Prawn Balti with Creamy Vegetables

The balti takes its name from the small, flat-bottomed, two-handled pan it is cooked and served in — a fast, high-heat style adapted from Pakistani cooking. This version keeps things bright and quick: crisp-fried vegetables, a punchy spice paste built on long-cooked onions, and juicy prawns finished with just enough cream to bring it together. It is a weeknight curry that feels like a treat.

From Recipes to Bank — the original ring binder where this site began, circa 2008.

Why this works

• Frying the par-boiled vegetables separately keeps them with some bite, so they do not turn to mush in the sauce.
• Cooking the onions slowly to golden brown — a full 15 minutes — builds the sweet, deep base every good balti needs.
• Mixing the spices into a paste with lemon juice before they hit the pan means they cook evenly and never catch.
• Adding the prawns and cream right at the end keeps the seafood tender and the sauce fresh rather than heavy.

Ingredient notes and swaps

• Cooked tiger prawns make this genuinely quick; if using raw prawns, add them a couple of minutes earlier and cook until just pink.
• Single cream keeps the sauce light; double cream makes it richer, and coconut milk gives a dairy-free finish.
• The vegetables are flexible — tenderstem broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and peas all work, so use what needs eating.
• A pinch of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek) stirred in at the end lifts the whole dish.

Prawn Balti with Creamy Vegetables

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Balti is adapted from a Pakistani style of cooking. The word balti means "bucket" in Punjabi and describes the small, flat-bottomed, two-handled wok, in which the food is both cooked and served.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 39 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 9 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Calories: 990

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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• 3 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
• 1 Tsp Mixed Fenugreek, Mustard and Onion Seeds
• 2 Curry leaves
• Half a cauliflower cut into florets
• 3 Carrots, peeled and cut into batons
• 50g fresh Peas
• 200g Tenderstem Broccoli
• 2 Onions, peeled and sliced thinly
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
• 0.5 Tsp Turmeric
• 2 Tsp Chilli Powder
• 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala
• 1 Tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 Tsp Garlic paste
• 1.5 Tsp Sea Salt
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 450g Cooked Tiger Prawns
• 1 Red Chilli, deseeded and chopped finely
• 250ml Single Cream
• 3 Tbsp fresh Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

 

1. Par boil all the Vegetables, except the Peas, with 0.5 Tsp Sea Salt and Turmeric
2. Heat the Oil in a Wok or large frying pan.
3. Lower the heat slightly and add the Fenugreek, Mustard Seeds, Onion Seeds and the Curry leaves
4. Add the par boiled Vegetables, increase the heat and fry until the vegetables are cooked
5. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on kitchen paper
6. Add the Onions to the Oil left behind, adding a dash more if needed, and fry over a medium heat until golden brown, about 15 minutes
7. Meanwhile mix together the Tomato Puree, Chilli Powder, Ground Coriander, Garam Masala, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Sea Salt and Lemon Juice in a small bowl
8. When the Onions are cooked pour the spice paste over and mix thoroughly
9. Lower the heat and return the Vegetables to the pan mixing thoroughly
10. Add the Prawns and Peas and fry for about 2 - 3 minutes, or, until heated through
11. Add the Coriander and Red Chilli to the pan
12. Pour over the Cream and bring to the boil
13. Remove from the heat immediately and serve with Basmati Rice and Chapatis

Nutrition

Calories: 990kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 64gFat: 66gSaturated Fat: 30gSodium: 410mgFiber: 10gSugar: 18g

Notes

For an extra layer of flavour, toast your whole spices gently before grinding them.
Adjust the chilli powder to your personal spice preference.
Serve immediately to enjoy the prawns at their best texture.

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Tips for success

• Toast the whole spices gently before use for an extra layer of flavour.
• Serve immediately — prawns are at their best the moment they are heated through, and overcooking makes them rubbery.
• Adjust the chilli powder to your own taste; the recipe leans medium.

Make ahead, storage and reheating

• The spice paste and fried vegetables can be prepared a few hours ahead. Once the prawns and cream are in, eat straight away, as reheating cooked prawns tends to toughen them. Leftovers keep for a day in the fridge and are best warmed gently.

What to serve it with

• Basmati rice and warm chapatis, as tradition demands, with a spoon of mango chutney and a cooling raita on the side.

FAQ

Why is it called a balti? Balti means bucket in Punjabi and describes the small, flat-bottomed, two-handled wok the dish is cooked and served in.

Can I use raw prawns? Yes — add them a little earlier and cook only until pink and opaque; do not let them boil in the cream.

How do I stop the cream splitting? Add it at the end, bring just to the boil, then take the pan straight off the heat.

Can I make it dairy-free? Swap the single cream for coconut milk or a plant cream.

Try these next

Get to grips with the spices behind it in our How to use spices guide, travel through India in the Kitchen Atlas, browse the Curry Night collection, then cook more:

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