Chicken Jalfrezi

Name: Chicken Jalfrezi
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 300 g White onion; 6 clove Garlic; 30 g Ginger; 4 piece Green chilli; 200 g red bell pepper; 200 g green bell pepper; 400 g Plum tomatoes; 800 g boneless chicken thighs; 0.5 tsp Ground turmeric; 0.5 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 1 tsp Cumin seeds; 2 tsp Ground cumin; 2 tsp Ground coriander; 0.5 tsp Ground turmeric; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 2 tbsp Tomato purée; 100 ml Water; 0.5 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Garam masala; 20 g fresh coriander

58 min · 34 min active · makes ~2.25 kg · Easy

Chicken jalfrezi combines tender thighs with kashmiri chilli powder and green chillies for a tangy, moderately spiced curry that serves four.

See more →

Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken jalfrezi combines tender thighs with kashmiri chilli powder and green chillies for a tangy, moderately spiced curry that serves four.

See more →

TOTAL TIME

58 min

ACTIVE TIME

34 min

QUANTITY

~2.25 kg

DIFFICULTY

Easy

CUISINE

—

Who’s eating

Cooking for A typical adult.

This should leave everyone comfortably full.

Portions & fullness

Ingredients0/19

Tools0/13

Ingredients

0/19 gathered · 4 servings

300g

6clove

30g

4piece

200g

400g

800g

1tsp

4tbsp

1tsp

2tsp

1tsp

2tbsp

100ml

1tsp

20g

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	300g	—	—
2	6clove	—	—
3	30g	—	—
4	4piece	—	—
5	200g	—	—
6	200g	—	—
7	400g	—	—
8	800g	—	—
9	1tsp	—	—
10	1tsp	—	—
11	4tbsp	—	—
12	1tsp	—	—
13	2tsp	—	—
14	2tsp	—	—
15	1tsp	—	—
16	2tbsp	—	—
17	100ml	—	—
18	1tsp	—	—
19	20g	—	—

Tools

16 items

Serveware

1 item

Procedure

54 steps

1 of 54

Peel the onions and discard the skins.

White onion · 300 g

⏱ 30s

ResultPeeled onion

2 of 54

Halve each peeled onion through the root and slice thinly into half-moons.

Peeled onion · step 1

⏱ 40s

ResultThinly sliced onionsused in step 33

3 of 54

Crush each garlic clove with the flat of the knife and slip off the skins.

Garlic · 6 clove

⏱ 30s

ResultPeeled garlic cloves

4 of 54

Mince the peeled garlic cloves as finely as you can.

Peeled garlic cloves · step 3

⏱ 40s

ResultFinely minced garlic

5 of 54

Scrape the minced garlic into a small bowl and set aside.

Finely minced garlic · step 4

⏱ 5s

ResultFinely minced garlic

6 of 54

Scrape the skin from the ginger with a peeler.

Ginger · 30 g

⏱ 20s

ResultPeeled ginger

7 of 54

Mince the peeled ginger into a very fine paste-like mince.

Peeled ginger · step 6

⏱ 40s

ResultMinced ginger

8 of 54

Scrape the minced ginger into the bowl with the garlic and set aside.

Minced ginger · step 7

⏱ 5s

ResultMinced ginger and finely minced garlicused in step 35

9 of 54

Trim the stalks from the green chillies.

Green chilli · 4 piece

⏱ 20s

ResultTrimmed green chillies

10 of 54

Slice the trimmed green chillies into thin rounds, keeping the seeds in for heat.

Trimmed green chillies · step 9

⏱ 30s

ResultSliced green chillies

11 of 54

Transfer the sliced green chillies to a second small bowl and set aside.

Sliced green chillies · step 10

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced green chilliesused in step 46

12 of 54

Halve the red bell pepper, pull out the core and seeds, and discard them.

Red bell pepper · 200 g

⏱ 30s

ResultDeseeded red pepper

13 of 54

Slice the deseeded red pepper into strips roughly 1 cm wide.

Deseeded red pepper · step 12

⏱ 30s

ResultSliced Red Pepper

14 of 54

Transfer the sliced red pepper strips to a medium bowl.

Sliced Red Pepper · step 13

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced Red Pepper

15 of 54

Halve the green bell pepper, pull out the core and seeds, and discard them.

Green bell pepper · 200 g

⏱ 30s

ResultDeseeded green pepper

16 of 54

Slice the deseeded green pepper into strips roughly 1 cm wide.

Deseeded green pepper · step 15

⏱ 30s

ResultSliced green bell pepper

17 of 54

Add the sliced green pepper strips to the bowl with the red pepper.

Sliced green bell pepper · step 16

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced green bell pepper and Sliced Red Pepperused in step 44

18 of 54

Roughly chop the plum tomatoes into irregular chunks, about 2 cm across.

Plum tomatoes · 400 g

⏱ 45s

ResultRoughly chopped plum tomatoes

19 of 54

Scrape the chopped tomatoes and their juices into a second medium bowl and set aside.

Roughly chopped plum tomatoes · step 18

⏱ 5s

ResultRoughly chopped plum tomatoes

20 of 54

Slice each chicken thigh into three or four chunky strips, trimming away any excess fat as you go.

Boneless chicken thighs · 800 g

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultSliced chicken thighs

21 of 54

Transfer the sliced chicken to a large bowl.

Sliced chicken thighs · step 20

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced chicken thighs

22 of 54

Add ½ tsp of the turmeric to the chicken.

Ground turmeric · 0.5 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced chicken thighs and ground turmeric

23 of 54

Add ½ tsp of the salt to the chicken.

Salt · 0.5 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced chicken thighs and ground turmeric and salt

24 of 54

Toss the chicken thoroughly with the tongs until every piece is coated in the turmeric and salt.

⏱ 20s

ResultTurmeric-coated chickenused in step 27

25 of 54

Pour 2 tbsp of the oil into a large wide frying pan.

Vegetable oil · 2 tbsp

⏱ 5s

ResultVegetable oil

26 of 54

Heat the oil over a high heat until it is shimmering and almost smoking.

⏱ 1 min

ResultHot oil

27 of 54

Tip the turmeric-coated chicken into the hot oil in a single layer.

Turmeric-coated chicken · step 24

⏱ 10s

ResultHot oil and turmeric-coated chicken

28 of 54

Sear the chicken undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until golden on the underside, then turn each piece and sear the other side for another 2 minutes — the chicken need not be cooked through yet.

⏱ 5 min

ResultSeared chicken

29 of 54

Lift the seared chicken out of the pan into the bowl with the tomatoes, leaving any drippings behind.

Seared chicken · step 28

⏱ 20s

ResultPan drippingsused in step 47

30 of 54

Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the same pan.

Vegetable oil · 2 tbspPan drippings · step 29

⏱ 5s

ResultPan drippings and vegetable oil

31 of 54

Add the cumin seeds to the oil.

Cumin seeds · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultPan drippings and vegetable oil and cumin seeds

32 of 54

Fry the cumin seeds over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until they darken a shade and smell nutty, about 30 seconds.

⏱ 30s

ResultToasted cumin seeds

33 of 54

Add the sliced onion to the pan.

Thinly sliced onions · step 2

⏱ 5s

ResultThinly sliced onions and toasted cumin seeds

34 of 54

Sauté the onion over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it is soft and deeply golden at the edges, about 8 minutes.

⏱ 8 min

ResultSoftened golden onion

35 of 54

Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan.

Minced ginger and finely minced garlic · step 8

⏱ 5s

ResultSoftened golden onion and minced ginger and finely minced garlic

36 of 54

Fry the garlic and ginger with the onion, stirring constantly, for about 90 seconds until the raw smell is gone and everything smells fragrant.

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultFragrant garlic-ginger base

37 of 54

Add the ground cumin to the pan.

Ground cumin · 2 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin

38 of 54

Add the ground coriander to the pan.

Ground coriander · 2 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin and ground coriander

39 of 54

Add the remaining ½ tsp of turmeric to the pan.

Ground turmeric · 0.5 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin mixture

40 of 54

Add the Kashmiri chilli powder to the pan.

Kashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin mixture

41 of 54

Stir the spices into the onion base and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the spices are toasted and the mixture smells fragrant.

⏱ 1 min

ResultSpiced onion masala

42 of 54

Add the tomato purée to the pan.

Tomato purée · 2 tbsp

⏱ 5s

ResultSpiced onion masala and tomato purée

43 of 54

Stir the tomato purée into the masala and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes until it deepens to a brick-red colour.

⏱ 2 min

ResultDarkened tomato masala

44 of 54

Add the sliced red and green peppers to the pan.

Sliced green bell pepper and Sliced Red Pepper · step 17

⏱ 10s

ResultDarkened tomato masala and sliced green bell pepper and sliced red pepper

45 of 54

Stir-fry the peppers into the masala over a high heat for 3 minutes, keeping them moving, until they are slightly softened but still hold a little bite.

⏱ 3 min

ResultStir-fried peppers and masala

46 of 54

Add the sliced green chillies to the pan.

Sliced green chillies · step 11

⏱ 5s

ResultSliced green chillies and stir-fried peppers and masala

47 of 54

Add the seared chicken and the roughly chopped tomatoes together into the pan, scraping in all the juices.

Roughly chopped plum tomatoes and seared chicken · step 29

⏱ 10s

ResultSeared chicken and roughly chopped plum tomato mixture

48 of 54

Pour the water into the pan.

Water · 100 ml

⏱ 5s

ResultSeared chicken and roughly chopped plum tomato mixture

49 of 54

Add the remaining ½ tsp of salt to the pan.

Salt · 0.5 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultSeared chicken and roughly chopped plum tomato mixture

50 of 54

Stir everything together well so the chicken and vegetables are fully coated in the masala.

⏱ 20s

ResultAssembled jalfrezi

51 of 54

Bring to a vigorous simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and clings to the pieces. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.

⏱ 15 min

ResultCooked jalfrezi

52 of 54

Sprinkle the garam masala over the curry.

Garam masala · 1 tsp

⏱ 5s

ResultCooked jalfrezi and garam masala

53 of 54

Stir the garam masala through and cook for a final 30 seconds to bloom the spice into the sauce.

⏱ 30s

ResultFinished jalfrezi

54 of 54

Ladle the jalfrezi into a warm serving bowl.

Finished jalfrezi · step 53

⏱ 20s

ResultPlated jalfrezi

Total Time58 min

#	Product	Action
1	300 g	Peel the onions and discard the skins.⏱ 30sResultPeeled onion
2	Peeled onionstep 1	Halve each peeled onion through the root and slice thinly into half-moons.⏱ 40sResultThinly sliced onionsused in step 33
3	6 clove	Crush each garlic clove with the flat of the knife and slip off the skins.⏱ 30sResultPeeled garlic cloves
4	Peeled garlic clovesstep 3	Mince the peeled garlic cloves as finely as you can.⏱ 40sResultFinely minced garlic
5	Finely minced garlicstep 4	Scrape the minced garlic into a small bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultFinely minced garlic
6	30 g	Scrape the skin from the ginger with a peeler.⏱ 20sResultPeeled ginger
7	Peeled gingerstep 6	Mince the peeled ginger into a very fine paste-like mince.⏱ 40sResultMinced ginger
8	Minced gingerstep 7	Scrape the minced ginger into the bowl with the garlic and set aside.⏱ 5sResultMinced ginger and finely minced garlicused in step 35
9	4 piece	Trim the stalks from the green chillies.⏱ 20sResultTrimmed green chillies
10	Trimmed green chilliesstep 9	Slice the trimmed green chillies into thin rounds, keeping the seeds in for heat.⏱ 30sResultSliced green chillies
11	Sliced green chilliesstep 10	Transfer the sliced green chillies to a second small bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultSliced green chilliesused in step 46
12	200 g	Halve the red bell pepper, pull out the core and seeds, and discard them.⏱ 30sResultDeseeded red pepper
13	Deseeded red pepperstep 12	Slice the deseeded red pepper into strips roughly 1 cm wide.⏱ 30sResultSliced Red Pepper
14	Sliced Red Pepperstep 13	Transfer the sliced red pepper strips to a medium bowl.⏱ 5sResultSliced Red Pepper
15	200 g	Halve the green bell pepper, pull out the core and seeds, and discard them.⏱ 30sResultDeseeded green pepper
16	Deseeded green pepperstep 15	Slice the deseeded green pepper into strips roughly 1 cm wide.⏱ 30sResultSliced green bell pepper
17	Sliced green bell pepperstep 16	Add the sliced green pepper strips to the bowl with the red pepper.⏱ 5sResultSliced green bell pepper and Sliced Red Pepperused in step 44
18	400 g	Roughly chop the plum tomatoes into irregular chunks, about 2 cm across.⏱ 45sResultRoughly chopped plum tomatoes
19	Roughly chopped plum tomatoesstep 18	Scrape the chopped tomatoes and their juices into a second medium bowl and set aside.⏱ 5sResultRoughly chopped plum tomatoes
20	800 g	Slice each chicken thigh into three or four chunky strips, trimming away any excess fat as you go.⏱ 1 min 30sResultSliced chicken thighs
21	Sliced chicken thighsstep 20	Transfer the sliced chicken to a large bowl.⏱ 5sResultSliced chicken thighs
22	0.5 tsp	Add ½ tsp of the turmeric to the chicken.⏱ 5sResultSliced chicken thighs and ground turmeric
23	0.5 tsp	Add ½ tsp of the salt to the chicken.⏱ 5sResultSliced chicken thighs and ground turmeric and salt
24	—	Toss the chicken thoroughly with the tongs until every piece is coated in the turmeric and salt.⏱ 20sResultTurmeric-coated chickenused in step 27
25	2 tbsp	Pour 2 tbsp of the oil into a large wide frying pan.⏱ 5sResultVegetable oil
26	—	Heat the oil over a high heat until it is shimmering and almost smoking.⏱ 1 minResultHot oil
27	Turmeric-coated chickenstep 24	Tip the turmeric-coated chicken into the hot oil in a single layer.⏱ 10sResultHot oil and turmeric-coated chicken
28	—	Sear the chicken undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until golden on the underside, then turn each piece and sear the other side for another 2 minutes — the chicken need not be cooked through yet.⏱ 5 minResultSeared chicken
29	Seared chickenstep 28	Lift the seared chicken out of the pan into the bowl with the tomatoes, leaving any drippings behind.⏱ 20sResultPan drippingsused in step 47
30	2 tbsp	Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the same pan.⏱ 5sResultPan drippings and vegetable oil
30	Pan drippingsstep 29
31	1 tsp	Add the cumin seeds to the oil.⏱ 5sResultPan drippings and vegetable oil and cumin seeds
32	—	Fry the cumin seeds over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until they darken a shade and smell nutty, about 30 seconds.⏱ 30sResultToasted cumin seeds
33	Thinly sliced onionsstep 2	Add the sliced onion to the pan.⏱ 5sResultThinly sliced onions and toasted cumin seeds
34	—	Sauté the onion over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it is soft and deeply golden at the edges, about 8 minutes.⏱ 8 minResultSoftened golden onion
35	Minced ginger and finely minced garlicstep 8	Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan.⏱ 5sResultSoftened golden onion and minced ginger and finely minced garlic
36	—	Fry the garlic and ginger with the onion, stirring constantly, for about 90 seconds until the raw smell is gone and everything smells fragrant.⏱ 1 min 30sResultFragrant garlic-ginger base
37	2 tsp	Add the ground cumin to the pan.⏱ 5sResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin
38	2 tsp	Add the ground coriander to the pan.⏱ 5sResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin and ground coriander
39	0.5 tsp	Add the remaining ½ tsp of turmeric to the pan.⏱ 5sResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin mixture
40	1 tsp	Add the Kashmiri chilli powder to the pan.⏱ 5sResultFragrant garlic-ginger base and ground cumin mixture
41	—	Stir the spices into the onion base and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the spices are toasted and the mixture smells fragrant.⏱ 1 minResultSpiced onion masala
42	2 tbsp	Add the tomato purée to the pan.⏱ 5sResultSpiced onion masala and tomato purée
43	—	Stir the tomato purée into the masala and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes until it deepens to a brick-red colour.⏱ 2 minResultDarkened tomato masala
44	Sliced green bell pepper and Sliced Red Pepperstep 17	Add the sliced red and green peppers to the pan.⏱ 10sResultDarkened tomato masala and sliced green bell pepper and sliced red pepper
45	—	Stir-fry the peppers into the masala over a high heat for 3 minutes, keeping them moving, until they are slightly softened but still hold a little bite.⏱ 3 minResultStir-fried peppers and masala
46	Sliced green chilliesstep 11	Add the sliced green chillies to the pan.⏱ 5sResultSliced green chillies and stir-fried peppers and masala
47	Roughly chopped plum tomatoes and seared chickenstep 29	Add the seared chicken and the roughly chopped tomatoes together into the pan, scraping in all the juices.⏱ 10sResultSeared chicken and roughly chopped plum tomato mixture
48	100 ml	Pour the water into the pan.⏱ 5sResultSeared chicken and roughly chopped plum tomato mixture
49	0.5 tsp	Add the remaining ½ tsp of salt to the pan.⏱ 5sResultSeared chicken and roughly chopped plum tomato mixture
50	—	Stir everything together well so the chicken and vegetables are fully coated in the masala.⏱ 20sResultAssembled jalfrezi
51	—	Bring to a vigorous simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and clings to the pieces. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.⏱ 15 minResultCooked jalfrezi
52	1 tsp	Sprinkle the garam masala over the curry.⏱ 5sResultCooked jalfrezi and garam masala
53	—	Stir the garam masala through and cook for a final 30 seconds to bloom the spice into the sauce.⏱ 30sResultFinished jalfrezi
54	Finished jalfrezistep 53	Ladle the jalfrezi into a warm serving bowl.⏱ 20sResultPlated jalfrezi
Total Time		58 min

Serving

Tear the fresh coriander leaves roughly and scatter them over the top to finish.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 100% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	668kcal
	41g
	46g
	11g
	24g
	12g
	6g
	767mg

Ingredients0/19

Tools0/13

Recipe

Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken jalfrezi combines tender thighs with kashmiri chilli powder and green chillies for a tangy, moderately spiced curry that serves four.

What you’ll doYou will prepare your aromatics, peppers and tomatoes ahead of time, then sear the turmeric-coated chicken in hot oil. In the same pan, you'll fry cumin seeds and caramelise onions, add garlic and ginger, toast your ground spices, and build a brick-red masala base with tomato purée. The peppers, green chillies, seared chicken and tomatoes go in together, the curry simmers uncovered for 12–15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce clings to each piece, then garam masala blooms in for 30 seconds before you serve it scattered with fresh coriander.

Serves4

Total58 min

LevelMedium

Ingredients

White onion300 g
Garlic6 clove
Ginger30 g
Green chilli4 piece
Red bell pepper200 g
Green bell pepper200 g
Plum tomatoes400 g
Boneless chicken thighs800 g
Ground turmeric1 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Vegetable oil4 tbsp
Cumin seeds1 tsp
Ground cumin2 tsp
Ground coriander2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder1 tsp
Tomato purée2 tbsp
Water100 ml
Garam masala1 tsp
Fresh coriander20 g

Tools

Large wide frying panTongsWork surfaceGarlic bowl (small bowl)Green chillies bowl (small bowl)Chef's knifeRed bowl (medium bowl)Pan drippings bowl (medium bowl)Large bowlWooden spoonLarge spoonPeelerLadleServing bowlChopping boardThermometer

Method

Peel the onions and discard the skins.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeWhite onion · 300 g

Halve each peeled onion through the root and slice thinly into half-moons.

Result · Thinly sliced onions · used in step 33

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled onion · step 1

Crush each garlic clove with the flat of the knife and slip off the skins.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeGarlic · 6 clove

Mince the peeled garlic cloves as finely as you can.

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled garlic cloves · step 3

Scrape the minced garlic into a small bowl and set aside.

5sGarlic bowl (small bowl)Finely minced garlic · step 4

Scrape the skin from the ginger with a peeler.

20sChopping board, PeelerGinger · 30 g

Mince the peeled ginger into a very fine paste-like mince.

40sChopping board, Chefs knifePeeled ginger · step 6

Scrape the minced ginger into the bowl with the garlic and set aside.

Result · Minced ginger and finely minced garlic · used in step 35

5sGarlic bowl (small bowl)Minced ginger · step 7

Trim the stalks from the green chillies.

20sChopping board, Chefs knifeGreen chilli · 4 piece

Slice the trimmed green chillies into thin rounds, keeping the seeds in for heat.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeTrimmed green chillies · step 9

Transfer the sliced green chillies to a second small bowl and set aside.

Result · Sliced green chillies · used in step 46

5sGreen chillies bowl (small bowl)Sliced green chillies · step 10

Halve the red bell pepper, pull out the core and seeds, and discard them.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeRed bell pepper · 200 g

Slice the deseeded red pepper into strips roughly 1 cm wide.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeDeseeded red pepper · step 12

Transfer the sliced red pepper strips to a medium bowl.

5sRed bowl (medium bowl)Sliced Red Pepper · step 13

Halve the green bell pepper, pull out the core and seeds, and discard them.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeGreen bell pepper · 200 g

Slice the deseeded green pepper into strips roughly 1 cm wide.

30sChopping board, Chefs knifeDeseeded green pepper · step 15

Add the sliced green pepper strips to the bowl with the red pepper.

Result · Sliced green bell pepper and Sliced Red Pepper · used in step 44

5sRed bowl (medium bowl)Sliced green bell pepper · step 16

Roughly chop the plum tomatoes into irregular chunks, about 2 cm across.

45sChopping board, Work surface, Chefs knifePlum tomatoes · 400 g

Scrape the chopped tomatoes and their juices into a second medium bowl and set aside.

5sPan drippings bowl (medium bowl)Roughly chopped plum tomatoes · step 18

Slice each chicken thigh into three or four chunky strips, trimming away any excess fat as you go.

1 min 30sChopping board, Chefs knifeBoneless chicken thighs · 800 g

Transfer the sliced chicken to a large bowl.

5sLarge bowlSliced chicken thighs · step 20

Add ½ tsp of the turmeric to the chicken.

5sLarge bowlGround turmeric · 0.5 tsp

Add ½ tsp of the salt to the chicken.

5sLarge bowlSalt · 0.5 tsp

Toss the chicken thoroughly with the tongs until every piece is coated in the turmeric and salt.

Result · Turmeric-coated chicken · used in step 27

20sLarge bowl, Tongs

Pour 2 tbsp of the oil into a large wide frying pan.

5sLarge wide frying panVegetable oil · 2 tbsp

Heat the oil over a high heat until it is shimmering and almost smoking.

1 minLarge wide frying pan

Tip the turmeric-coated chicken into the hot oil in a single layer.

10sLarge wide frying panTurmeric-coated chicken · step 24

Sear the chicken undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until golden on the underside, then turn each piece and sear the other side for another 2 minutes — the chicken need not be cooked through yet.

5 minLarge wide frying pan, Tongs

Lift the seared chicken out of the pan into the bowl with the tomatoes, leaving any drippings behind.

Result · Pan drippings · used in step 47

20sPan drippings bowl (medium bowl), TongsSeared chicken · step 28

Add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil to the same pan.

5sLarge wide frying panVegetable oil · 2 tbsp

Add the cumin seeds to the oil.

5sLarge wide frying panCumin seeds · 1 tsp

Fry the cumin seeds over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until they darken a shade and smell nutty, about 30 seconds.

30sLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Add the sliced onion to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panThinly sliced onions · step 2

Sauté the onion over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it is soft and deeply golden at the edges, about 8 minutes.

8 minLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panMinced ginger and finely minced garlic · step 8

Fry the garlic and ginger with the onion, stirring constantly, for about 90 seconds until the raw smell is gone and everything smells fragrant.

1 min 30sLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Add the ground cumin to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panGround cumin · 2 tsp

Add the ground coriander to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panGround coriander · 2 tsp

Add the remaining ½ tsp of turmeric to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panGround turmeric · 0.5 tsp

Add the Kashmiri chilli powder to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panKashmiri chilli powder · 1 tsp

Stir the spices into the onion base and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the spices are toasted and the mixture smells fragrant.

1 minLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Add the tomato purée to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panTomato purée · 2 tbsp

Stir the tomato purée into the masala and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes until it deepens to a brick-red colour.

2 minLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Add the sliced red and green peppers to the pan.

10sLarge wide frying panSliced green bell pepper and Sliced Red Pepper · step 17

Stir-fry the peppers into the masala over a high heat for 3 minutes, keeping them moving, until they are slightly softened but still hold a little bite.

3 minLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Add the sliced green chillies to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panSliced green chillies · step 11

Add the seared chicken and the roughly chopped tomatoes together into the pan, scraping in all the juices.

10sLarge wide frying panRoughly chopped plum tomatoes and seared chicken · step 29

Pour the water into the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panWater · 100 ml

Add the remaining ½ tsp of salt to the pan.

5sLarge wide frying panSalt · 0.5 tsp

Stir everything together well so the chicken and vegetables are fully coated in the masala.

20sLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

15 minLarge wide frying pan, Thermometer

Sprinkle the garam masala over the curry.

5sLarge wide frying panGaram masala · 1 tsp

Stir the garam masala through and cook for a final 30 seconds to bloom the spice into the sauce.

30sLarge wide frying pan, Wooden spoon

Ladle the jalfrezi into a warm serving bowl.

20sServing bowl, LadleFinished jalfrezi · step 53

Tear the fresh coriander leaves roughly and scatter them over the top to finish.

Result · Chicken Jalfrezi

15sServing bowlFresh coriander · 20 g

Printed 8 October 2026