This is not a polite curry. It is a full mixed balti built for two hungry people and one small Crockpot.
Chicken thigh brings tenderness, lamb brings deep slow-cooked flavour and king prawns go in right at the end so they stay juicy. The sauce is tomato-rich, properly spiced and deliberately thick rather than slow-cooker soup.
Two teaspoons of hot chilli powder create the Madras-level heat. Fresh chilli adds brightness; cayenne remains on standby for anybody who thinks eyebrows are optional.
Brown the meat and bloom the spice paste first. It is one extra pan, but it produces the dark, roasted balti flavour that a raw dump-and-go method cannot quite match.
KEEP SCREEN AWAKE PRINT RECIPE CLEAR 31 INGREDIENTS RESET 8 STEPS
200 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm pieces 180 g diced lamb shoulder or leg, cut into small pieces 100 g raw peeled king prawns, thawed if frozen 1 small onion, finely diced ½ red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces 3 garlic cloves, crushed 20 g fresh ginger, finely grated 150 g canned chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato purée 40 ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon neutral oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice Fresh coriander, to finish Salt, to taste 2 teaspoons hot chilli powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1½ teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 fresh red chilli, finely sliced ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional for full afterburner 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, crushed 1 teaspoon mango chutney 1–2 teaspoons lemon juice Fresh sliced chilli and coriander, to finish COPY SHOPPING LIST RESET CUPBOARD CHECK
NIX FOOD DATA · ESTIMATED NUTRITION & COST Approximate values per generous serving (recipe serves 2). Ingredient brands, exact weights and cooking losses will alter the final figures.
APPROXIMATE COST ≈ £8.40 WHOLE RECIPE ≈ £4.20 PER GENEROUS SERVING (RECIPE SERVES 2)
ENERGY 2,550 kJ / 610 kcal
PROTEIN 62g
CARBOHYDRATE 25g
OF WHICH SUGARS 13g
FAT 29g
SATURATES 8g
FIBRE 6g
SALT 1.9g Cost basis: Approximate UK supermarket prices apportioned to the quantities used.
Nutrition basis: Two equal servings, excluding rice, naan, raita, chutney and drinks. Meat and prawn values vary by cut and brand.
THE MIXED BALTI 200 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 cm pieces 180 g diced lamb shoulder or leg, cut into small pieces 100 g raw peeled king prawns, thawed if frozen 1 small onion, finely diced ½ red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces 3 garlic cloves, crushed 20 g fresh ginger, finely grated 150 g canned chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato purée 40 ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon neutral oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice Fresh coriander, to finish Salt, to taste THE BALTI SEQUENCE
METHOD LOW, SLOW, THEN PRAWNS 01 STEP 1 Pat the chicken and lamb dry. Heat half the oil in a frying pan and brown the lamb for 2–3 minutes, then the chicken for 2 minutes. Work in batches so the meat colours rather than steams. Transfer both to the small Crockpot.
02 STEP 2 Add the remaining oil to the pan. Soften the onion for 4–5 minutes, then add the red pepper, garlic, ginger and fresh chilli for 30 seconds.
03 STEP 3 Stir in every ingredient from the Madras-hot spice mix and the tomato purée. Cook gently for 60–90 seconds until dark, fragrant and paste-like; do not let it burn.
04 STEP 4 Scrape the spice paste into the Crockpot. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Stir thoroughly—the sauce should look thick because the meat and vegetables release liquid as they cook.
05 STEP 5 Cover and cook for 5½–6½ hours on LOW. Avoid lifting the lid. Begin checking at 5½ hours; the lamb should be tender and the chicken must reach at least 75°C.
06 STEP 6 Turn the Crockpot to HIGH. Stir in the raw king prawns, cover and cook for 15–25 minutes, just until opaque, pink and piping hot throughout. Do not leave them in for hours or they will become rubber washers.
07 STEP 7 Stir in the final garam masala, crushed fenugreek leaves, mango chutney and lemon juice. Taste carefully, then adjust the salt and cayenne only if the Madras heat has not already done its duty.
08 STEP 8 For a thicker balti, leave the lid off on HIGH for 10–15 minutes. Finish with coriander and sliced chilli, then serve immediately in warm bowls.
NIX HEAT CONTROL MADRAS HOT MEANS MADRAS HOT. Use proper hot chilli powder—not mild supermarket blend—and keep the sliced fresh chilli in. Taste only at the end before adding cayenne. You can always launch another heat stage; retrieving one is beyond current Crockpot technology.
SMALL-CROCKPOT RULE KEEP THE LIQUID TIGHT. Only 40 ml of stock is needed. Chicken, lamb, onion and pepper release moisture while cooking. If the finished sauce needs tightening, remove the lid on HIGH for 10–15 minutes rather than burying it in cornflour.
Steamed basmati rice Garlic naan Cooling cucumber raita Mango chutney Lemon-dressed red onion A very cold lager
Full NIX deployment: rice for the sauce, naan for the bowl and raita for the consequences. GOOD FOOD. SAFE FOOD. IMPORTANT COOKING NOTES Chicken must reach at least 75°C in its thickest piece. Add prawns only near the end and cook until fully opaque and piping hot. Do not cook frozen prawns directly in the slow cooker; thaw them safely first. The sauce is deliberately low in added liquid for a small Crockpot. Chilli powder strength varies. Two teaspoons of hot powder gives a proper Madras heat; cayenne is the emergency boost. For a prawn-free version, replace the prawns with another 100 g chicken thigh. 
