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.
Absolutely delicious! Now you can make this restaurant classic at home!
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.
It’s always a good idea to get your ingredients ready before starting to cook.
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.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When visibly hot, stir in the onions, bell peppers and chillies.
Fry the vegetables for about three minutes and then stir in the garlic and ginger paste.
Add the mixed powder and chilli powder and stir well to coat the veggies.
Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.
Add a ladle or two of the base curry sauce. Top it up from time to time if the curry is looking dry.
Add the pre-cooked chicken to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce. Bring to a simmer.
Season with salt to taste and then add the quartered tomatoes, garam masala and some coriander (cilantro). A nice squeeze of lime or lemon juice is also good.
Stir in the kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves. One last stir and then serve.
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: 2Restaurant Style Curries - How To Make Chicken Jalfrezi
Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 10 minutesTotal Time 20 minutesIngredients
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Stir well to coat the veggies with the spices and then add the tomato puree and bring to a simmer.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Garnish with the chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and a twist of lemon or lime to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 348mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 15gThe nutritional info provided is only an estimate.
If you like the sound of this chicken jalfrezi curry, please don’t be a stranger. Leave a comment.I’d love to hear from you.
Oh my – what a great site you have here. We LOVE curry!
Hi Jan – Thank you for that. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I hope you like my curry recipes and please don’t be a stranger.
As a novice, i have made this dish twice now….it differed slightly as i had to substitute a couple of ingredients…..but both times it was fantastic. just made a large batch of basic curry sauce for my next experiments! keep up the good work Dan! ps….made chapatis today…so easy and perfect1
Thank you Colin
It’s feedback like that that makes all the blogging worth it. 🙂
Hi Dan, Why don’t you make curry gravy and sell it? Regards, Chris
Hi Chris
I would love to. Just need to find a company that will do it for me. Maybe someday.
Thanks,
Dan
Thanks Dan This is my favorite chicken curry. Will try to cook it next week
Hi Jim
This is one of my favourite restaurant style recipes. I hope you like it too. I is the same recipe used by my local curry house and it is good!
Hi Dan,
Made your curry gravy and then made Chicken Jalfrezi, yesterday sunday 8th April. It was fantastic, I loved it and so did my wife Joanne. It was so easy to do, great recipes and great methods. Thanks.
Thank you very much Jimmy for giving the recipe a try. I’m really glad you liked it. 🙂
Hi Dan, (tuesday 10th april 2012)
Just made the chicken korma, Joanne, Emily, Josh and Lilly loved it but they would like it sweeter with more coconut. Could you give me any tips? But it was a fantastic dish! Thanks.
Try adding a little unrefined sugar or jaggery to taste. Also, you could use fresh grated coconut blended with some of the coconut milk to a smooth paste. Nothing beats fresh coconut though it is a bit of work. 🙂
Jimmy, see my comments on Dan’s Korma recipe here: https://www.greatcurryrecipes.net/2011/07/02/how-to-make-authentic-restaurant-style-chicken-korma/#comment-27884
I’m using dessicated coconut and it really comes through in the final dish.
Jon
Just made your chicken jalfrezi, absolutely lovely!!!
Thank you Julieo for trying it I’m really glad the recipe worked for you. 🙂
Dan
Mine turned out fantastic! I just used the garlic paste but not the finely sliced garlic. Why are both needed?
Looking over your site I see a lot of dead links in you recipes. Some I can find by searching the site, but some like the one here “400ml curry sauce – See my recipe here” I don’t have enough information to figure out if it is “Restaurant Style Curry Sauce” or “Curry House Style Curry Sauce” I guessed it is “Restaurant Style Curry Sauce”
Thanks for letting me know. This was due to the recipe app I use not allowing links. I am hoping to get it all sorted out soon.
Dan
Great recipe and great advice elsewhere on the site. As a relative novice to indian cuisine, I am often left pondering as to the quantity, order and use of certain spices for various dishes. Your site is helping me overcome some of my queries. Great work. Keep it up.
Thank you very much Artie.
Dan
Excellent recipe – Loved it. So proud that I made an authentic curry. Thank you
What exactly are Green Chilli Peppers? Do you mean bell peppers
Hi Terry
Green bell peppers work great in this dish. Green chilli peppers are spicier.
Can you be more explicit in regard to “Green Chilli Peppers” so that i buy the right ones
Hi Terry
It is a personal thing really. I use the larger jalepeno chillies. Smaller green chillies are great too but they are a lot hotter.
Dan
Hi Dan Could I just ask about the pre cooked chicken you add – would you add all the liquid from the pre cooked chicken method to this or just some of it as I don’t want to make it too watery
Many thanks
Hi Tristan
I usually just add a couple of spoonfuls to add flavour. You don’t want to add too much. It’s really up to you how much. Enjoy.
Thanks
Dan
Thanks for the reply Dan. Great website by the way!
Hi Dan,
Made this last night using the large batch sauce method and oh boy was it worth the time in the kitchen!
My best effort to date.
Looking forward to using the rest of the gravy 🙂
Thank you!
Great to hear Steve. Thanks for trying my recipes. Happy cooking!
Dan
Have the last of the big batch of base sauce
ready to go into my first jalfrezi tonight.
If it’s anywhere near as good as the methi and the tikka I’ve previously cooked, it’s going to be delicious
Thank you for your recipes, they have turned me into a curry cooking addict!!!
Great to hear Shaun. Feel free to play around with my recipes to get them just right for your taste. Keep in touch.
Dan
After having made many of the BIR style curries on this site, I must say this is one of my personal favourites. I’ve also made curries regularly for a few years now (from many websites actually) and this site takes the number 1 spot by a long shot. I would recommend the ebook to anybody reading and to immediately make a huge batch of that magical base sauce right away!
Darren
Thanks for this recipe, I’ve found it really useful. I’m still not sure I’ve got it quite right though, and maybe you can give me some advice.
Colour wise, mine doesn’t look quite like your pictures, yours is red, bright and ‘shiny’ and mine is more brown and dull looking.
Taste wise, it’s missing ‘something’, but I don’t know what and it’s hard to describe. It has a coriander taste and maybe misses a bit of sweetness or something. The taste is still a bit lifeless.
I know it’s hard to diagnose from that kind of description, but maybe you could offer some advice.
Hi Darren
I recommend really getting to know the flavour of the spices used. These recipes are really just a guide which you can adjust to your own taste. So if you know what flavour you’re looking for, you can add it. When I first started this blog, I roasted up a bunch of spices and tried each so that I could better decide what goes into the recipes. This was a big help. Good luck in future.
Dan
I skin 2-3 whole tomatoes and add them 5 minutes b4 serving. Gives a lovely seeet taste that also takes some heat away when u need it
Ps. Top recipe
HI Dan
I made your tikka masala recipe last night and it was amazing. Just a quick question about this recipe. Is there a reason for both the fresh garlic and the paste? If not I would be quite happy to just use the paste as I am a lazy man when I can get away with it 🙂
If so how much garlic paste in total would you recommend using? If on the other hand you use two different types of garlic because it makes notable difference, please let me know and I will make the way described in your recipe. Many thanks again for these recipes and for your responses to peoples questions. It has made making amazing curries both easier and more pleasurable !!
Hi Jonny
Thank for your question. Adding the garlic in two different ways really does make a big difference to the taste and texture. That said, I have made this lots of times with just garlic paste. Double the amount or if you are a big garlic fan, you could even triple it. 🙂
Thanks
Dan
F@$! Yeah! My partner and I calling best curry ever! Don’t think we’ll be getting take away Indian ever again!! Thank you so so much!!
Great to hear Ian. Thanks very much. Really glad you liked it.
Dan
Dan, I could kiss you. Years of not making as good a curry as my mates were washed away by your chicken jalfrezi. Pure yum. Cheers mate.
Great to hear Peter! Really glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Dan
i have made the large basic sauce, and precooked teh chicken.
when i prepare the jalfrezi should i put the sauce from the precooked chicken into the jalfrezi mix or separate the chicken out
i want to mix them bec the sauce from the precooked chicken is so good
Hi Adam
The sauce from the chicken can definitely be added and I often do. I usually don’t add it all as I like to keep it for other curries. A couple tablespoons of the chicken cooking stock will really add a nice flavour.
Thanks
Dan
btw
i added a pinch of hing as i think this always improves a curry
Hi Adam
Good idea. Will try that next time. 🙂
Dan
I don’t have any dried fenugreek . Can you substitute it with fenugreek powder? Will it alter the flavour much?
Hi Danirl
Fenugreek powder is a lot stronger than the leaves but tastes about the same. You should add it sparingly until you get the flavour you are looking for.
Thanks
Dan
hi which pre cooking method do u use for the jalfrezi thanks
Hi Corina
In the Summer months it’s always tandoori. In the Winter I usually go the other route. Both are equally good though.
Dan
Giving this one a whirl tonight! Couldn’t find any Fenugreek leaves so am substituting with ground seeds instead…heresy!
I forgot to add also that garlic paste is on the list as well but doesnt feature in the recipe.
Thanks. It’s there though. Look again. 🙂
Dan
Awesome recipies and cant wait to buy your book!
Just two questions……..
Would this jalfrezi work with lamb?
I’m looking to cook a few curries for a large (50+) party. Can I cook your curries in advance and freeze them? Or should I really cook on the day? I understand I can prepare and freeze the base sauce and the meats but can I combine it all and have it ready to go?
Thanks
D
Hi D
Yes! You can prepare everything ahead of time and jalfrezi curries can be made with the meat/seafood of your choice. With red meat, be sure to pre-cook it though so that it is good and tender.
Thanks,
Dan
I made this last night for my boyfriend, who eats a lot of Indian good bye was very impressed! Will be making this again 🙂
Thank you very much. Really glad you and he liked the recipe. 🙂
Dan
I have noticed that from your web recipe for ‘Chicken Jalfrezi’ dated 2011, 1 Tblspn mango chutney is used. However from your book ‘The Curry Guy’ 2017 – mango chutney has been omitted. Could you please clarify this omission . Richard (By the way the best Jalfrezi I have tasted.
Hi Richard
Great to hear. Thank you. There is no reason for the omission. Mango and also lime pickle are good added to curries. You could add one or both to the jalfrezi as I do in the Madras recipe. 🙂
Thanks,
Dan
Epic recipe. I’m a self-exiled Glaswegian living in Brazil, so I often get some insane curry cravings. I make a good curry myself, but this restaurant-style approach is on another level. It’s base sauces and pre-cooked meat from here on out, I can tell you that much. If you post a veg pakora recipe I don’t think I’ll ever need to go back to Scotland.
Great to hear Euan. Thank you very much. I will be posting a veg pakora recipe very soon.
Cheers,
Dan
hi dan, im going to be cooking jalfrezi for 8 people, do i simply double up on the base sause and all the spices or would that ruin the curry? also would the finished curry taste the same if i were to freeze and reheat?
regards tony
Hi Tony. You can simply double the recipe. Be careful with the chilli powder though. You might like to add enough for a curry for four and then top it up with more to taste.
Thanks,
Dan
I bought two of your books at the weekend and made this Chicken Jalfrezi. It was awesome. It tasted as if it had come from a BIR but somewhat fresher. My friends loved it. Bearing in mind I live in India the fact that the Indians loved it speaks volumes.
Hi Ian
That’s great to hear! Thank you very much.
Dan
your recipe is awesome I follow you all recipe good work. keep it up.
Thank you Benazer.
Dan
Made this last night – totally hit the spot! Veggified it with paneer, mushrooms and extra pepper. Thank you!
Great to hear Katy.
Thank you.
Dan
How do you get the beautiful red color? Mine was delicious but was more brown / beige like the base curry. Thanks!
Hi Nick
Thanks for your e-mail. To get the nice red colour, I actually added a bit more chilli than I stated in the recipe. It makes for a nicer colour and great f you like the extra heat!
Dan
I made this dish today but replaced chocked with chunky vegetables and it tastes absolute brilliant
Thanks for sharing I will deffo buy your books
Thanks very much, Pat.
Dan
ive been cooking curries for over 20 years, brought your book and i havnt cooked my own curry since, i have cooked your curries for friends and family and they are convinced i have fetched them from the local restaurant, many thanks dan
Great to hear.
Thanks very much.
Dan
Hi there!
After stumbling across one of your recipes, the Thai Minced Pork Curry, which has now become a family favourite, I’m keen to try a Chicken Jalfrezi. I can’t seem to find how many this recipe serves. Sorry if I’ve missed it somewhere!
Hi Wendy
I am glad the recipe is so popular with your family. The recipe should serve 4.
Thanks
Dan
Dan you’re the man
Have tried your Peshwari lamb,tikka masala,dopiaza,korma,chicken 65,Biriani and I have to say……incredible.
You’ve made my cooking skills a lot better with your recipes and advice.The recipes come out as good as any of the top Indian restaurants I’ve eaten in London and India
Your passion and knowledge is fantastic.Well done,thank you and keep up the good work
I’m unleashing a jalfrzazi on the family tommorow,my daughters and wife really look forward to me cooking your recipes.
Your making lockdown a lot easier
All great to hear.
Thanks very much.
Dan
I found this recipe online, and it looked and sounded so lovely and tasty that I decided to try it out for myself. It was a huge hit with both my spouse and myself. What wonderful flavors from such a simple dish (I love those kinds of recipes), and the taste feels like something I toiled over for hours to achieve, haha. Thank you for sharing this information, it is really appreciated. Much Love From Amma Ruchis .
Thank you so much, I am very glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Dan