The British ruled over Indian for about 200 years. The period was marked by various mutinies, battles and uprisings - leading to India's independence in the year 1947. But a period this long cannot be complete without the exchange of cultures. There are many Indian recipes that caught the fancy of British, who adapted it their way and popularised them further; chicken Jalfrezi is one such curried preparation. According to historians, the English warmed up to the concept of curries somewhere around the 19th century. A range of curries made way to British cook manuals, Jalfrezi being one of them. The Jalfrezi recipes inherently became a way to use up the cold meat or leftovers by frying them in chillies and onions. The English word 'Jalfrezi' is said to be derived colloquial Bengali term jhāl porhezī, where jhāl means spicy and porhezī referred to anything suitable for a diet. These recipes became a sensation, primarily because of its taste, unique flavour and nutritional value, and the rest, as they say, is indeed history. Chicken Jalfrezi, along with chicken tikka masala is one of the most beloved 'Indian' chicken preparations across the UK. It enjoys a decent fanbase in India as well; it is hot and fried. There is no way we desis wouldn't dig it.
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Chicken jalfrezi is a popular recipe
How To Make Chicken Jalfrezi | Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe:
It is a fairly simple recipe that can be made with commonly available ingredients. This recipe has a perfect semi-dry consistency; you can experiment with the consistency. This recipe uses boneless chicken, but again that is a choice you can make for yourself. You can also replace chicken with lamb or paneer. The spicy red masala or thick paste is made with a combination of cumin seeds, onions, ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, green chillies, red chilli powder, garam masala and coriander leaves. Make sure you heat the oil, let the cumin splutter and then add the chicken in hot oil. Fry till the chicken starts to look slightly brown and is perfectly fried. Keep this fried chicken aside, and start making the masala in the same pan. Throw in the chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Sautee in high heat, till they are glossy. Then add the green chillies, salt, chilli powder and stir fry till they are nicely mixed. Now add the chicken, followed by garam masala. Mix well. Serve chicken jalfrezi hot with a garnish of coriander leaves.
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Chicken is a versatile meat
Here is the full recipe with all ingredients. Try it at home and let us know how you liked it.