This chicken jalfrezi is an easy and delicious Indian chicken curry made with tomatoes and Indian spices and finished with quick stir-fried bell peppers and onion.
Chicken Jalfrezi is a popular Indian curry, which is typically one of the spicier Indian curries. “Jalfrezi” loosely translates to “spicy hot stir fry”. That said, when you make it at home, you can make it as spicy or not as you like.
I love the addition of the quick stir-fried peppers and onions that are stirred into the flavourful curry at the end. It makes it a perfect one-dish dinner!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes on the key ingredients …
Chicken – Boneless chicken thighs are almost always my first choice here, but I have used boneless chicken breasts as well and both are nice.
Ginger Garlic Paste – Bottled ginger garlic paste is quite common in Indian curries. It is quite easy to find in with the Asian foods at most grocery stores and it keeps in the fridge for a long time. You could easily substitute minced fresh garlic and ginger for the paste.
Tomatoes – I think fresh tomatoes are both the nicest and easiest for this curry. In place of fresh tomatoes, you can use whole or diced canned tomatoes.
Bell peppers – You can use red, orange or yellow bell peppers here. I don’t love green peppers in this dish, but if it appeals to you, that’s fine too.
Kashmiri Chili Powder – Kashmiri chili powder is not quite as easy to find as some Indian ingredients, but it is a great addition to the spice rack if you enjoy Indian curry. A combination of paprika and cayenne is a decent substitute.
Kasuri Methi – As a fan of making Indian curry at home, I have discovered that kasuri methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) are one of the ingredients that really bring the Indian flavours to a dish. They aren’t always easy to find, but again, they keep forever and are a great addition to curries. You can omit if you don’t have it on hand.
How to make chicken jalfrezi
This is a summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete ingredient list and instructions in the Recipe Card below.
- Add the chopped fresh tomatoes and the tomato paste to a food processor and process to puree. You could also use a blender or immersion blender. Set aside.
- Soften the onions in a bit of oil in a skillet, then add the ginger garlic sauce. Add the cubed chicken to the skillet and cook until no longer pink.
- Add the pureed tomatoes to the skillet.
- Add the spices to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Simmer the curry partially covered.
- While the curry is simmering, add some oil to a skillet and heat. Add the bell peppers and onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and browned in spots.
- Finish the curry with kasuri methi and vinegar and a generous seasoning with salt.
- Add the sauteed peppers and onion to the skillet and stir in.
- Add some chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with naan and rice, if you like.
Recipe video
Top tip!
I have learned that Indian curries almost always need a decent salting! It is natural to think that we have seasoned it well with all the spices that go into the pot, but salt is key to bringing all those great flavours together. So taste at the end of simmering and add salt as needed!
Making ahead, storing and freezing
Indian curries hold and reheat well, so you can make this ahead. For best results, I would stir-fry and add the peppers and onions when ready to serve to keep the crispness.
This curry would freeze well for up to 3 months. The stir-fried vegetables would probably lose their crispness through the freeze/thaw/reheat however.
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Ingredients
- 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped *see Note 1 below
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon ginger garlic paste, or 1/2 Tablespoon grated ginger and garlic
- 6 boneless chicken thighs, cubed, about 1 1/2 lbs.
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2-1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder, to taste *see Note 2 below
- 1/2 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon kasuri methi, optional
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 dried red Kashmiri chili pepper, optional
Instructions
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to a food processor. Process until pureed and set aside. (You could also use a blender or an immersion blender.)
- Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook with the onions, stirring, about 1 minute.
- Add the cubed chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring regularly, until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the pureed tomatoes to the skillet and stir in, then add all the spices to the skillet and the dried Kashmiri chili, if using. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook a few minutes then lower the heat to medium-low (or a bit lower as needed for a gentle simmer) and cover the skillet. Allow to simmer covered for 6-8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat some oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring regularly, until softened and starting to brown in spots.
- Tip! Curries need generous seasoning with salt to bring out all the great flavours. Taste and add salt as needed. If the flavours seem "flat" it needs more salt!
- Remove the lid from the curry. Add the kasuri methi and vinegar to the skillet and stir in. Taste and season generously with salt, as needed to bring out all the flavours. Add the sauteed bell peppers and onion to the skillet along with the fresh cilantro. Stir to combine. If the curry is too thick, you can add up to a 1/4 cup of hot water as needed.
- Serve with cooked rice and/or naan bread and garnish with additional fresh cilantro.
Notes
More Indian curry recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
When using garlic and ginger – is it 1/2 tbsp of each?
Hi Lea and yes, 1/2 Tbsp ginger and 1/2 Tbsp garlic. Enjoy :)