If we go back to history, Jalfrezi recipes appeared in cookbooks of British India as a way of using up leftovers by frying them with chili and onion. The word Jalfrezi is a combination of two words. The first word Jal is derived from the colloquial Bengali word jhāl which means spicy food. The other word Frezi is derived from a Persian word porhezi (parhezī ) which means suitable for a diet. Jalfrezi is usually prepared by stir-frying ingredients, a technique introduced to the region by Chinese cuisine. Today, I am going to cook Chicken Jalfrezi which is very easy to cook and delicious too. So let’s get started…
Cooking Steps:
500 grams of chicken breast pieces. You can use
boneless thigh pieces as well. These are leftover chicken bones and neck. Add these into a pressure cooker and add a cup of water.
Pressure cook until 10 whistles at low heat. Strain to get chicken stock for later use. Add 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a hot pan. Shallow fry chicken pieces. Sprinkle a little salt and cook at low heat so that chicken can be cooked tenderized well. When adding salt, chicken releases juices and it helps not to stick chicken on the pan. Cover the lid and cook for 10 minutes at low heat until chicken tenderizes. Chicken is tender now. Cook at high flame until chicken water evaporate. Slow down the heat and take out chicken pieces from the pan. Add 3 whole red chilies in the same pan, in the same leftover cooking oil. Cook for few seconds until these turns into a darker shade. Add a half teaspoon of coriander seeds, a half teaspoon of cumin seeds. Fry for a minute at medium heat. Cut a large size onion into thick slices and add. Fry at low heat for approx 3-5 minutes. Do not cook much. We just have to caramelize onions. pressing 3-4 large size garlic cloves in the pan. You can add crushed garlic as well. Fry for 2 minutes. Adding 3 color bell peppers in half each. These are cut into thick slices like onions. Fry for 3-4 minutes at medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree. Mix well. Add red chili powder as per your taste, half a teaspoon of turmeric powder, half teaspoon of cumin powder, half tablespoon of curry powder, 1/4 tablespoon of garam masala powder, Salt as per taste. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes at low heat. Add pre-cooked shallow fried chicken pieces. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes at medium heat. Rub a tablespoon of dry fenugreek leaves within palms and add them into the pan. Mix well. Add a half cup of chicken stock which we have cooked in the pressure cooker in the beginning. Mix well. Cook at high flame for 2 minutes and further 3 minutes at low heat. Reduce chicken stock until seeing the thick gravy consistency. Chicken Jalfrezi is ready. It is a starter dish which is very delicious in taste. Let’s serve it. Add a few ginger juliennes, A few slices of green chili, Finish garnish with coriander leaves.
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