Grab your pan and heat up the oil, add your sliced onion. Stir fry and cook soft, then add the diced tomato. Cook the tomato soft on medium to high heat.
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 1 Tomato
Then reduce the heat and add the ginger garlic paste (or chopped ginger and garlic). Then add the spices all at once. turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, garam masala and stir-fry for a minute or two.
1 Tablespoon Ginger + Garlic, ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Ground, ½ Teaspoon Red Chili Pepper Ground, ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds Ground, ½ Teaspoon Coriander Seeds Ground, ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon Ground, ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground, 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
Now add your pre-cut chicken cubes and stir-fry for another minute on high heat before taking down the heat to slow/medium again. This helps the chicken flavors going!
14 ounces Chicken Boneless
Then add the fenugreek leaves, tomato paste and cream, mix and stir cook for another minute on medium heat before pouring in the water.
1 Tablespoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves, 1 Tablespoon Tomato Sauce, 2 Tablespoon Heavy Cream, ½ cup Water
Mix all the content well and let cook on slow to medium heat so that the chicken kind of poaches slowly in the spiced curry sauce. Make sure to not turn up the heat too much as this may break down the curry and curdle and high heat can turn the chicken chewy and you don't want that. So, cook the chicken until it's cooked through, juicy but done. That usually takes around 10-15 minutes.
Take from the heat and serve the chicken balti in the shallow pan. Garnish with a dollop or two of greek yogurt style thick curd, sprinkle some lime juice if you want and some freshly cut cilantro/coriander leaves. Enjoy still hot.
To make the BEST chicken balti use only A grade chicken boneless breast or legs, fresh cream, yogurt, tomato paste. Including toast and grind quality spices in a stone mortar.
Use Ginger & Garlic Paste or ½ inch ginger and 2 medium clove garlic chopped fine
To make a quick and easy weeknight chicken balti use ready-made ingredients such as packet garam masala.
Store in the fridge to meal prep for the week or freeze for another day