← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 700 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 3 cm piece Ginger, grated
• 2 Green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 400 g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 red pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 green pepper, cut into chunks
• 150 ml Water
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp natural yogurt, to serve (optional)
• 1 tsp Salt

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide, heavy pan or wok over medium heat. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and cumin seeds and sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add the onions and cook for 10 min, stirring often, until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chillies for 1 minute.
3. Add the turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds, then tip in the tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 5 min, mashing, until the sauce thickens and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
4. In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining oil over high heat and sear the chicken for 4–5 min until browned in patches. Tip it into the sauce with the peppers and the water.
5. Simmer, stirring now and then, for 12–15 min until the chicken is cooked through (75°C/165°F in the thickest piece) and the peppers are just tender but still bright.
6. Stir in the garam masala and most of the coriander, check the salt and scatter over the rest. Serve with naan or rice and a spoonful of yogurt.

Tips

• Leave out the yogurt, or use a plant yogurt, to keep it dairy-free.
• A balti is cooked hot and fast: use your widest pan so the sauce reduces quickly and the peppers keep some bite.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Jamie Oliver