Home Made Balti Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Measure out the 8 spices into a bowl (first 8 ingredients). If using fresh chilis then leave those out for now. Warm up a large skillet or pot (ideally cast iron) and bring to med-high heat. Gently roast the spices in the dry skillet -- watching the mixture doesn't burn, keep stirring. After about a minute it will become fragrant and begin to get dark - take it off the heat and pour back into the bowl - set aside.
• Put the skillet back on the heat, add in the oil and bring back to medium high heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook thru until translucent. Once the onion is cooked, add in the ginger and garlic and mix well - watching the garlic doesn't burn. Next add the spice mixture back in, followed by the tinned tomatoes.
• Mix in about 1 cup of water - you want a thick sauce, but not too paste-like. Add in the salt, bay leaves and cardamom seeds.
• Grate the zest off of the lemon, add to the pot, along with the juice from 1/2 of the lemon. Save the other half for later, you may want to add more. Let it all simmer on medium-low.
• For a nice smooth sauce, remove the bay leaves and blend until smooth (an immersion blender works well).

Steps:

• The day before, mix all the marinade ingredients together. Put the lamb shanks in a roasting tin and rub the marinade all over them. Cover and chill overnight.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roast the lamb for 20 mins to brown, then reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Cover the tin tightly with a couple of layers of foil, scrunching well round the sides so that no steam escapes, and return to the oven for another 3 hrs.
• Uncover the lamb and increase the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Scatter the onions into the juices in the tin, then return to the oven for 30 mins, uncovered. Meanwhile, put the ginger, garlic, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, balti paste, garam masala and sugar into a blender or food processor. Whizz together until fairly smooth. When the onions have cooked for 30 mins, stir the tomatoey paste into the onions and juices with the second can of tomatoes, and return to the oven for a final 30 mins.
• Scatter the lamb with pomegranate seeds and coriander, then serve straight from the tin with cooling yogurt or raita, your favourite Indian pickles, and plenty of rice and breads to mop up the tasty balti sauce.
• The day before, mix all the marinade ingredients together. Put the lamb shanks in a roasting tin and rub the marinade all over them. Cover and chill overnight.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roast the lamb for 20 mins to brown, then reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Cover the tin tightly with a couple of layers of foil, scrunching well round the sides so that no steam escapes, and return to the oven for another 3 hrs.
• Uncover the lamb and increase the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Scatter the onions into the juices in the tin, then return to the oven for 30 mins, uncovered. Meanwhile, put the ginger, garlic, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, balti paste, garam masala and sugar into a blender or food processor. Whizz together until fairly smooth. When the onions have cooked for 30 mins, stir the tomatoey paste into the onions and juices with the second can of tomatoes, and return to the oven for a final 30 mins.
• Scatter the lamb with pomegranate seeds and coriander, then serve straight from the tin with cooling yogurt or raita, your favourite Indian pickles, and plenty of rice and breads to mop up the tasty balti sauce.

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a medium bowl. Mix in the lime juice, paprika, chilli powder and a grinding of black pepper (step 1), then leave to marinate for at least 15 mins, preferably a bit longer.
• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large non-stick wok or sauté pan. Tip in the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, whole chilli and cumin seeds, and stir-fry briefly just to colour and release their fragrance (step 2). Stir in the onion, garlic and ginger and fry over a medium-high heat for 3-4 mins until the onion starts to turn brown. Add the remaining oil, then drop in the chicken and stir-fry for 2-3 mins or until it no longer looks raw. Mix the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander and garam masala together. Tip into the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 mins (step 3). Pour in the passata and 150ml water, then drop in the chunks of pepper. When starting to bubble, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 mins or until the chicken is tender.
• Stir in the tomato, simmer for 2-3 mins, then add the spinach and turn it over in the pan to just wilt. Season with a little salt. If you want to thin down the sauce, splash in a little more water. Remove the cinnamon stick, chilli and cardamom pods, if you wish, before serving. Scatter with fresh coriander and serve with warm chapatis or basmati rice, if you like.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, fry the onions for 5 mins until golden and softened, then tip onto a plate. Add the chicken breasts, browning for a few mins on each side, then stir in the balti paste, quinoa and onions. Sizzle for a few mins, then pour in the tomatoes and stock and give everything a good mix. Bubble for 25 mins until the quinoa is tender and saucy.
• Stir in the cashews and most of the coriander with some seasoning, then pile into bowls and scatter over the rest of the coriander to serve.

Steps:

• In a large pan or wok heat the oil to a medium heat.
• Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add the onion and fry for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.
• Add the pepper, carrot, tomatoes, tom puree, milk and half the fresh coriander.
• Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally Add the curry powder, sugar and salt and mix thoroughly, simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and cool.
• Add the remaining coriander and liquidise using a blender, the hand held kind works best.
• Mixture may be used immediately (see my balti recipe) or frozen and kept for upto 12 months- I use disposable plastic pint glasses.