Balti Chicken is one of the flag bearers of the second wave of Indian food that people in the Western world traditionally try. After dipping their toes in the water with the relatively safe choices of Korma and Tikka Masala, many progress onto the slightly spicier and more aromatic choices such as Balti, Jalfrezi and Bhuna. The Balti is a tomato based curry sauce and this recipe puts a unique spin on the dish; making it drier but more flavoursome than many of its counterparts.
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Sized Chicken
- 2 Cups Dry Pilau Rice
- 2 Medium Onions, Diced
- 2 Cups Mushrooms, Diced
- 2 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cardamom Pods, Split Open
- 1 Medium Green Chili
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
- 1 tsp Ginger, Grated
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 250ml Passata
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 Large Tomato, Diced
- Sea Salt
Method
The key to this recipe is the chicken, roast a medium sized chicken on medium/high temperature for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain the fat from the roasting dish, sprinkle sea salt onto the skin and turn the chicken over and roast again until the skin is crisp and starting to come away from the chicken. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Leaving it to stand allows all of the juices to run through the flesh and stops any escaping.
Whilst the chicken is standing, it is time to build the stock. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and add the mushrooms and onions. Cook until the onions start to turn transparent and the mushrooms brown. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and whole chili and allow the fragrances to spread.
Turn to a medium heat and add the lime juice, paprika, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, passata, garam masala, tomato and 50ml of water. Continue to stir until the stock starts to bubble slightly. Your chicken should be ready to add now. Peel away all of the skin from the chicken and leave to one side (this can be baked at a high heat for a delicious treat) or throw away. Then using a fork, shred the chicken into the stock and mix it through the curry sauce.
Set the pilau rice to boil and stir the curry stock intermittently. When the rice is nearly boiled, drain and add to the stock, stirring everything together and continue to boil on a medium heat until almost dry.
The Shredded Chicken Balti can be served with almost anything or by itself. It is perfect eaten with a traditional Indian Cuisine staple, Naan bread, or add a slight Mexican flavour by serving in flour tacos.
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