Chicken Jalfrezi | Video

Chicken jalfrezi – Create your favorite Indian takeaway meal right in your kitchen with this easy foolproof recipe. Made with chicken, bell peppers and green chilies, this stir fry is a healthy addition to your family dinner.

As you know, I’ve a great fascination towards healthier ways of cooking. I occasionally indulge in deep fried snacks and sweet treats though. But most of the time I like to enjoy simple foods cooked healthy. This chicken jalfrezi proves that you don’t always need the trendiest superfoods on the market to stay healthy. A simple combo of chicken and veggies in a mouthwatering sauce will do the job.

Well, jalfrezi is the Indian version of stir fry. The word ‘jal’ means spicy, and needless to say, this recipe is all about chicken coated in a spicy sauce. Unlike chicken tikka masala and butter chicken that feature chicken cooked in a delicious sauce, jalfrezi needs a very thick sauce which makes it so lip-smacking good. This chicken jalfrezi has been a family favorite for so many years now, and it’s certainly one of my most favorite ways to cook chicken.

If you’re a huge fan of this Indian restaurant favorite or just want to learn a new way to cook amazingly versatile chicken, I think it’s time to horn your skills and learn to cook this delicious chicken dish.

First, you’ll need to marinate the chicken. This will ensure the chicken pieces are flavorful inside out. Coat the chicken pieces really well in ground turmeric, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder and white vinegar. Oh, and a pinch of salt to season the chicken. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Apart from making the chicken flavorful, this step is crucial for creating tender and juicy bites of chicken.

The key to the perfect chicken jalfrezi recipe are four amazing ingredients – boneless chicken, green chilies, tomatoes and bell peppers (capsicum). As I mentioned, authentic jalfrezi recipe is very spicy, and the spice factor comes from green chilies and red chili powder. The best part is you’re in total control of the heat. Just customize the amount of red chili powder and green chilies. You can also deseed the chilies to reduce the heat.

Bell peppers or capsicums in any color is an absolute must in this recipe. I like to dice the peppers into small squares, but long strips also look great in the stir fry. One rule of thumb is to choose either dicing or slicing for chicken, bell peppers and onions. Either way, you’ll be creating a delicious side dish in no time at all.

Tomatoes and tomato paste impart the vibrant color to this chicken jalfrezi. As the tomatoes cook and turn soft, it’ll make rich and thick sauce along with the rest of the ingredients. Even though this is an Indian dish, the amount of spices used is minimal. A little ground coriander and black pepper is all that you need to make this recipe just awesome.

This chicken recipe is perfect to serve alongside parathas or rice. Lip smacking meal, indeed!

Yield: 4

Chicken Jalfrezi | Video

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Cook your favorite takeaway at home with this easy chicken jalfrezi recipe. Perfect addition to your Indian inspired meal the whole family will love!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Marinate chicken:

• 800 g boneless chicken, cut into small cubes
• 1 tsp ground turmeric (turmeric powder)
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste

Chicken jalfrezi:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 3 green chilies, sliced
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 4 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
• 1 tbsp ground coriander (coriander powder)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 big bell pepper (capsicum), diced
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

Instructions

Marinate chicken:

1. Place chicken in a large bowl. Add ground turmeric, vinegar, ginger garlic paste and red chili powder. Season with salt. Coat chicken in the spices. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Chicken jalfrezi:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds. Allow to splutter. Add onions and green chilies. Sauté, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
2. Add ginger garlic paste. Sauté, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Stir in marinated chicken. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add tomato purée (tomato paste), coriander powder, ground black pepper and red chili powder. Season with salt. Stir fry for one minute.
3. Add tomatoes. Stir fry for a minute. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in bell peppers (capsicum) and coriander (cilantro). Stir fry for a minute.
4. Serve warm.

Notes

- Make a vegetarian version of this curry with paneer and your favorite vegetables.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 428Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 178mgSodium 435mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 61g

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