Easy Chicken Jalfrezi recipe with tender chicken pieces, peppers, and delicious homemade curry sauce. It takes 30 minutes to make everything from scratch and you will be amazed by how tasty and aromatic your curry sauce turns out. Learn how to make it at home with our simple instructions.
If you love making Indian curries at home, you will also like our Chicken Madras curry.
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What is Chicken Jalfrezi
This dish is one of the most popular chicken curries in the UK, also known as ‘ Murgh Jalfrezi ‘. You can find it in the menu of most Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi restaurants and takeaways. Usually consist of meat, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, in rich hot curry sauce.
Readymade curry pastes like, Pataks jalfrezi pastes are widely available in supermarkets. But many of my viewers still want to create at home and requested me to share the chicken jalfrezi restaurant-style curry. So here is our tried and tested, easy homemade recipe with onions and peppers.
We made it with simple pantry-friendly ingredients but the taste, colour, and flavour were Super! If you haven’t tasted this savoury, aromatic mouth-watering homemade curry sauce, I highly recommend trying it at least once! I am sure you will definitely love it.
Why you need try this recipe:
- All ingredients are pantry friendly and you can easily buy them in any supermarket or Indian grocery store.
- When you make at home you know what you are adding to your curry and can customize the spices according to your preference.
- Less time-consuming and fast in preparation and cleaning up.
- Can create the aromatic creamy sauce without much hassle. ( no blending in a food processor and less mess. )
- Double or triple the amount of this recipe, you can serve your whole family with a minimum budget without ordering from the takeaway.
- Healthier and tastier than regular takeaway curries.
Ingredients we need
- Chicken – I used chicken breast in this recipe. You can also try with chicken thigh, bone-in chicken pieces, lamb, and beef. Tougher meat and bone-in chicken takes more time to cook. Cook with low heat until the meat is soft and tender or you can cook with an instant pot or slow cooker. For vegetarians, paneer and tofu are great substitutes.
- Jalfrezi curry sauce – This curry sauce base is seasoned with garam masala, turmeric and paprika. Add cumin seeds and bay leaves to bring more fragrant to the dish. Shallot onions, garlic, ginger and tomato puree creates the curry sauce rich, creamy, and tasty.
- Vegetables – Onions and bell peppers are ideal for this recipe. You can also add carrots, potatoes, green chillies, etc.
How to make chicken jalfrezi curry
- First, season the meat with turmeric, paprika, garam masala, and salt. Set it aside and prepare the curry sauce. You don’t need much time for the marinade.
- In a large pan, sauté the jeera(cumin) and bay leaves with ghee or oil for few seconds and follow with chopped shallots, garlic, and ginger paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes until light brown.
- Add tomato puree, spices, salt and stir for few seconds. Next add the chicken pieces and saute for 1 minute and pour the water in.
- Cook with medium-low heat until the chicken is tender. Add the peppers and continue cook until the peppers are soft.
- Turn off heat and sprinkle chopped chillies. Transfer to serving plate and serve while hot with basmati rice, naan, or chapatti.
Cooking Note:
This recipe is made without the pre-made curry sauce base or store-bought jalfrezi paste. You can cook anytime without the sauce base. As this is a quick and easy recipe I do not blend the curry sauce into a smooth paste. If you prefer the sauce extra smooth, you can blend it in the food processor and add it back to the curry.
Frequently asked questions
Simply serve it with cooked basmati rice or naan. You can also try it with chapati, flatbread, or pitta bread. Cucumber, onions, green chilli, or lime wedges can be served on the side.
Jalfrezi curry is milder than Madras curry and you can always adjust the amount of chilli and masala intake if you make it at home.
This recipe is only 362 kcal per serving, approximately. Nutritional facts may slightly vary.
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Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g Chicken breast or chicken thigh ( about 14 oz )
- 1 Bell pepper
- 3 Shallots or onions ( fine chopped )
- 1 tbsp Garlic ( fine chopped or grated )
- 1 tsp Ginger paste ( or finely grated )
- 3 tbsp Tomato puree ( Or concentrate ) see details in note
- 1½ tsp Salt ( Or salt to taste )
- 4 tbsp Ghee or vegetable oil
- 1½ cup warm water ( about 350-400 ml ) add more water if needed.
Chicken marinade
- ½ tsp Tumeric powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala ( or Indian curry powder )
- 1 tsp Paprika ( or chilli powder )
- ½ tsp Salt
Spices
- 2 Bay leaves ( optional )
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds ( jeera seeds )
- 1 tsp Tumeric powder
- 1½ tsp Paprika ( or chilli powder )
- 1½ tsp Garam masala ( or Indian curry powder )
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into medium size pieces and marinade with salt, turmeric, paprika, and garam masala. Mix it well and set aside.
- Heat the pan into medium heat, add 3-4 tablespoons of ghee and saute the cumin seeds and bay leaves for few seconds.
- Add with the chopped shallots until translucent, follow with the garlic and ginger paste.
- Fry until light brown then add salt, tomato puree and spices. Stir for few seconds and add the chicken pieces, cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour the warm water in, stir well, and cook with low heat for 8-10 minutes until the meat is soft and tender. ( Add a bit more warm water if the gravy is too thick. )
- Turn off the heat, sprinkle chopped fresh chilli and transfer to serving plate.
- Serve with cooked basmati rice, naan, chapati or flatbread. Garnish with chopped coriander or fresh lime wedges.
Notes
- Tomato Puree – Use tomato puree or concentrate for thick red creamy tomato sauce.
If you wish to use fresh tomatoes, or tomato passata, cook the tomatoes until reduce to half, then add the chicken pieces. - Warm Water – Use warm water instead of cold water, as cold water can stop the cooking process and harden the chicken and onions.
- Ghee – To taste like an Indian restaurant curry use Ghee instead of oil. If you don’t have ghee in hand it’s totally fine to use butter or cooking oil.
- Extra creamy curry – Add 3-4 tablespoons of heavy cream, double cream, or coconut milk, if you love your curry, extra rich and creamy flavour.
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