Balti Murgh Skardu, Chicken Curry

This is a great and seriously quick and easy recipe using my balti masala. This takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is very tasty.

Ingredients (serves 4)


675g boneless, skinless chicken, cubed into bite sized pieces.
2 tbsp vegetable oil.
3-6 cloves garlic.
225g onion finely chopped.
3-4 tbsp Balti paste (one tbsp per person)
125ml double cream.
2 tbsp granulated sugar.
200ml chicken stock
1 tbsp garam masala.
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander.
1 red pepper, chopped into largish chunks
1 tsp sesame seeds.
1 tsp white poppy seeds.
½ tsp fennel seeds.
½ tsp lovage seeds (optional)


Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry the garlic and spices (sesame, poppy, fennel and lovage) for 30 seconds. Add the onion, turn down the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes or so until onions are soft and beginning to colour at the edges.

Add the masala paste and chicken, turn up the heat and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the cream and sugar and then little by little the stock, stirring well.

Throw in the chopped red bell pepper. At this stage I sometimes add par-boiled cubed potatoes and/or a couple of cubes of frozen spinach.

Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the garam masala, coriander and salt to taste.

Serve with rice.