Jalfrezi-Balti

This is a self-created hybrid of a number of Jalfrezi and Balti recipes I've tried. It has the flavours and elements of the Jalfrezi with the rich sauce of the Balti. It can be cooked with various meats such as Chicken Tikka as well as Paneer, Vegetables, Tofu, Chickpeas, etc.

This recipe covers cooking the Curry from scratch (with pre-prepared meat), without requiring base gravy using simple and easy to find ingredients.

Best served with Pilau Rice and / or Naan.

For best results cook in an aluminium saucepan on a gas hob.

Serves 4 with Rice.

Ingredients

Prep Group	Quantity	Item
	5 tablespoons	Rapeseed/canola oil¹
	1	Large onion
1	2 inches	Ginger
1	3	Garlic cloves
	2	Large tomatoes
2	4-5 slices	Red pepper
2	4-5 slices	Yellow pepper
3	1/2 tablespoon	Mixed curry powder ²
3	1/2 tablespoon	Chilli powder
3	1/4 tablespoon	Haldi (turmeric) powder
3	1/4 tablespoon	Coriander powder
3	1/2 tablespoon	Kashmiri chilli powder
3	1/4 tablespoon	Garam masala
	1-2 tablespoons	Tomato puree
	1-2 cups	Water
	3	Medium bird's eye chillies
	Pinch	Kasuri Methi
	400 grams	Boneless chicken pieces/cooked tikka ³
	Handful	Corriander
		Table Salt

Notes on the ingredients

1. You can use less or no oil but more care must be taken to ensure ingredients don't stick or burn. With no oil add more water regularly.

If at any point the pan seems too dry add a splash of water to keep things moving.

2. A generic curry powder works as well as a making a mix - there are lots of variants out there.

3. Pre-cooked meats such as tikka can be added later, raw meats/veg can be used but the extra cooking time needs to be factored in. I prefer to add pre-cooked meat/veg as it can be seasoned independently and gives better control on timing.

Nearly any of the ingredients can be optional - omitting them will change the taste but it will still taste good.

Quantities can also be varied to taste through the cooking process. I recommend tasting it as you go to see how changes impact the flavour.

The heat can be varied through the chilli powder and chillies.

Adding the chillies later will mean they are crisper and have more bite with a more localised heat, whereas adding them sooner will soften them and integrate them more into the sauce along with the heat making the whole dish hotter.

Preparation

Finely dice the onion.

Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

Slice the bird's eye chillies lengthways.

Group 1

Crush and finely chop the Garlic and Ginger and combine in a dish.

Group 2

Slice both peppers ready to add together.

Group 3

Measure out the spices below into a dish:

Mixed curry powder (1/2 tbsp)
Chilli powder (1/2 tbsp)
Haldi (turmeric) powder (1/4 tbsp)
Coriander powder (1/4 tbsp)
Kashmiri chilli powder (1/2 tbsp)
Garam masala (1/4 tbsp)

Method

Step 1

Add 5 tablespoons of rapeseed oil to your pan and slowly heat.

Step 2

Add the finely diced onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt to help draw the moisture out.

Step 3

Once the onions have softened and browned add the garlic and ginger (Group 1). Leave them to infuse, stirring periodically for a few minutes.

Step 4

Add the chopped tomatoes with another pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes on medium stirring regularly.

Step 5

Add the sliced peppers (Group 2) and cook for 1-2 minutes to soften.

Step 6

Add the powdered spices (Group 3) along with a pinch of crumbled Kasuri Methi.

I recommend putting the spices on the spoon first and stirring them in keeping the spoon flat against the bottom of the pan, letting the other ingredients mix over them.

It can help to turn down the heat to ensure the spices do not burn.

Add a splash of water if needed.

Step 7

Add the tomato puree using the same technique as the spices, and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Step 8

Stir in ~1 cup of water, adding it slowly letting it combine before adding more. Turn the heat back up to help it mix in.

Step 9

Add the bird's eye chillies.

Step 10

Repeat Step 7, add more water to ensure the curry does not dry out.

The thickness of the sauce can be controlled by the amount of water added without significantly diluting the flavour. The longer the curry cooks for the softer the vegetables will be and the richer the sauce.