What Is Balti Curry?
Balti is a medium-hot British Indian restaurant classic, cooked and served in a distinctive rounded balti pan. It has an aromatic spice blend, a rich tomato base, a fresh, tangy edge and proper curry-house warmth — hotter than Rogan Josh, but not as hot as Madras.
- Heat:
- Medium-Hot
- Flavour:
- Fresh · Tangy · Aromatic
What Does Balti Taste Like?
Balti tastes fresh, tangy and aromatic. A rich tomato base carries coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger and warming spices, and the finished curry has deep savoury flavour with rounded heat.
Sliced green pepper is an optional addition to our kit and adds to that fresh character if you like it.
How Hot Is Balti?
Balti is rated Medium-Hot. It shares that level with Jalfrezi but sits just below it on our scale, and it is a clear step up from the medium Rogan Josh: warming throughout, but rounded rather than sharp.
Where Does Balti Come From?
Balti is closely associated with Birmingham, whose balti houses made its distinctive flavour famous. It is cooked and served in the rounded balti pan, and our kit stays true to that bold curry-house style.
What Goes Well With Balti?
Our Balti kit is written for diced chicken, though the curry also works with lamb, paneer or vegetables. Serve it with rice, naan or chips, and finish with fresh coriander if you like.
Balti vs Other Curries
Balti vs Rogan Josh
Rogan Josh is milder and richer. Balti is fresher, tangier and a step hotter.
Balti vs Jalfrezi
Jalfrezi shares the Medium-Hot rating but is built around fried onion and green pepper, with a peppery chilli-flake kick. Balti leans more on aromatic spice and a tangy tomato base.
Balti vs Madras
Madras goes further on heat and is deeply spiced and tomato-rich. Balti is the gentler, more aromatic option.
How to Make Balti at Home
You do not need a balti pan to make Balti at home — a wok or a wide frying pan works well. Our kit builds the curry in stages, starting with a pan starter blend and finishing with a final spice blend.
Steps at a glance
- 1Brown Protein
- 2Prep Onions
- 3Build Paste
- 4Make Sauce
- 5Simmer
- 6Serve
Curry Club Balti Curry Kit
The Balti kit suits anyone who wants to move up from medium heat without going all the way to hot.
- Spice Pouch 1: Pan Starter Blend
- Spice Pouch 2: Base Spice Blend
- Spice Pouch 3: Finishing Spice Blend
- Full Recipe Card (English & Swedish)
Serves 2–3Cooking time: 45 mins approx.
Buy the Balti kitMore from the Curry Guide
- Curry Guide →All six curries, with heat, flavour and kits.
- British Curry Heat Guide →Every curry on one scale, and what each level means.
- Which Curry Should I Choose? →Compare all six curries by heat and flavour.
- Buy the Balti kit →Choose Balti if you want a fresh, tangy, aromatic curry with medium-hot warmth — more heat than Rogan Josh without going as far as Madras.