When it gets to the weekend I am always in the mood for curry, but I don’t always want to pay the price of getting a takeaway.
Over the years I have experimented a lot with perfecting an at-home curry recipe that actually works.
The only time I have come close is with a recipe that took most of the afternoon – the trick is making an amazing base sauce with onions, garlic and spices.
I don’t know about you, but I do not always have time to spend ALL day cooking my Saturday evening meal.
So this recipe does include an onion base sauce, but I don’t take as long to prepare it as the experts may recommend. Luckily, I think the results are still really amazing!
Homemade chicken jalfrezi
The really important trick with any curry recipe is seasoning and your spices.
I think the consistency of the sauce is also really key. I love my curry to have plenty of sauce to go with the rice and naan breads.
I find one of the keys to flavouring the Jalfrezi is also in ensuring the onions in the base sauce are fried until they are just golden and soft.
The longer you can leave these, without allowing them to catch and burn, the better. When I have a little extra time I will turn the heat right down to low, cover the pan, and leave them to fry for a good 15 minutes before adding the water.
How hot to make your Jalfrezi
A Jalfrezi is typically a hot curry, so I like to keep mine nice and spicy. I will add my chillies with seeds to ensure it’s nice and fiery.
However if you prefer yours to be a little milder, especially if you are serving it to kids who are not fans of heat, then deseed the chillies and maybe use just the one in your recipe for the onion base stage.
Jalfrezi recipe switches
This recipe can be adapted to personal tastes. For example if you are not keen on too many onions then ditch the sliced onions that are fried with the chicken.
You can also switch the meat for a veggie-friendly alternative, such as potatoes and cauliflower, or for a different meat such as beef or turkey. I love doing this recipe with leftover turkey from Christmas!
Enjoy!
Easy Chicken Jalfrezi
A tasty spicy Indian Jalfrezi recipe that does not take forever to make but is absolutely delicious. It's sure to satisfy your takeaway cravings!
Ingredients
- One onion (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tbsp ginger (chopped)
- 1 chilli (chopped - keep seeds if you like it hot)
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized chunks)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 chillies (chopped)
- 1 small onion (sliced)
- Vegetable oil
- Handful chopped fresh coriander
Instructions
- Put the chicken breast in a bowl and mix with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, and 1 tsp turmeric, plus a pinch of salt. Place in the fridge to marinate. Do this for as long as you can, ideally overnight.
- Fry the onion in some vegetable oil for 2 minutes. Add the crushed garlic, ginger and one chopped chilli and gentle fry for 5 minutes until the onion is turning golden. Stir frequently.
- Add 300ml of water to the onions and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Use a blender to turn your can of chopped tomatoes into a smooth consistency.
- Heat a large pan and add some vegetable oil. Fry 1 tbsp coriander, 1 tbsp cumin and 2 tsp turmeric for a minute. Pour in the blended tomatoes and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
- Blend the onion mixture into a smooth sauce. Add this to the tomato mixture and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes. Don't forget to add a pinch of salt and season to taste at this stage.
- In another pan, fry the chicken in a tbsp of vegetable oil until just about cooked through. Add the sliced onion and 2 chopped chillies and fry until soft (around 5 minutes).
- Now pour the sauce over the chicken and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle on the coriander and serve immediately with rice.
