Chicken Jalfrezi

Soldato
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My tolerance for heat has waned over the years and a Jalfrezi is as hot as I like. I've made this recipe many times and thought I'd share it.

I'll list this as the standard recipe I use as it's done in a frying pan and makes 2 or 3 servings, depends how much each person wants, though these photos from today are a larger batch version of this.

Ingredients

5 tbsp Rapeseed oil
1/2 Large Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic (I use Very Lazy Chopped Garlic)
Small piece of Ginger (I use Very Lazy Chopped Ginger)
1 Red Pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 tbsp Tomato Puree
1/2 tbsp Mixed Curry Powder (see below)
1/2 tbsp Hot Chilli Powder
1/2 tbsp Turmeric
400g Diced Chicken (I prefer thigh but breast is nice as well)
Fenugreek Leaves
3 Scotch Bonnets (I like these)
2 Tomatoes
Fresh Coriander

Mixed Curry Powder

I batch made this and store it in a container. As long as proportions are the same it can be made into whatever size of batch you want.

3 tbsp ground Cumin
3 tbsp ground Coriander
4 tbsp Curry Powder(I used medium)
3 tbsp Paprika
3 tbsp ground Turmeric
1 tbsp Garam Masala

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1. Put 5 tbsp of rapeseed oil into your pan and heat up
2. Roughly chop 1/2 large onion and once the oil is hot put it in. Add your salt at this stage and sir it
all in and cook the onions for a few mins but don't brown them too much.

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3. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic (I use 3 tsp of Very Lazy Chopped Garlic for this).
4. Add 1 small piece of ginger (I use 1 tsp of Very Lazy Chopped Ginger for this). Cook for a min.
5. Chop the peppers into chunky strips and chop up your chillies. Add these and cook for a few mins.

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6. Add 1 tbsp tomato puree and mix in.
7. Add 1/2 tbsp mixxed curry powder.
1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric
Mix it all in coating everything and cook the spices for a min or so forming a paste.

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8. Add diced chicken and stir coating the chicken in the paste and cook until chicken cooked through.

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9. Add 1/2 cup of water so a sauce is formed.
10. Add a pinch of fenugreek leaves crushing them as you put them in.
11. Add 1 cup of water (this quantity depends how much sauce you want. I like a good amount of sauce).

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12. Chop up the tomatoes and add them.
13. Add the chopped coriander and heat everything till fully cooked.

As I like a nice thick sauce I mix some cornflour with water and add the paste.

All done and it was very nice. I'll freeze the 4 trays and have at my leisure.

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I prefer this one to the Jalfrezi I had last night at my favourite Indian Restaurant just because it's a fair bit hotter and has more sauce.
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2003
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23,673
Mmm love a jalfrezi!

If you fancy a change - add potatoes, chick peas and spinach.

The normal chilli used is Pusa Jawala. Less heat than a scotch bonnet but also a slightly different taste.

I’ve made jalfrezi with a naga chilli blended in at the start - the cooking drives off some of the capsicum. Alternative if an entire curry with a hotter chilli is too much is cook the meat in a smaller portion with the hotter chilli then add to the mix later.
 
Associate
Joined
13 Feb 2010
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Location
Bournemouth
I love a jalfrezi aswell.
This is the recipe I use.

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 675g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half
  • 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
  • 3 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh root ginger
  • 25g chopped coriander leaves
 
Soldato
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Finchley, London
400g Diced Chicken (I prefer thigh but breast is nice as well)

I really want to make a curry, never done one before. I've seen a recipe similar to yours. As I can buy 1kg of chicken thigh on the bone considerably cheaper than breast, can I just buy that, cut it away from the bone, dice and sear it and it'll taste as good as breast?
 
Soldato
OP
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Not where I'd like to be
I really want to make a curry, never done one before. I've seen a recipe similar to yours. As I can buy 1kg of chicken thigh on the bone considerably cheaper than breast, can I just buy that, cut it away from the bone, dice and sear it and it'll taste as good as breast?

Yes go for it. If you’ve never taken thigh off the bone then watch a few YouTube videos on it, it’s quite easy though I just buy preboned thigh as I’m lazy.
 
Soldato
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3 Oct 2009
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Location
Wales
I really want to make a curry, never done one before. I've seen a recipe similar to yours. As I can buy 1kg of chicken thigh on the bone considerably cheaper than breast, can I just buy that, cut it away from the bone, dice and sear it and it'll taste as good as breast?
Thigh is nicer anyway. I never buy breasts ( :o )
 
Associate
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21 May 2013
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Thanks for sharing, it looks good and I'll have to give it a go.

Chicken breast gained popularity because it's lean protein, not because it tastes good. Somehow this led to people considering it the 'best' to go for despite it being pretty bland (and incredibly overpriced).
 
Soldato
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The normal chilli used is Pusa Jawala. Less heat than a scotch bonnet but also a slightly different taste.

I grew Pusa Jwala a couple of times. It is a very easy plant to nurture and will yield well in a good position. I had it on the inside of a south-facing window sill. The fruit are a pale green, bobbly, and curly. Lovely green/black pepperiness and lively heat that doesn't last. Seeds are cheap as chips here. Sow in March, crop from late June, depending on conditions.
 
Soldato
Joined
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Location
Finchley, London
Yes go for it. If you’ve never taken thigh off the bone then watch a few YouTube videos on it, it’s quite easy though I just buy preboned thigh as I’m lazy.

So I took a look at some youtube videos and it looks easy enough. Went to Tesco to buy some but none on the shelves, I guess because of Xmas. A member of staff suggested the Halal chicken. I ended up with 1kg of skinless, boneless chicken thigh for only £3!!

I bought red peppers, ginger root, cumin powder, medium curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, onions and a tin of coconut milk. Got my tomatoes, puree and garlic cloves, so I'm ready to make my curry!
Never knew ginger smelt of lemon when sliced open, I was expecting... ginger.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Jun 2006
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38,372
rapeseed oil and another using vegetable oil - i thought people on here knew how to cook?

nothing but coconut oil or ghee for indian cooking. sometimes groundnut oil if i run out.

it's not only far healthier it's the best way to fry anything. it stops everything from burning.
 
Soldato
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Left of the middle
The last thing you should be concerned about is trying to make a curry healthy. Ghee is just clarified butter, it won't make or break a dish, it's all about technique and having a good base. Don't burn the spices or garlic (if added). Caramilaztion is key to any good curry. Not 'burning' and not over stirring is a must to get a heightened flavour from the base sauce.

The curry looks nice, i might give your recipe a whirl.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
17,831
Location
Finchley, London
rapeseed oil and another using vegetable oil - i thought people on here knew how to cook?

nothing but coconut oil or ghee for indian cooking. sometimes groundnut oil if i run out.

it's not only far healthier it's the best way to fry anything. it stops everything from burning.

What a condescending reply. You hardly post in this forum then tell people they don't know how to cook. Does ElliorR's photos look like anything has burned or look like anything is less than delicious? Back to Motors with you. :D
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Jun 2006
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What a condescending reply. You hardly post in this forum then tell people they don't know how to cook. Does ElliorR's photos look like anything has burned or look like anything is less than delicious? Back to Motors with you. :D

what do i know i only ran an indian restaurant for 5+ years
 
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