Balti Butter Chicken

BALTI BUTTER CHICKEN
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Who doesn't love Indian Food? Needing a break from the obvious Korma ... then this one is for you. It is a mild, creamy curry, traditionally stir-cooked Balti style in a kadhai pan.  
And what in heaven's name is a kadhai you ask?
It is a type of thick, circular, deep cooking pot used in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepalese cuisine, similar to a wok really, just with steeper sides.  




If you don't have a kadhai, and most if us don't ... use a wok, it works just as well. 

RECIPE 
This is suitable for 4-foodie lovers  

5 Tbsp butter 
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1 tsp Garam Masala
800g chicken breasts, cut into stir-fry pieces
2 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tin good whole peeled tomatoes
3/4 cup plain Greek yoghurt
50g chopped almonds (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp turmeric
1 curry leaf, finely chopped
4 Tbsp cream
2 Tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin

Heat butter and oil in a kadhai or wok

Sauté onions, garlic, ginger and Masala together
Add chicken and coriander and stir on high heat until browned
Add tomatoes, yoghurt, almonds, salt, sugar, turmeric and curry leaf and cook on a medium heat for 20 - 25 min or until tender and sauce has thickened

Lower heat, add cream, coriander, cumin and cook for a few minutes
Serve on rice with traditional curry sides 

Thai Sweet Chilli Steak Salad

Been an active day and feeling like something healthy.  This is a hearty and great salad but without the usual boring salad greens.  It has a punch of flavour, is nutty and crunchy and is slightly warm.  Did I mention it is great for the waistline? I usually get my hubby to do the meat on the grill and then we finish it off together.  Here we go ... (suitable for 2 foodie lovers)

Thai Sweet Chilli Steak Salad

1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
3 Tbsp Sweet chilli sauce
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
300g Rump steak
1/2 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, halved and seeded, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Bunch of mint leaves, rough chop
Bunch of coriander, rough chop
1/2 cup bean sprouts

Dressing
1/3 cup sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp fish sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix fish sauce, soy sauce, sweet chilli and lemon juice in a flat dish
Add rump steak and marinade, min 30 min, few hours is best
Heat oil in pan and fry steak for 3 min each side
Remove from pan and allow to stand for 5 min in aluminium foil
For dressing: in a jug whisk together all ingredients and set aside
In a bowl combine cucumber, tomatoes, onion, mint, coriander and sprouts
Thinly slice steak, toss through salad with dressing just before serving.

Yummy!