Balti Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Almonds
From bigkiwi 14 years ago
- 30 minutes to make
- Serves 4
Balti has come a long way since it first arrived in the UK around 20 years ago. Once found only in speciality restaurants in the Birmingham area, it's has become as popular as tandoori - and it's not surprising when you discover the taste. Read more The origins of this cooking style are as varied as a Balti restaurant menu, one school of thought claims that it originates from Baltistan in North Pakistan near the Chinese border, where the people cook in a cast iron wok similar to the Chinese way of cooking. Others suggest that it is derived from the Hindi word “Balty” meaning bucket or pot, but my favourite without a doubt is a commercially produced Balti paste in the UK that suggests that the term comes from a word for "hubcap," since Pakistani truckers would cook their Balti in a hubcap. History aside Balti’s are essentially stir-fried versions of Pakistani and Indian dishes - and this is what makes them so easy. This recipe can be made in a wok or frying pan in well under an hour and couldn’t be easier, but remember it’s a receipe in two parts and you may consider increasing the quantity of Balti Paste you make as it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to a month. For mild curries, add cream or yoghurt; for hotter ones, add chilli powder or green chillies. Finally, baltis are served with naan bread, instead of rice, to scoop up the food so you'll have less washing-up to do! See less
Ingredients
- TO MAKE 300ml BALTI PASTE shopping list
- 4 tbsp. vegetable oil or ghee shopping list
- 2 red chillies, chopped and, for a milder paste, seeds removed, ½ tsp. crushed chillies 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tsp. freshly grated root ginger or ginger paste shopping list
- 1 clove garlic, crushed, or 1 tsp. garlic paste shopping list
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric shopping list
- 3 tbsp. ground coriander shopping list
- 1 tsp. ground cumin shopping list
- 1 cup of chopped fresh coriander, shopping list
- 125g (4oz) chopped canned tomatoes shopping list
- 1½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. sugar 2 tsp. garam masala shopping list
- FOR THE BALTI chicken WITH cherry tomatoes AND almonds shopping list
- 6 tbsp. vegetable oil shopping list
- 6 tbsp. Flaked almonds shopping list
- 4 Skinless chicken breast fillets, each cut into 5 pieces shopping list
- 2 Medium onions, chopped shopping list
- 6 tbsp. Balti Paste shopping list
- 16 cherry tomatoes shopping list
- 2 tbsp. Freshly Chopped coriander leaves shopping list
How to make it
- TO MAKE 300ml BALTI PASTE
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a wok or heavy frying pan and add the chillies.
- When they start to crackle, add the onion and cook over a medium heat until the onion is transparent.
- Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin and half the coriander leaves.
- Stir over the heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, sugar and garam masala and 100mi (4fl oz) water.
- Cover and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining coriander leaves.
- FOR THE BALTI CHICKEN WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND ALMONDS
- Heat 1 tbsp. of the vegetable oil in a large pan or wok and quickly fry the almonds until they start to colour. Remove from the pan and put to one side.
- Add half of the remaining oil to the pan and cook the chicken breasts over a high heat for 5 minutes until lightly browned all over. Remove from the pan.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion over a high heat until golden.
- Return the chicken to the pan, stir in the Balti Paste and then the coriander leaves and the tomatoes and stir over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with the fried almonds and serve with naan bread, a selection of chutneys and poppadums.
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