Balti food is referred to the spicy hot curries cooked in a “Balti pan” in areas of Baltistan and Kashmir, Pakistan. Some believe that Balti food originated from United Kingdom, but it could hardly be true. Since Balti food is cooked in purely Pakistani style with common Pakistani spices and ingredients. There is an argument on what inspired the name of balti food. Some says it is inspired by the name of its motherland, Baltistan. Since people of Baltistan are known as “Balti people” and their language is also called “Balti language”, so naturally their food got popular by “Balti food”. Others say the name is inspired from the pan it is cooked in, which looks somewhat like an old bucket (Balti in Urdu). No matter what inspired the name “Balti food”, it is so delicious that its popularity has spread throughout the world and now everyone wants a taste of spicy curries of Balti food.

THE TASTE OF BALTI FOOD
The Balti food has royal taste of Mughal emperors and aromatic Kashmiri spices. The balti food is basically dry, spicy and oily curries, freshly cooked in Balti pans (wok) also known as “Karahi” in Pakistan. Balti food is cooked with aromatic spices in a lot of ghee, which gives it a very nice fried flavor and brings out the best of aromatic spices. The meat used is cut in to small pieces so that it cooks quickly and nicely coats in spices. The food is served in its pan “Balti”. And enjoyed with traditional Pakistani breads naan, roti, chapatti or paratha.

The common spices and ingredients used in balti food are red chillies, salt, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, onion, turmeric, cumin seeds, black pepper, green chillies, coriander seeds, fresh green coriander, yougurt and lemon juice.

However, some of the food that we see being served under the label of “Balti food” has nothing to do with the authentic balti food. But it hardly matters since the Balti cooking style is so popular now that modern chefs are now introducing their own innovative Balti recipes.

Some say that the cooking style of Balti food is inspired from spicy cooking of Szechuan, China. This couldn’t be entirely true, since Balti food is the Cuisine of Baltistan and Kashmir and Kashmiri spices are popular all over the world, then why wouldnt Balti food be inspired by the spices of its motherland.

THE BALTI PAN
The balti pan is a cast-iron, wide round bottom wok with two handles. This shape of pan provides good even high flame cooking for the whole curry and good structural space for deep frying cooking, which tenderizes the meat quickly and efficiently and gives all the ingredients a good spicy fried flavor and brings out the best of Kashmiri spices.





POPULAR RECIPES OF BALTI FOOD
The most popular Balti recipes are of Balti fried chicken and mutton, as they are the most common meats eaten in Pakistan.

If you want the basic, easy and simple recipe of Balti fry then try out this simple and quick recipe of “Balti Gosht” by Chef Farah Jahanzeb Khan.

If you want a creamy mutton or beef Balti then try out this rich Kashmiri recipe of “Baalti Gosht” by Chef Rida Aftab.

If you want a richer and more aromatic recipe of Balti then try out this rich, creamy and aromatic recipe of “Balti Zafrani Chicken” by Cooking Expert Shireen Anwar.