Ingredients:
4 - 5 tablespoons of cooking oil
250g chopped lamb or two chicken breasts cut into cubes
Large mild (Spanish) onion.
½ vegetable or chicken stock cube dissolved in a cup of water
Salt
2 cloves garlic, grated
1-2 cm of ginger, grated
Tomato puree
1 tablespoon of chopped, fresh coriander
2 quartered tomatoes
Curry Powder (will make enough for several dishes)
3 tsp coriander seens
1½ tsp cummin seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 heaped tsp of each: gram flour, garlic powder
1 tsp of each: paprika, turmeric, garam masala
¼ tsp of each: dry ground curry leaves, asafoedita, ginger powder, chilli powder, yellow mustard powder, ground black pepper.
Roast and then grind the first three three spices. Mix all together and store.
Stage 3 ingredients
2 tsp of grated fresh ginger and 2 cloves crushed garlic
1-2 chopped green chillis and 2 chopped spring onions
Balti Masala comprising a mixture of 1 tsp of each: ground turmeric, cummin, 1 bay leaf and 1 black cardamom.
1 tsp of chilli powder
½ tsp of salt
1 tsp of dried fenugreek (methi)
1 tsp of Garam Masala
Method
Stage 1
Add 2-3 tbl of oil to a hot wok and when slightly smoking, add the chicken and stir fry.
A minute later, add 3/4 of the chopped onion, 2 tbl of the stock, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp of the curry powder.
Simmer for 10 minutes until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked and golden brown. Drain the chicken, keeping the oil and reserve.
Stage 2
Curry sauce
Add the oil from the previous step to a hot wok.
Fry the remaining onion with the grated garlic and ginger. Add 1 tsp
of the curry powder and cook for 2 minutes taking care not to overcook. Stir in the rest of the stock. Cool, liquidise and return to the wok. Stir in 2 tsp of tomato puree and simmer for 5 minutes to give the consistency of thick soup. Reserve.
Stage 3
The Balti
Arrange all the ingredients near to the cooker as the process requires almost constant
attention once started.
Heat 2 -3 tablespoons of cooking oil to a hot wok.
At half minute intervals add, in that order, the Stage 3 ingredients listed above and stir fry taking care that they do not burn. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and curry sauce and simmer until heated through.
Add the fresh coriander and quartered tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes start to
soften.
If necessary tip the pan and spoon off any excess oil.
Heat to bubbling point and serve immediately in warmed karahis or bowls.
