Chicken Jalfrezi

by hintofhelen
Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe

Jalfrezi is often found on the ‘favourites’ section of an Indian menu – and it’s now taken over the Chicken Tikka Masala as the nations favourite dish! Jalfrezi loosely translates to ‘stir fry’ – which is exactly what the dish is!

A selection of stir fried meat and vegetables, in a spicy onion tomato sauce. Jalfrezi is delicious and healthy to make at home.

Whilst the below recipe may look a little daunting with quite a few steps it really is worth the time – and it’s probably much quicker and tastier (and cheaper AND HEALTHIER) than ordering and waiting for it from your local takeaway.

To make this jalfrezi you first make an onion and tomato sauce base – then the stir fried vegetables and chicken. The recipe makes ample sauce to mop up with rice and naan – for a true ‘fake-away’ treat!

Let me know how you get on in the comments below.

How to make Chicken Jalfrezi at home

Scroll down for recipe card and ingredient list. 

Part 1 – Making the Sauce

1. Gather all the ingredients needed to make the sauce.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add the two chopped onions. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to brown and turn clear, then add 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste – cook for a further minute.

3. Add 1/2 pint of water, salt, and bring to the boil – allow to boil for 20 minutes.

4. Once boiled for 20 minutes, remove from the heat, allow to cool and blend in a food blender until completely smooth. (You could alternatively use an immersion blender if you have one – be careful not to burn yourself, the mixture will be very hot.)

5. Once the mixture has been blended to smooth, clean the pan, and heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in it.

6. Add 1 tsp turmeric, 1tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp chilli powder and 2 tbsp tomato puree to the hot oil, stir and mix.

7. Add tomato passata (or blended chopped tomatoes) to the hot oil spice mixture, and stir thoroughly. Bring to a low simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes, then turn the heat off.

8. Add the onion mixture to the tomato mixture and mix – this is the curry sauce base. Set aside whilst you stir fry the chicken and vegetables.

Part 2 – Stir Frying

1. Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan

2. Add onions and fry for 5 minutes on medium heat

3. Then add the ginger/garlic paste and cook for a further 2 minutes

4. Then add the chicken pieces and spices

5. Stir to coat the chicken in the spices 

6. Once the chicken is almost cooked through, turn up the heat up, add peppers and any chills you’d like and cook for a further 2 minutes

7. Next, pour in the jalfrezi sauce you prepared 

8. Stir, then add 1 tsp garam masala and a handful of chopped coriander to the sauce – bring to the boil and cook for a further 2 minutes.

9. Remove from the heat once the chicken has cooked through, and top with fresh coriander. Serve with rice and naan bread for a true restaurant classic.

Yield: 4

Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe

Create the Indian restaurant classic with this recipe for Chicken Jalfrezi at home! 

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1/2 pint Water
  • 1/2 tin Passata (or a blended tin of chopped tomatoes)
  • 4 chopped Onions
  • 3 tbsp Garlic & Ginger Paste
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 2 Peppers , A mixture of green and red is nice.
  • 4 diced Chicken Breasts
  • 2 Fresh Green Chillis - deseeded, Optional
  • Handful Fresh Coriander

Dry Spices

  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp Curry Powder
  • 1 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 2 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Sugar

Instructions

Making the Sauce

  1. Heat oil in a large frying pan, and add 2 chopped onions on a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, then add 2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste and stir.
  2. Cook the ginger and garlic paste with the onions until the raw smell disappears. Add 1/2 pint of water, salt, and bring to the boil - allow to boil for 20 minutes. 
  3. Once boiled for 20 minutes, remove from the heat, allow to cool and blend in a food blender until completely smooth. (You could alternatively use an immersion blender if you have one - be careful not to burn yourself, the mixture will be very hot.)
  4. Once the mixture has been blended to smooth, clean the pan, and heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in it.
  5. Add 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tbsp tomato puree to the hot oil, stir and mix.
  6. Add tomato passata (or blended chopped tomatoes) to the hot oil spice mixture, and stir thoroughly. Bring to a low simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes, then turn the heat off. 
  7. Add the onion mixture to the tomato mixture and mix - this is the curry sauce base. Set aside whilst you stir fry the chicken and vegetables. 

Stir Frying

  1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan on low/medium heat, and stir fry the remaining 2 chopped onions for 15 minutes until sweet and clear. 
  2. Add 1 tbsp of garlic & ginger paste to the pan, stir and cook for 30 seconds, until it begins to brown.
  3. Then add the tsp each of curry powder, coriander and turmeric, and 2 tbsp sugar - stir fry for 10 seconds then add the diced chicken pieces and fry on high until the chicken gets some color (2-3minutes).
  4. Add peppers, and any chills you'd like - fry for a further 2 minutes. 
  5. Turn the heat down slightly and add the prepared curry sauce - cook for a further 10 minutes, until the chicken has cooked through. 
  6. Remove from the heat once the chicken has cooked through, and top with fresh coriander. Serve with rice and naan bread for a true restaurant classic. 

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 464Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 102mgSodium 1247mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 39g

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6 comments

Georgia 17th June 2018 - 11:50 am

Wow – this looks absolutely amazing! I’m going to try this at the weekend for my husband

Reply
Georgia 17th June 2018 - 11:50 am

Thanks for sharing

Reply
Wendy Miller-Butler 17th June 2018 - 10:14 pm

Helen, I’ve been looking for a healthy curry for a little while and this has hit the spot! My husband loves it!

Reply
Anonymous 8th January 2022 - 6:53 pm

This base curry is heavenly!

Reply
Lorry 23rd January 2022 - 2:25 pm

Second time I have made this recipe – I love it!

Reply

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