Chicken Jalfrezi From Scratch

This easy chicken jalfrezi is a delicious recipe made from scratch of the well loved British Indian classic which is even better when made ahead. One pan and no need for a base sauce. A great fakeaway for a weeknight dinner.

Chicken jalfrezi

Chicken jalfrezi is a vibrant and flavourful curry dish from India. It is chicken cooked in a rich tomato based sauce packed with spices, chilis, peppers, and onions.

It’s the tomato base of the sauce that sets jalfrezi apart, and this recipe does not rely on a base sauce that needs to be made in advance.

See also

• Chicken dhansak, a rich and fruity lentil based curry that is soothing and satisfying
• For a less common creamy mild curry dish, try chicken pasanda
• Chicken pathia, spicy, sweet sour and oh so tasty!
• All my British Indian restaurant recipes

The dish has a spicy kick, reinforced with fresh chillis, and a complex flavour profile from the blend of spices.

It’s a versatile dish, customizable to suit individual preferences and spice tolerance. This is one of my main reasons for cooking British Indian dishes at home. They rarely take long, and I know I’m going to like the finished result.

The dish’s name is derived from the Bengali words “jhal” meaning spicy and “frezi” meaning stir-fry, highlighting its origins as a quick stir-fried preparation.

My recipe starts from scratch – unlike many recipes, I’m not using a base sauce as the jump off point.

Curry lends itself well to batch cooking and I think it’s actually better reheated, when the flavours have had longer to combine. I nearly always make extra, knowing I will be glad of it after a long walk or a busy day at work.

And if you have several different curries already made in the freezer you can pull a fakeaway banquet together with very little effort.

A fuss-free chicken jalfrezi recipe

The are indications that jalfrezi started as a recipe using up left over chicken, but nowadays it is usually cooked with raw chicken pieces.

The best thing about this recipe is that you do not pre-made base sauce, which means no advance prep is needed to make this!

It is easy to adjust the heat and spices as you cook to your taste. It is also a very straightforward recipe, one pan, first fry the marinated chicken then add the rest of the ingredients

Like most curries, it’s a great make-ahead dish freezes well.

Why make chicken jalfrezi

• It’s a tasty and simple dish that can be either made fresh, or prepared ahead

• Save time and money with a delicious fakeaway recipe; you know what’s gone into the dish
  
• There’s no need to make a base sauce in advance,

• It’s great for batch cooking and for feeding a crowd or filling the freezer

Chicken jalfrezi ingredients

• Chicken – Thighs are always my first choice for chicken pieces. They have more flavour and more fat, so they will not dry out when cooking. They are also cheaper than chicken breast.
  
  This recipe uses skinned and de-boned thighs. You can either buy them ready-prepared, or remove the skin and bone yourself. I freeze both skin and bone for the next time I make chicken stock.
  
  I do make sure that I’m buying quality chicken reared with better welfare standards. It’s kinder, and also the bird will have built more muscle from moving more freely, and this means better flavour.
  
• Onions – A single brown onion or a handful of shallots.

• Spices – garam masala, ground coriander seeds, ground cumin and turmeric. I prefer to buy spices in smaller quantities to make sure they’re still fresh and have some flavour.
  
  This recipe uses spices twice in the instructions – some to marinate the chicken, and some for the sauce.

• Garlic and ginger pastes – or a combined one

Prepared garlic and ginger paste
This is central to easy Indian cooking at home, and a massive time saver.

There are large jars available at my local Asian convenience store and it will keep well in the fridge. Depending on the shop you can buy a jar of mixed ginger and garlic, or individual jars of just the one ingredient.

If you don’t cook spicy food on a regular basis portion what’s left into an ice cube tray (I have a dedicated food ice cube tray), freeze and then pop out into a plastic bag or airtight container to store.

• Canned tomatoes – I buy mid-range, mid-priced tinned tomatoes. You don’t need the most expensive, but avoid the cheapest budget range. Mid priced supermarket own brand is perfect here.

• Tomato puree / paste – as with the canned tomatoes you get what you pay for so go for supermarket mid-range.

• Fresh chillies – green finger chillies are popular in Indian restaurant cooking. Just be aware of how hot they are and adjust the quantity according to taste. I’ve used one red and one green.

• Bell Peppers – I’ve used one red and one green for the differing flavours and appearance, but it really does not matter that much.

• Oil or ghee – use flavourless oil or ghee for frying. I much prefer homemade ghee which I am using more and more for frying

A note on spices and curry powders

For this sort of homely Indian restaurant food that is so often cited as Britain’s national dish I think you can generally get away with a ready made curry power mix, find one you like from an Indian brand and keep that for anything that calls for a generic curry powder.

Generally you will be adding other spices (generally cumin, coriander, turmeric or more chilli) to fine tune the flavour.

I keep medium curry powder for those recipes that call for it (this ones doesn’t) as it adds a general Indian restaurant flavour to the dish, without having to keep and measure out many different spices. Think of it as a base flavour; it’s like adding stock to a soup. You can add the same stock to a variety of soups and they all taste very different depending on the other ingredients.

Garam masala is not the same as ‘curry powder’. It contains some of the sweeter spices and in some recipes it is used at a later stage of cooking. Think of it as a seasoning, like a pinch of salt.

Curry Powder – base flavour – like a stock cube
Garam Masala – seasoning – like a pinch of salt

How to make chicken jalfrezi– step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this chicken jalfrezi recipe perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – Firstly check you have all the spices – as it’s really frustrating to start and find you are missing one.

Then prepare the ingredients.

Chicken – If needed remove the skin and bone and then cut into bite sized pieces. I find a sharp pair of kitchen scissors is the easiest way to do this.

Onion – peel, top, tail and dice

Peppers – cut into bit sized pieces discarding the stalk, membranes and seeds.

Chilli – finely chop, discarding membranes and seeds to remove some of the heat. I nearly always wear prep gloves when preparing chillies as however much you scrub your hands some of the capsicum remains.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
If you have spare chillies chop up the entire batch in one go and freeze in a small container, you then have them for your next curry.

Step Two – Add the spices to the chicken and mix to coat. Leave for at least half an hour to marinade; ideally several hours in the fridge.

You can also do this the day before and leave in the fridge overnight, or prepare a double batch and freeze.

Step Three – Melt half the oil or ghee to a large heavy bottomed frying pan (mine is 11″/28 cm), and set over a medium heat.

Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes, until seared all over and turning golden.

Step Four – Add the onion, peppers and chopped chillies and fry for a few more minutes until the onions are fragrant.

Add the remainder of the ground spices, and the garlic and ginger pastes and cook for another minute.

Step Five – finally add the tomato puree and canned tomatoes; for a wet curry with lots of sauce half fill the can with water and swirl to rinse adding to the curry.

If you prefer a drier curry with a thicker sauce use less water.

Give everything a good stir. Cover and allow to simmer on the lowest heat for about 40 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Step Six – Check the curry, if needed cook for another 10 minutes with the lid ajar.

I like to stir a generous knob of butter through at the end of cooking to give a glossy appearance and slightly tame the spices.

If you can rest the curry after cooking and reheat to serve it will taste so much better as this gives the flavours time to meld and soften. It is even better overnight.

Serving suggestion

I like to serve this chicken jalfrezi with a traditional flatbread, such as roti, parathas or naan, or with pilau rice or turmeric rice. and a bowl of home made raita.

Garnished with a scattering of fresh coriander leaves and sliced chillies. Or fry up some sliced onions in ghee with your favourite spices for an extra aromatic topping.

Variations

• You can use leftover chicken or even spiced chicken pieces; you will probably need to add a little more liquid. Or use lamb chunks for a lamb jalfrezi.
  
• For a vegetarian option, substitute paneer cheese for the chicken.

• Adjust the spicing and heat to taste.

Storage

I think that all curries, including this chicken jalfrezi are far better made in advance and allowed to reheat. It gives more time for the flavours to infuse into the meat, and for everything to meld and soften.

Fridge – Allow to cool, and as soon as it is room temperature pack into an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer – Cool and pack into an airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge or worktop before reheating.

Reheat in a pan on the stove top, or heat in the microwave, making sure it is properly hot before serving.

Hints and tips

• Take the time to fry the chicken and spices properly, so that it is golden but still moist.

• Adding the right amount of liquid is an art and not an exact science, so do read the notes above. How much you need will depend on your choice of chicken, how you like the sauce and the brand of tomatoes that you use. Generally raw chicken will need much less liquid then using leftovers or ready cooked chicken as it releases juice as it cooks.

• Curries lend themselves very well to batch cooking and it is easy to double this recipe up – I find that when doubling a recipe less liquid is needed. Aim for about one and three quarters, rather than doubling.

• I don’t recommend halving this recipe – the spice quantities become fiddly and a smaller batch is more likely to dry out. It freezes and reheats so well it is the perfect dish to cook once and eat twice.

FAQs

More British Indian restaurant recipes

• My leftover lamb curry is simple, but a delicious interpretation of a simple curry

• Not all curries have to contain meat. My easy potato aloo curry is a vegetable based treat

• Slow cooker chicken curry is a simple recipe for a warming favourite. Perfect to come home to.

• Explore all my favourite Indian curries