CHICKEN JALFREZI

Key words: Spices, hot spices, sauce, hot sauce, cooking ingredients, recipes, chicken, lamb, beef, pork, wine, lemons, 


The word jalfrezi, I think, is the anglicized word for colloquial Bengali word jhālpharezī: in Bengali, jhāl means spicy food; in Urdu/Persian, parhezī means suitable for a diet.^{[4] ikipidia}

We know about Chicken Tika Masala much more than chicken  jalfrezi. In the UK, chicken tika (pieces) masala has become the national dish, replacing the traditional fish & chips. In Netherlands, it is the second favorite dish of the Dutch. However, in the U.K, chicken jalfrezi was rated the most popular dish in 2011 (Wikipidia).

In Sind province (now Pakistan) where we lived before the partition of India, in winter months,  chicken or lamb jalfrezi was one of the favorite dishes of the family. Traditionally it is hot and spicy and to dull the sting of green chillies, fresh yoghourt and cream are used. Cool Lassi (sweet or salted) was the delicious way of savouring this tasty dish.

This method of cooking chicken pieces is dry, ingredients blended in a thick sauce,  popular in Bengal, central India and Punjab rather than in Gujarat or Maharashtra, although now a days,  it is popular everywhere. It is eaten with rice in Bengal,  in Punjab eaten with tandoory nan, roti and chappati, as rice is not a staple food with Punjabi and Sikh people.

Well then, to prepare this dish, you will need the following ingredients:-

For 500gm Chicken breasts (cut in 5cm cubes):
If you want to use chicken drum sticks, peal of the skin.

 For the marinade:
150ml fresh yogurt
Juice of half fresh lemon
 chicken broth (1cube dissolved in half cup hot water)
1/2 spoon saffron powder (or strands soaked in hot water together with chicken cube)
500gms  onions cut in thick pieces ( I use equal weight in onions to the weight of chicken or lamb. Onions make the sauce thick).
 5cm piece of fresh ginger root cut thin lengthwise
2 large fresh tomatos (skinned and cut in pieces) or tomatoe puree
1 red pepper (or half green and half red to give colour)
5-6 teeth of fresh garlic (also thinly cut)
1 fresh green chili pepper (if  you like it hot) also cut in thin strips OR red chilli powder
1 tbl.spoon whole cumin seeds (bruised slightly)
Black pepper (crushed) to taste
1tbl spoon turmeric powder
4-6 tbl. spoons olive oil/butter for frying. ( Many people fry the meat in butter, I prefer olive oil)
Half cup sherry or red wine(optional)

Heat a frying pan, pour oil and fry all the ingredients, except yoghourt,  under high heat for about two minutes. Add chicken pieces and fry for five minutes. Add sherry or wine. Now lower the heat and let the chicken simmer for further five minutes.( Frying under high heat seals the juices and makes meat tender).

Now the juices from onions and tomatoes will swim to the surface and it is time to turn and turn the chicken in the pan until the ingredients disolve into a thick sauce. Pour in the yoghourt and let it simmer for a few more minutes. Now the chicken is ready and pour in the cream and turn it a few times until completely disolved in the sauce.  Chicken Jalfrezi is ready.

Buen Provecho.