Chicken jalfrezi is one of the easiest BIR curries to make.

This chicken jalfrezi recipe is the same as those found in my cookbooks ‘The Curry Guy’ and ‘The Curry Guy Bible’ but done as a British Indian restaurant (BIR) portion to serve 1 – 2 people.

In my cookbooks, the recipes are family size to serve 4 or more as part of a multi-course meal.

Chicken jalfrezi curry is THE MOST POPULAR curry in the UK Indian restaurants. That’s right, it’s not chicken tikka masala like many people think but that’s still a close second. 

Chicken jalfrezi offers a nice spicy kick with delicious veggies cooked into the sauce. 

Chicken jalfrezi is a great beginner curry!

There are two good reasons I say this.

If you want to make a British Indian restaurant (BIR) curry and you’re not sure which one to start with, this chicken jalfrezi curry could be it.

Unlike other curry house favourites, chicken jalfrezi only requires two ground spices which are mixed powder and chilli powder. Easy!

It is also great from a spicing point of view. Fresh chillies are also added to the curry along with the chilli powder. Chicken jalfrezi is usually quite spicy but you are in control there.

You can reduce the amount used to your own taste preferences. That or add more like I usually do. 

What exactly is a jalfrezi curry?

This is not an authentic chicken jalfrezi recipe like you might find in the cookbooks from the British Raj.

It’s like what you would find in most good curry houses. The only real difference between and authentic chicken jalfrezi and this is the use of the curry house style base curry sauce. This is what gives the curry the flavour and sauce texture you are looking for.

Chicken jalfezi is a quick stir fry. 

Back in the days of the British Raj, it would normally be made on the Sundays after big hunts. 

The hunt parties would often be grand occasions. The Indian chefs would create massive feasts with the wild boar, deer and game birds shot. 

Sunday, however was the day of rest and no one liked waste. So the pre-cooked meat served at the party would be cooked into a curry like this chicken jalfrezi.

Forward planning…

Curry Sauce
I have written a large and small version of my curry sauce recipe which will need to me made before cooking this recipe.

The large version is made just like they do in the best curry houses. Make a large batch for best results.

It keeps in the fridge for three days and freezes well. The small batch version works well too though it’s not as authentic.

PRE-COOKED CHICKEN
I pre-cook chicken in two different ways. Most restaurants use this method to prepare their chicken for this curry. It is slowly stewed in spices.

The cooking juices can be used to add additional flavour to your curry. You could also add tandoori style chicken tikka to this recipe if you’d like to create tandoori Chicken Jalfrezi.

If time is an issue, you might also like to stew the chicken in the base sauce. This add a nice flavour to the base sauce. 

If you would like to read a little bit about the history of the jalfrezi, please read my earlier post here.

OTHER OPTIONS

Although this is a recipe for chicken jalfrezi, the most important part of the recipe is the fried vegetables and sauce. 

You can use any main ingredient you like. 

Just like when you go to your local curry house and see jalfrezi on the menu. You can order chicken jalfrezi or ask for another main ingredient like tandoori lamb, paneer or even keema.

Following are a few step by step photos of the chicken jalfrezi cooking process.

Here are more curry house curry favourites you might like to try!

• Chicken Korma
• Chicken Madras
• Chicken Dhansak
• Lamb Rogan Josh
• Lamb Vindaloo
• Chicken Chilli Garlic
• Chicken Patia
• Lamb Bhuna
• Chicken Tikka Masala
  

  So good served with basmati rice.

  

  Dig in!

  Yield: 2

  Restaurant Style Curries - How To Make Chicken Jalfrezi

  

  Print

  Prep Time 10 minutes

  Cook Time 10 minutes

  Total Time 20 minutes

  Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
  • 2 - 3 green chilli peppers - finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 tbsp mixed powder or curry powder
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 250ml (1 cup) base curry sauce
  • 300g (11 oz) pre-cooked chicken
  • 1 small bunch chopped coriander leaves
  • salt to taste

  Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the onion and bell peppers and fry for about three minutes. You want the veggies to still have a bit of bite to them.
  2. Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and fry for a further 30 seconds and then add the green chillies, chilli powder and mixed powder.
  3. Stir well to coat the veggies with the spices and then add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.
  4. Now add a ladle or two of the base sauce. Let this come to a simmer. Do not stir unless the sauce is sticking to the pan.
  5. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce and stir so that it is coated with the sauce mixture. You are building this curry from the bottom up. If it is looking dry, add more base sauce. If you add too much, just cook it down until you are happy with the consistency.
  6. Season with salt to taste and adjust other seasoning too. If you want it spicier, you could add more chilli powder or green chillies for example. Just be sure to simmer any added spices for a while to cook out the raw flavour.
  7. Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and a twist of lemon or lime to serve.

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  Nutrition Information:

  Yield:

  2

  Serving Size:

  1
  Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 348mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 15g

  The nutritional info provided is only an estimate.

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