Balti Sauce

You can enjoy a taste of Birmingham’s famous Balti houses with this easy balti sauce recipe—no need to travel to Great Britain! This is a British Indian curry that’s mild and full of flavour.

I make this base gravy curry sauce with onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, red pepper, and lots of Indian spices. What makes this recipe extra special is that I use my own whole spices blend instead of ready-made powdered spices or instant garam masala—and it makes all the difference.

Use Main Ingredient of Your Choice

Like Bhuna masala sauce, Korma Cooking Sauce and Tandoori marinade paste, this smooth Balti curry sauce is a great base for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. I usually make a Vegetable and Paneer Balti with this balti cooking sauce.
But you can use any main ingredient of your choice like pre-cooked chicken, lamb, tofu or even roasted air fryer vegetables.
Traditionally, it’s made and served in a balti dish (which is like a small steel wok with two handles), but since I didn’t have one, I just used a regular wok.

💛Why Make This Recipe?

• If you live in the UK like me, you’ve probably seen jars of Balti curry cooking sauce in almost every supermarket like Lidl, Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda or Morrisons. But let me tell you—it’s so much tastier, more authentic, and just as easy to make at home.
• Make-ahead big batch: Make a large batch of balti cooking sauce in advance, giving you a “curry base in a hurry” for busy days.
• Time Saving: No need to sauté onions, tomatoes, red peppers, ginger, or garlic every time. You save big on prep time.
• Freezer-Friendly: Always ready to use whenever needed.
• Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
• Cheaper to make at home than buying a jar from the store.

📋Ingredients

Detailed ingredients and exact measurements are listed below in the recipe card.

• Onion: I use brown onions, but red onions are fine too—they just have a stronger flavour.
• Tomato: For that restaurant-style gravy, I always pick tinned tomatoes over fresh.
• Fresh Ginger & Garlic Cloves: I use fresh. For convenience use store-bought ginger garlic paste or frozen ones (though I don’t recommend it for base gravy recipes). Definitely avoid ginger or garlic powder—they just don’t work here.
• Whole spices: I like to use cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and cardamom pods. ( See notes to substitute with ground spices)
• Kashmiri chilli powder: It is brick red in colour and is mild. If you can't find it, use a mix of paprika and any chilli powder..
• Oil: I use sunflower oil. Feel free use whatever you have on hand.
• Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves): You’ll find this at any Indian grocery store in the UK. If you don’t have it, just skip it—but don’t substitute with methi powder as it’s not the same.
• Sugar: To balance the acidity in the sauce.

🔪How to Make Balti Sauce Recipe?

Step 1. Balti Spice Mix. Heat a wok over medium heat and dry roast the whole spices—cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cardamom—for 3–4 minutes until aromatic. 

Step 2.Transfer to a plate to cool, then grind into a coarse powder using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar.

Step 3.Heat oil in the same wok or balti dish. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Step 4. Add the red peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes until the peppers begin to soften.

Step 5. Next, add the tomatoes, spices, salt, and sugar.
Tip - (For a saucy balti sauce to use immediately, add 1 cup water along with the other ingredients.)

Step 6. Stir well and simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture reduces a bit.

Step 7. Finish by adding kasoori methi—rub it between your palms before sprinkling it in to release the aroma.

Step 8. Let the sauce cool a bit, then blend until smooth. That’s your base Balti curry sauce ready!

👪 How Much Does this Balti Sauce Recipe Make?

This Balti sauce recipe makes about 2 cups of thick, rich sauce. When I’m cooking, I usually add a splash of water or more to loosen it up to the consistency I like. It’s ideal for batch prepping and storing in the fridge or freezer. Super convenient to quick midweek curries whenever I need.

With this amount, I find it’s enough to use as a base for Balti curries serving 8-10 people.

🧂Storing Balti Sauce in Fridge & Freezer

Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months—just thaw and reheat when you’re ready to use.

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