the lid. Add the green pepper, garlic, and chillies. Increase the heat and cook, stirring, until the tomato liquid has nearly all cooked away and the chicken is fully cooked through, about 5–8 minutes. The pepper should still have some bite.
Season with salt. Arrange on a warm plate, garnish with tomato quarters and coriander sprigs, and serve immediately.
Notes
Active time about 20 minutes. Total time 40–50 minutes.
The dish can rest for a quarter of an hour on a warm plate, but is best served straight from the pan. Leftovers can be reheated slowly in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water.
The chilli quantity can be adjusted up or down. For more heat, keep the seeds in the fresh chillies.
Naan, chapati, or basmati rice work well alongside. A bowl of cucumber and yoghurt raita cools things down nicely.
See Also
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Mint Raita
Boondi Raita
