.chicken jalfrezi.

Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you that I will eat just about anything. I LOVE food! I love that food is a wonderful and colorful way to be introduced to a new culture. Perhaps this is why I find myself dreaming of running away with a Mr. Anthony Bourdain, to become a foodie on one of his No Reservation trips. Take me with you, Anthony, for I too long to sink my teeth into some good ol' street food! Tonight, I decided to be adventurous! Before heading home from work today, I found myself buying a cookbook on Indian dishes. Now I have only had Indian food twice in my life. Both of those times, all I can remember was the plethora of aromas and distinct flavors doing this number on my tastebuds! After scribbling down some items that I needed (like many of the spices) I headed over to a local Indian grocer to make my purchase. If you have ever shopped at an International market, you will find that many of the spices (and produce) needed for a particular dish is usually less expensive if purchased there than at your regular grocery store. With a sack full of spices, curry paste, and some Ovaltine biscuits for the little one, I headed home to make this delicious and fairly simple dish: Chicken Jalfrezi. Mmm. . .

Chicken Jalfrezi

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast fillets
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4-inch piece fresh ginger root, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry paste
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra to garnish
plain rice, to serve


1) Skin the chicken breast portions and remove any visible fat. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes.
2) Heat the oil in a karahi, wok, or heavy pan and fry the cumin seeds for 2 minutes, until they sputter. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, and ginger and fry for 6-8 minutes.
3) Add the curry paste and fry for about 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, ground coriander, cumin, and salt and add 1 tablespoon water; fry for another 2 minutes.
4) Add the chicken cubes and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro. Cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken cubes are tender. Garnish with sprigs of fresh cilantro and serve with rice.

Makes 4 servings.


Recipe from Best Ever Indian Cookbook, by Mridula Baljekar, Rafi Fernandez, Shehzad Husain and Minisha Kanani.