Balti Curry Recipes
These Balti Curry Recipes are thought to have originated in Birmingham and is considered a British styled type of curry which is cooked and served in many restaurants in the United Kingdom. Common to all Balti Curry Recipes is the way it is cooked and served which is always in cast iron wok like pan. Though it is much disputed there is a trend of thought that the Balti Curry Recipe originated from the Baltistan area in Kashmir a region in Pakistan. It is believed that the Recipes were carried and introduced to Britain by immigrants from this region. These Recipes were made popular throughout the United Kingdom in the 1990s. When restaurants in Birmingham, in the United Kingdom offered these curry dishes in or before the 1980s preparing and serving the dish in what was called a balti which is a flat bottomed wok, the popularity of Recipes spread to all parts of England and has remained popular ever since.
Then there is yet a school of thought that goes on to say that Balti Curry Recipes is a reflection of the ethnic group of people known as Balti who are from a northern part of Pakistan. Then again it is thought that the word balti originated from the word 'balty' in the Hindu and Urdu languages meaning "bucket" which in turn is referred in the Portuguese word 'balde' which also carries the meaning as a bucket or pail an d introduced to India during the late fifteenth century. It probably evolved into a cooking pot as buckets in those days were usually made of cast iron. Although Balti Curry Recipe is a much argued for where it originated the common fact remains that the wok like pan is similar to the Chinese wok and the region in Pakistan where the Balti Curry Recipe is supposed to have originated shares a border with China.
Ingredients: 3-5 tablespoons of a suitable oil 3 lbs. chicken cut into 1½-2 in pieces with bone, 4 cloves, minced garlic 2 inch ginger root, minced + a 2 inch piece julienned 4 finely chopped ripe and firm tomatoes, 4 green thai-bird chilies, chopped into discs ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon salt A Handful fresh coriander leaves including stems. (Finely chop stems and reserve the leaves whole ) Method Heat 3-5 tablespoons of oil in a balti pan over medium heat Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute till it turns golden then adding the ginger and fry for a further minute or two. Increase the heat to high and turn in the chopped tomatoes along with the salt and turmeric. Stir fry until the tomatoes are squashy which would take around ten minutes turning the heat down and regulating it if there are signs of the tomatoes getting burnt. By this time the mixture would have thickened and reduced to about half, then it is ready to take in the chicken and chopped up chillies. Continue stir frying for a further ten minutes. Then add the chopped chilies, julienned raw ginger and the chopped cilantro stems. Optional- you may reserve some for garnishing along with the cilantro leaves.
Whilst you may enjoy the traditional Balti Curry Recipe you may also want to try out some popular Vindaloo Curry Recipes