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Bowl of chicken jalfrezi, served in a balti dish with corainder, naan bread, and chilli

Chicken Jalfrezi

This spicy chicken jalfrezi will heat you up while keeping the calories down. Despite its popularity among Britain’s curry houses, it’s technically considered a stir-fry.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 308
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For The Chicken
  • 4 Chicken Breasts Cut into Cubes
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 ½ Tsp Salt
  • Juice from 1 Lemon
For the Sauce
  • 45 ml Sunflower Oil
  • 1 Large White Onion Chopped
  • 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
  • 3 Garlic Cloves Chopped
  • 1 Thumb Sized Piece of Ginger Peeled and Grated
  • ½ Tsp Ground Turmeric
  • 2 Green Chillies Roughly Chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 1 400 g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
  • 150 ml Water
  • Salt to taste
For the Curry
  • 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 White Onion Cut into Large Chunks
  • 1 Red Pepper Deseeded and Cut into 2.5cm Pieces
  • 1 Green Pepper Deseeded and Cut into 2.5cm Pieces
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala
  • 10 g Coriander Leaves Chopped

Method
 

To Marinate the Chicken
  1. In a bowl, combine the spices, lemon juice, and chicken and mix well. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
To Make the Sauce
  1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Fry the onions with the cumin and coriander seeds until the onions begin to brown. Stir in the chillies, turmeric, garlic, and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, and water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft enough to blend.
  4. Blitz the sauce until smooth and season to taste with salt.
To Make the Curry
  1. Heat a separate pan over medium-high heat, add ½ of the sunflower oil, and fry the chicken until it begins to brown. Fry in batches to ensure an even colouring and prevent the chicken from boiling in its own juice. Set the chicken aside and wipe the pan clean.
  2. In the same pan, add the remaining oil, and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes until they begin to brown. Add the peppers and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan and add the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  4. Add the garam masala and chopped coriander. Season to taste with salt, and serve with naan bread.