Chicken & turkey· GF · DF

Chicken Jalfrezi

Name: Chicken Jalfrezi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 700g chicken thigh fillets, 2cm pieces; 2 (300g) onions, chunky dice; 2 (320g) green and red peppers, diced; 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes; 30g tomato purée; 15g fresh coriander; 20ml rapeseed oil; 150ml water; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 20g fresh ginger; 3 (20g) green chillies; 14g cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder

A punchy curry of chicken, peppers and onion with green chillies, cumin and tomato. Drier and fresher than most curries.

makes 22 blocks, about 39p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/chicken-jalfrezi/

Illustration of a bowl of Chicken Jalfrezi

Time: 50 min15 min prep · 35 min cook
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 39p
Calories per blockCalories: 67 kcal
Spice: 3 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

700gchicken thigh fillets, 2cm pieces
2 (300g)onions, chunky dice
2 (320g)green and red peppers, diced
1 × 400g tinchopped tomatoes
30gtomato purée
15gfresh coriander
20mlrapeseed oil
150mlwater

For the paste

4 cloves (20g)garlic
20gfresh ginger
3 (20g)green chillies
14gcumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder

or 4 tbsp (about 60g) jalfrezi curry paste

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Basmati rice · Warm naan · A jacket potato with raita

Method

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken; lift out. (6 min)
Step 2: Add the onions and peppers and fry until softening but still with some bite. (6 min) Lift out half to stir back in at the end.
Step 3: Add the garlic, ginger and chillies for 1 minute, then the spices and purée for 1 minute more.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, water and chicken. Simmer, uncovered, until thick and the chicken is tender. (20 min)
Step 5: Stir back in the reserved peppers and onion for 3 minutes, then the coriander. Season, cool and freeze.

Hotter: keep the chilli seeds in and add 1 tsp hot chilli powder.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	67	6.9g	3.8g	2.7g	1g	0.06g
Per 3 blocks	201	20.7g	11.4g	8.1g	3g	0.18g

Cook’s notes

Adding half the peppers back at the end keeps some crunch, which is what makes a jalfrezi.
Keep the chilli seeds in for a hotter curry.
Thighs stay juicy; breast works but cook it for less time.

Serve it

Basmati rice · Warm naan · A jacket potato with raita.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 201 kcal and 20.7g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Chicken Jalfrezi questions

Can I make it with vegetables instead of chicken?

A drained tin of chickpeas with some cauliflower florets works well. Simmer until the cauliflower is just tender before adding the reserved peppers and onion.

Can I use frozen sliced peppers?

They work, but they release water and won't keep any bite, so fry them hard and don't bother reserving half.

Why simmer it uncovered?

Jalfrezi is a dry curry. Leaving the lid off lets the tomato reduce so the sauce clings to the chicken rather than pooling.