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10 December 2009
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Take on the Takeaway

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Take on the Takeaway

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Prep time
20 mins

Cooking time 20 mins

Ingredients

For the marinade
2.5cm/1in piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ tsp salt
1 lime, juice only
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
75ml/2½ fl oz plain yoghurt

For the curry
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 tomatoes, seeds removed, flesh finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
splash water
75ml/2½ fl oz double cream
150g/5oz baby spinach leaves

To serve
small handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped
100g/3½ oz basmati rice, rinsed and drained, then cooked according to packet instructions

Step -by-step

1. For the marinade, finely chop the ginger and garlic. Sprinkle over the salt and chop a little more, then place into a bowl.

2. Add the lime juice, ground coriander, chilli powder, ground turmeric and ground cumin to the bowl and mix well.

3. Add the chicken pieces and the yoghurt and stir to coat the chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 10-15 minutes (or for an hour if possible, covered in the fridge).

4. For the curry, heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat and add the onion. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and the tomato purée and cook gently for about one minute.

5. Add the chicken to the pan along with the marinade and a splash of water.

6. Pour in the cream, turn up the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken’s cooked. There should be no pink when you cut into it. If pink, cook for longer.

7. Add the spinach to the pan and stir until just wilted.

8. Sprinkle over the coriander.

9. To serve, drain the rice and divide between two plates. Top with the curry.


		Chef Amran Aslam and the Pasha Balti team have the following advice on how to give your balti a boost: 1.For authentic Pakistani flavours, make sure that you add the correct spices. Fenugreek, turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander and ground cumin are the essential flavours. 2.When making a balti, always use vegetable oil, not olive oil. You need to get the oil and the pan very hot to cook the balti properly. The vegetable oil has a higher smoking point than olive oil, so it won’t burn. 3.Try adding puréed spinach to your balti dishes. It will add extra moisture to the dish.

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