King prawn Balti and curry of British Indian origin that hails from my home town of Birmingham and features jumbo shrimp in a spicy gravy.
The Balti curry is named after the pot it is cooked and served in, my homemade version uses a searing hot wok and serves it in a pre-heated iron kadai to emulate the experience.
Shrimp Balti Curry
I’m a Brummie born in the 70’s so it is almost the law that I feel an affinity with heavy metal and British Indian food, particularly the Brummie balti!
My chicken Balti recipe dates back to the early days of my website, and it remains one of my favourites.
This prawn Balti recipe is another reader’s request. I’m more than happy to take a crack if you have any requests and I think they sound interesting!
It uses a very similar sauce to the chicken Balti I mentioned above. I also use the same techniques to emulate the unique cooking and serving bowl associated with the recipe.
If Indian shrimp curries are your mojo I have a few more for you to check out. I have a king prawn bhuna, a 15 minute Indian prawn curry and a delicious prawn and mango curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size prawns do you use?
In this recipe I think you should go as big as you can, as a result, I use size 8-10 prawns, which work perfectly.
I use the same size prawns in my prawn sandwich recipe, and it only uses a few, so if you have any prawns left over, be sure to check it out.
Are frozen prawns ok?
Yes, I use frozen prawns in all of my recipes.
Do I have to use mustard oil?
No, pure mustard oil cannot be sold as food in the UK, US or EU, although you can buy reduced erucic acid mustard oil if you like.
Pure mustard oil is usually labelled as “external use only”. I use this to get a real Indian flavour into my cooking, but I use it selectively.
How hot is this curry?
A balti curry tends to be relatively mild however you can increase the heat by adding green chillies at step 7 of the second phase of making the curry.
Can I make this in advance?
A Balti is at its best when it is eaten and served immediately, as are prawns this means that the short answer is no!
However, the base Balti sauce can be made in advance, it can also be made in bulk and frozen! It will sit in the fridge for 4-5 days and freeze for up to 6 months.
Why don’t you cook this in a Balti bowl?
I don’t cook and serve this in a “traditional” Balti bowl because I find the long handle of a carbon steel wok much safer and convenient to work with.
However, I do serve the curry in individual preheated cast iron kadai bowls to emulate the experience.
Serving Suggestions
A Balti curry must be served with naan bread and this king prawn number is no different!
I’m a plain tandoori naan bread kinda guy, but you can bling it up with garlic and coriander as I have done here. This is because I have a broken ankle and making my own naan is a challenge, the plain naan I ordered with my weekly shop came with garlic and coriander!
But if you absolutely insist, chapatis make an acceptable alternative flatbread for this curry.
Rice is always a solid option for a side with a curry and either jeera rice or a simple pilau rice make ideal choices here.
Finally, to complete the curry house experience, you must add poppadoms, kachumber salad and mint raita.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Wok.
- Blender.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, cups and spoons.
- Steel or iron karahi, kadai or balti bowls (Opional).
- Sieve or colander if you need to defrost the prawns quickly.
King Prawn Balti Curry Recipe
I grew up in the same place and roughly at the same time as the Balti curry and whilst the dish is named after the bowl that it is both cooked and eaten from, my prawn version embraces the flavours from the 70's & 80's whilst taking an alternative and more practical approach to the single bowl cooking and eating experience.
Ingredients
For the Balti Sauce:
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
- ½ Red Pepper
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 15g (½ Thumbnail Sized Piece) Ginger
- 3 Red Chilli Peppers
- 2 Tbsp Mustard Oil
- 6 Curry Leaves
- ½ Tsp Onion Seeds
- ½ Tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
- 3 Cardamom Pods
- 2 Cloves
- ½ Tsp Ground Turmeric
- ⅛ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 Tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 Tsp White Vinegar
- 250ml (1 Cup) Water
- ¼ Tsp Salt
For the Prawn Curry:
- 350g (12oz) Raw King Prawns (Shelled)
- 2 Tbsp Ghee
- 50g (⅓ Cup) Onion
- ½ Red Pepper
- 1 Medium (100g) Tomato
- 75ml (⅓ Cup) Water
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Jaggery
- ½ Tbsp Garam Masala
- ½ Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
Instructions
Make the Balti Sauce:
- Peel the onion for the Balti sauce and chop into a 1cm (1/2") dice.
- Cut the half of the red pepper for the sauce into a 1.5-2cm (1/2-3/4") dice.
- Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger.
- Cut the stems from the red chillies and roughly chop them, if you are worried about the heat remove the seeds and membranes.
- Heat a wok over high heat and when it is shimmering hot add th mustard oil, let it sit for 15 seconds then carefully toss in the onion, red pepper and red chilli peppers and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until everything gets a nice colour.
- Throw in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Turn the heat down to medium and remove the wok from the heat.
- When the wok has cooled (30 seconds or so) a little add the curry leaves, onion seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom pods and cloves and begin to stir, after another 30 seconds return the wok to a medium heat and cook for another minute stirring continuously.
- Add the turmeric, nutmeg, and fenugreek leaves and cook for another minute stirring continuously.
- Add the tomato puree, turn the heat up to high and cook for 90 seconds.
- Pour in the water and vinegar and add the salt, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the gravy to a blender and blitz to a smooth sauce.
Make the Curry:
- If you are serving this in iron kadai bowls, place them into a very hot oven 10-15 minutes before serving!
- If you are using frozen prawns begin by defrosting them by running them under cold water for 4-5 minutes.
- Cut the onion for the curry into a 5mm (¼") dice.
- Chop the second half of the red pepper into a 1cm (½") dice.
- Cut the tomato for the curry into 8 wedges.
- Place the cleaned wok back onto the hob over a very high heat.
- When the wok is shimmering hot add the ghee followed by the onion, red pepper and tomato wedges, then stir fry for 3 minutes.
- Add the defrosted prawns and stir fry for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the Balti sauce, water, add the salt and jaggery, then cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove the wok from the heat, add the garam masala, crush in the fenugreek, stir and transfer to the hot serving bowls. Start with a good ladleful of the sauce first, is should sizzle in the pan and caramelise at the edges in a similar fashion to a real curry house balti!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 542Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 402mgSodium: 2653mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 7gSugar: 15gProtein: 46g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.