Ingredients

Chicken curry

1. Chicken (with bones) - 500 gms
2. Oil – 1/3 cup
3. Cloves – 4
4. Green cardamoms – 4
5. Cinnamon stick (1 inch) – 1
6. Ginger (chopped) – 1 tbsp
7. Garlic cloves (chopped) – 1 or 1 1/2 tsp
8. Onion (medium) – 1 or 100 gms
9. Tomato - 1
10. Chilli powder – 2 tsp
11. Coriander powder – 4 tsp
12. Cumin powder – 1 tsp
13. Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
14. Water – 150 ml or 1/2 cup
15. Curd – 50 ml or 1/3 cup

For jalfrezi curry

16. Oil – 2 tbsp
17. Butter – 2 tbsp
18. Cumin seeds – 3/4 tsp
19. Ginger garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
20. Green chilli (chopped) – 1 or 1 tsp
21. Tomato puree (double concentrated) – 1 1/2 tbsp
22. Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
23. Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
24. Garam masala – 3/4 tsp
25. Water – 1 cup
26. Basic curry – 1 cup
27. Kasoori methi – 1 tbsp

Additional ingredients

28. Red bell pepper (cut into chunks) – 1
29. Onion (medium size, cut into chunks or squares) – 1/2
30. Ginger julienne – few or thumb size
31. Tomato (cut into chunks) – 1
32. Green chillies (sliced) – 2
33. Coriander leaves – 1/3 cup
34. Lemon - 1

Method

For chicken curry

1. Chop onion and tomatoes. Keep aside.
2. I have used medium sized chicken pieces with bones. You can use boneless pieces (I have shown the end result in the pictures below) if you prefer.
3. Heat the vessel, add oil and whole spices (cloves, green cardamom, cinnamon stick). Let it sizzle for 5 secs. Be careful as it can splutter on you.
4. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it is soft and translucent.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, ginger and garlic. Cook until the tomatoes soften a bit.
6. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and mix well. Add chicken pieces (can sauté for 2 to 3 minutes with dry spices before adding yoghurt - optional), yoghurt and water immediately. Mix well so that the yoghurt doesn’t curdle. You can remove the vessel from the heat or simmer the flame before adding the yoghurt.
7. Cook until the chicken is well cooked with the lid closed for about 10 minutes on a medium flame and then simmer for about 12 minutes. Stir the chicken pieces in between.
8. When the chicken curry is cooked, it leaves oil on top and there is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup curry sauce left. If you want, you can remove the whole spices and keep it ready to prepare chicken jalfrezi.

For chicken jalfrezi

9. Cut the vegetables in chunks or wedges or squares as served in restaurants. Use the quantity as per your requirement.
10. Heat the oil and butter in a medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add ginger and garlic paste, chopped green chillies and sauté for 10 seconds.
11. Add tomato puree, chilli powder, garam masala, mix well, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes low flame. Add 1/2 cup water and boil for about 3 minutes. Then add basic curry sauce, mix and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
12. Add the prepared chicken curry with its sauce, 1/2 cup water again, cumin powder, salt as per requirement and 1/4 tsp garam masala. Mix well so that all the ingredients are combined well together and cook for about 5 minutes with the lid closed. Stir in between.
13. Simmer the flame and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes with the lid closed. You can now see that the chicken jalfrezi curry is almost like the ones served in the restaurants.
14. To give the curry some finishing touches, add red bell pepper, onion, ginger julienne, 2 big pinches or 1 tbsp of kasoori methi (rub in your palm first and then add to the curry), sliced green chillies and mix well. Cook for about a minute on medium flame and you can now hear and see the sizzle.
15. Instead of using a spoon, lift the pan and shake slowly or swirl so that the curry gets a good mix.
16. Add 1/3 cup of water, mix and simmer for about 7 minutes with the lid closed. You can add water if the sauce is getting very thick and adjust according to the desired consistency.
17. At this stage add tomatoes and coriander leaves. You can add water if it thickens again. Cook for a further 7 minutes on a low flame. Stir in between - actually shake/swirl the vessel slowly instead of using a spoon.
18. You can see the consistency of the chicken jalfrezi in the pictures.
19. Garnish chicken jalfrezi with a few more ginger julienne and coriander leaves with lemon wedges beside the curry.
20. Serve with naan, chapathi (roti) or pulao or just plain rice.

Notes

1. In restaurants, in the end they add tomatoes and switch off the curry so as to not cook the tomatoes.
2. Even if there is no sauce and your chicken curry is semi dry, don’t worry, you can add water to the jalfrezi or use more of the basic curry sauce. for the gravy (don’t overcook the chicken as it has to cook more for the jalfrezi).
3. If you like to have your vegetables to be crunchy, then add all the additional vegetables in the end and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame with the sizzling sound and serve or when the chicken jalfrezi is according to your consistency.
4. While eating, I drizzle some lemon juice in the curry and prefer to have it with plain rice or naan.
5. As per your taste and liking, you can add the additional vegetables.
6. You can use any coloured bell pepper - red, yellow or green.