Topic: CA's Chicken Jalfrezi

[Cory Ander]

CA's Chicken Jalfrezi (medium hot, with onions, capsicum, chillies and tomatoes)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

- 300g skinless chicken breast (chopped into approximately 1 inch cubes)
- 75 ml spiced oil (here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3295.msg34667#msg34667)
- 1 medium onion (coarsely chopped into approximately 0.5 inch squares)
- 0.25 green capsicum (coarsely chopped into approximately 0.5 inch squares)
- 0.25 red capsicum (coarsely chopped into approximately 0.5 inch squares)
- 4 green chillies (whole, spiked through sides with a fork)
- 0.5 tomato (quartered)
- 1 tsp fresh garlic (pureed)
- 0.5 tsp fresh ginger (pureed)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (diluted to a puree with 3 tbsp water)
- 300ml curry base (here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3772.0)
- 1 tsp curry masala (here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3765.0)
- 1 tsp curry powder (any decent mild or medium one, or paste, will do)
- 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
- 0.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
- fresh chopped coriander (to taste)

Method:

- Heat curry base to a gentle simmer
- Heat oil in suitable pan (I use a cast iron wok) until almost smoking
- Add chicken and fry for a minute, on high heat, with continuous stirring, until sealed (i.e. just white on the outside)
- Add onions, green and red capsicums, chillies and tomatoes and stir fry for a couple of minutes or so (fry, don?t broil)
- Add garlic and ginger and fry, for a minute or so, with continuous stirring (do not burn!)
- Remove from heat and add chilli powder, curry masala and curry powder (or paste)
- Stir, to coat the chicken, and return to heat
- Immediately add tomato puree, stirring continuously
- Fry for 30 seconds or so, on high heat, with continuous stirring (do not burn!)
- Add a ladle of curry base and stir
- Continue to add the curry base, a ladle at a time, stirring occasionally as the water evaporates and the sauce thickens
- Add salt and sugar to taste and stir
- Continue to simmer, on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to separate (5 to 10 minutes)
- Add fresh coriander to taste
- Serve

Notes:

- You can use any other oil (e.g. vegetable oil, sunflower oil or canola oil) rather than spiced oil, if you prefer, but the result may be different
- You can use any other decent, mildly spiced, curry base, if you prefer, but the result may be different
- You can use any other decent spice mix or curry powder, or paste, in place of the masala, if you prefer, but the result may be different
- You can use any other precooked meat (or prawns) - just add it, after adding the first ladle of curry base, and make sure it is heated thoroughly

Below is a photo of my chicken jalfrezi made using this recipe:

[PaulP]

Hi CA,

You're banging these recipes out thick and fast now! Photos look awesome.

I hope to create your spice mix, spiced oil and base recipe soon. Can't do it this week as I'm on call with work and don't enjoy cooking when I might have to go to work at any minute.

I'm still mulling on the spiced oil and whether it needs water adding or just a gentle approach with the heat.

Do you think with the spiced oil approach you are achieving 100% BIR yet?

We need some feedback on these recipes which hopefully I can do within the next 2 weeks.

Thanks for your efforts and experimentation - much appreciated.

PaulP.

[JerryM]

CA,

looks better than from a restaurant. the wedge of tomato particularly does it for me.

i've not tried the coarser chopped onion in this dish and can imagine it working well.

the largish green chilli caught my eye. i've used the thin ones before (not bird's eye) - what i would call the middle size in the asian store. on my last visit i noticed a really large green chilli called "jalfrezi chilli" which i intend to try soon. have u come across them.

have u tried black pepper in this dish. it's the only dish i use it in but i now think it could be down to not using the right chilli (hence my interest above).

i've got your Ceylon & CTM on my todo 1st.

[Unclefrank]

Thanks for posting the recipe for this lovely dish will try it this weekend.

[Cory Ander]

You're banging these recipes out thick and fast now! Photos look awesome

Thanks Paul   

..and I'm getting pretty fat eating them all too!    Oh well, all towards the common good, I suppose! 

I'm still mulling on the spiced oil and whether it needs water adding or just a gentle approach with the heat

I think it would be advantageous (from a storage and degradation perspective) to get to get rid of the water (and any perishables) from the spiced oil. 

I only made the spiced oil this way because I figured the method resembled making a highly spiced curry base.  I definitely don't present the method as the final say in making spiced oil....I'd welcome member's suggestions for improvement.

....Do you think with the spiced oil approach you are achieving 100% BIR yet?

That's really difficult to say Paul.  To be honest, I think the effect of using spiced oil (this oil, anyway) is marginal rather than dramatic.  But I do think it's an incremental improvement.

I look forward to hearing how you get on Paul

[joshallen2k]

That looks great CA.

Another on my "must try" list, and will report back!

-- Josh

[Mikka1]

I could eat this off the page right now. stunning image CA. I notice the oil broke into the sauce which is nice too.

How do you cook your chicken please?

Nice one.  ;D

[Cory Ander]

looks better than from a restaurant

Hmmm, a crap restaurant, maybe!    But I thank you anyway Jerry!   

the wedge of tomato particularly does it for me

To my mind, the fresh tomato (but not the onions, capsicum and whole chillies) is the one ingredient that is sometimes (and can be) safely omitted from a typical BIR Jalfrezi

i've not tried the coarser chopped onion in this dish and can imagine it working well

Standard for a Jalfrezi (and a Bhoona and Dopiaza), I think, Jerry?

  The challenge is to keep the onions (and the capsicum) a little "crispy" in the final dish.  Hence a "stir-fry" technique that avoids the curry "stewing" for too long.

the largish green chili caught my eye. i've used the thin ones before (not bird's eye) - what i would call the middle size in the asian store. on my last visit i noticed a really large green chilli called "jalfrezi chilli" which i intend to try soon. have u come across them

I just use what's available at the time.  I think these are Caysan (they were bl**dy hot too!  )

I've not come across "jalfrezi" chillies.  Odd name for a chilli since "jalfrezi" means "stir fry" I believe.

have u tried black pepper in this dish. it's the only dish i use it in but i now think it could be down to not using the right chilli (hence my interest above)

No, not in a jalfrezi (but yes in a madras, vindaloo, phal), but I don't see why not.

Interesting point because there is obviously a number of ingredients which create piquancy.  As I understand it, chillies will hit the lips and tongue, black (or white) pepper with hit the inside of the mouth and ginger will hit the throat....well, that's what I was told once anyway!    But I can see that a blend of these things is necessary to get hotness beyond the lips alone! 

[Cory Ander]

I could eat this off the page right now. stunning image CA. I notice the oil broke into the sauce which is nice too.

How do you cook your chicken please?

Nice one.  ;D

Thanks Mikka 

The chicken is stir fried at the beginning of this recipe. 

I generally don't faff around with precooking chicken.  I think the effect is pretty minimal and the risk is that it becomes overcooked and dry.  It doesn't really save any significant time (for the home chef) either.  Though you can add precooked chicken (or any other precooked meat) later in the procedure (please see "notes" in the recipe)

[Bobby Bhuna]

i've not tried the coarser chopped onion in this dish and can imagine it working well

Standard for a Jalfrezi (and a Bhoona and Dopiaza), I think, Jerry?

100% for a Jalfrezi but certainly not for a Bhuna!  ;D