Chicken Balti

My love for a chicken balti started some 16 years ago whilst I was at university in Birmingham.  Monday or Tuesday night was partaay night!  Drinks in our uni flat, followed by student night at The Dome which invariably ended up in one of Birmingham's many curry houses.  My usual, was a chicken balti and naan bread and I am quite ashamed to admit that this is still my curry of choice when eating out 16 years later!

I'm not great with too much chili so this mild to medium curry is perfect for me and I'd much happier go for the sweetness of tomatoes in a balti over a creamy korma any day.  This bodes well when you are trying to Eat Healthy But Tasty as cooking a creamy curry with all that coconut cream is simply out of the question.  I'd hate to even try to work out the ProPoints on a korma or a chicken tikka masala.

You'll need for 2:

• 1 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil
• 385g chicken breast, cut into large chunks
• Half an onion, finely diced
• Red pepper, chopped
• 1 tin of tomatoes
• 2 tsp Pataks Balti curry paste
• 1 fat garlic clove, grated or minced
• 1 thumb piece ginger, grated or minced
• Half a lemon
• Seasoning
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 140g dried brown basmati rice
• 1 tbsp fat free natural yogurt
• Handful fresh coriander

What to do:

Spices cooking out

In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions and fry until soft.  Add the curry paste a cup of water.  Stir to mix in and allow to bubble furiously to cook out the spices.  Add chili if you like it medium - hot and grate or crush the ginger and garlic.  Give it 3-4 minutes and then add the chicken.  Keep stirring to coat the chicken.  Add the red pepper and any other vegetable you fancy.  You could add cauliflower, spinach, green beans or even tenderstem broccoli.

Next add the juice of half a lemon and some seasoning.  Add the tomatoes a little more water so everything is nicely covered.  Add the sugar and stir well. Simmer on a medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in a tbsp of fat free natural yogurt.

Serve with brown basmati rice and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.

I was fortunate enough to have some of my mother's white bhaji in the fridge tonight so I didn't add any green veg to my balti. 

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 13