.jpg) Chicken jalfrezi | |
| Alternative names | Jhal frezi |
|---|---|
| Type | Curry |
| Course | Main |
| Region or state | South Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | Anglo-Indian cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Greenchillies;meat,seafood,vegetables orpaneer |
Jalfrezi (/dʒælˈfreɪzi/; Bengali:ঝালফ্রেজী; alsojhal frezi,jaffrazi, and many other alternative spellings) is acurry dish popular in Britain. It was created inBengal during theBritish Raj to use up leftover meat bystir frying. The stir fry technique was brought to India by Chinese labourers working inAssamtea plantations in the 1830s. The dish consists of a main ingredient such as meat, fish,paneer or vegetables, spiced and stir fried, often withchilli peppers.
In a 2011 survey, jalfrezi was rated the most populardish in UK Indian restaurants, having taken over fromchicken tikka masala. The dish is rare in restaurants in India.
Jalfrezi recipes appeared inAnglo-Indian cookbooks during theBritish Raj as a way of using up cold meatleftovers by frying them with chilli and onion to make acurry.[1][2] This ignored the fact that eating leftovers wastaboo to many Hindus.[1] All the same, the historian of food Navreet Rana writes that it "is impossible to tell that [it is] designed for the use of leftovers."[3] One story is that jalfrezi was the invention ofMarcus Sandys, governor of Bengal.[4] The English-language usage is derived fromcolloquialBengalijhāl porhezī:jhāl means spicy hot;porhezī means suitable for anabstinent diet.[5][6]
The stir frying technique used for making jalfrezi was introduced to British India fromChinese cuisine as Chinese labourers migrated toAssam to work in thetea plantations during the 1830s.[7] This meant it was much quicker to make than traditional curries.[4] InIndian restaurants in Britain in the 20th century, "jalfrezi" could mean a standardised curry sauce with a little extracurry powder andfood colouring.[1] In a survey in 2011, jalfrezi was rated the most populardish in British Indian restaurants, having taken over fromchicken tikka masala.[8][9] In 1998 it was reported that one ton of jalfrezi had been made for the UK's National Curry Day.[10]The scholar of culture Arindam Das writes that while it is a well-known dish in British Indian restaurants, it is rare in restaurants in India.[2]
Jalfrezi is made with green chilli peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Vegetables or meat are then stir fried into the mix,[12][13] using fresh (not leftover) meat such as chicken breast,[14] which may, as in the versions byJamie Oliver or theHairy Bikers, bemarinated in yoghurt.[15][16] The British Indian chefAtul Kochhar proposes a version using duck, whileMadhur Jaffrey offers a recipe using beef.[17] In Britain, the resulting spicy curry has a thick gravy.[11] The BritishNational Health Service proposes a chicken jalfrezi as alow-fat dish, easy to cook; its recipe includes salt, with a suggestion to use paprika or lemon juice instead for alow-salt version.[18]
In India,The Hindu proposes a "quick fix" chicken jalfrezi without a gravy; the meat is cooked in butter flavoured with chilli, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, onion, and tomato, and cooked "till dried".[19] The recipe can be varied using fish,[20] cottage cheese, prawns, and vegetarian options such aspaneer in place of meat.[3][12]
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