Recipe and method for Chicken Jalfrezi.60ml of Sunflower Oil
190ml of heated savoury base sauce
(See 1 below)10 pieces of pre-cooked chicken
(See 2 below)2 tablespoons of chopped coriander 1 tomato, quartered
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Stage 1 Ingredients1/4 teaspoon of aromatic salt
(See 3 below)2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion (1mm pieces or less)
1/2 teaspoon of light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped mixed red and green peppers (1mm pieces or less)
4 fresh green chillies, sliced length ways and de-seeded
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Stage 2 Ingredients1 teaspoon of spice mix
( See 4 below)1/2 red pepper, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of Chilli powder
1 teaspoon of Tomato puree
1 teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh methi leaves
1/4 teaspoon of asafoedita ( if available )
Note: The recipe is based upon cooking on gas or electric halogen. For normal electric hob cooking it is suggested you have one ring turned full on and one ring on medium.
1. The gas on one ring turned full up.
2. Add the oil to the frying pan. Place the pan on the ring and heat until the oil is hot.
3. Quickly add in the order listed the stage 1 ingredients. Very quickly and in a circular motion press the back of the chef's spoon into the pan bottom, effectively squeezing the pan ingredients for 20 seconds. Remove from heat.
4. Then quickly add the stage 2 ingredients. Place back on heat. The ingredients are again pressed into the pan as before and scraped across the pan with the edge of the spoon which will stop them sticking. This is to fuse the ingredients. Do this for about 15 seconds. Be very careful not to burn.
5. Remove from heat and add 1 ladle (4fl oz or 125ml) of heated base sauce/gravy and stir in. Return to heat and keep stirring until the sauce bubbles. At this point add the remainder of the base sauce/gravy and stir in. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Add the chicken and the tomato. Stir continuously now to avoid sticking and to get the chicken fully heated through. At approximately 5 minutes (cooker dependent) add a tablespoon of chopped coriander and the lemon juice and stir again.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and rest for 30 seconds. Serve and garnish with another tablespoon of chopped coriander.
(1)Savoury Base sauce/gravyYou will need two 8 litre stock pots for the purpose of making this base sauce.
Follow the instructions accurately and do not cut corners. Be patient and your results should be good.
Spice Mixture
Please note that the following measurements are all LEVEL tablespoon and teaspoon, NOT heaped.
First of all, measure out the following ingredients and put into a glass bowl.
Ingredients 1 level tablespoon of Garam Masala powder (See 5 below)
2 level tablespoons of Spice Mix (See 4 below)
2 level tablespoons of Coriander powder
1 level tablespoon of Cumin powder
2 level tablespoons of Turmeric powder
1/2 level teaspoon of Cinnamon powder
125ml of Sunflower oil
MethodMix all spices together with the Oil and leave to stand overnight on the worktop and continue with the following.
Sauce Stage 1 Ingredients5lb Spanish Onions
1 large Mooli Radish
5 large carrots
1/2 small green cabbage, chopped
1 large green pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 large red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
2 whole garlic bulbs
2oz ginger root
3 Green Chillies, cut in half lengthways
10 Bay Leaves (Asian not English)
15 Green Cardamom Pods, lightly crushed
2 level teaspoons Fennel Seeds
15 whole Cloves
2 tablespoons of coriander seeds
1 level teaspoon ground Methi seeds (Fenugreek)
1 level teaspoon Ajowan seeds
1 whole star anise broken into fingers
7oz Tomato Paste
5oz Butter Ghee (Preferred option, although Vegetable Ghee is acceptable)
5 x Vegetable Stock Cubes
1 level teaspoon Turmeric
1 level tablespoon Salt
2 level teaspoons of Sugar
Coriander, about 15 stalks with leaves
Water
MethodClean and wash the ginger root and chop very finely. No need to peel it.
Peel and dice the onions into approx 5mm pieces. Place the onions in the stock pot and pour on boiling water just to cover. Blanch them on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the onions from the water. This is to get rid of the acids contained within the onions.
Break up the Garlic bulb to obtain the individual garlic cloves and chop finely.
Clean and wash the Mooli and carrots (do not peel). Finely chop.
Heat Ghee in stock pot on a very low heat until melted and turn off the heat. Add the garlic, chopped ginger, onions, carrots, cabbage, green and red pepper, mooli, green chillies, salt, tomato paste, sugar and spices and mix to coat with the Ghee. Add sufficient water to just cover the ingredients. Break up and sprinkle in the vegetable stock cubes followed by the bay leaves and keep stirring. Turn the heat to high. Bring to the boil and boil for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour stirring regularly.
Chop the coriander and add to pot. Do not stir. Simmer for a further 30 minutes, stirring regularly.
At this pint ensure that all vegetable ingredients are really soft.
Place pot into cold water to cool the contents rapidly. Place in a refrigerator overnight.
Sauce Stage 2The following day bring stock back to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow the stock to cool down slightly and then blend everything down to a very fine puree using a stick blender or food processor. Ensure that the result is a very smooth puree. Do Not Rush The Blending.
Remember the spice mix from yesterday, well here we go.
Pour sufficient vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the second stock pot to a depth of about 3/4 of an inch. Heat the oil on a medium heat and when the oil is hot add all of the spice mixture. Reduce the heat to very low. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring continuously. DO NOT ALLOW THE MIXTURE TO STICK OR BURN. THIS IS CRITICAL.
Then:-
Add 500ml of stock puree and stir in and wait for the oil to rise.
Add another 500ml of stock puree, stir and allow the oil to rise.
Continue doing this until all of the puree has been added and the oil has risen.
Then:-
Cook the mixture on a very low heat for 2 1/2 hours. Keep checking to ensure that it is not sticking and keep stirring regularly.
The consistency of the final base sauce/gravy should be very pourable, not thick. Use single cream as your guide, but if anything it should be slightly thinner. Add water if the base is too thick otherwise your curry dishes will be too thick and the cooking process will not work.
You can store the base in a fridge for about 4 days, or it may be frozen for up to 6 months, but will lose a small amount of it's taste/richness the longer it is frozen. From frozen the sauce must be thawed and then it is advisable to re-blend and heat up before use.
(2)Pre-Cooked Chicken
You will need:
2kg of skinned chicken breast fillet
90ml vegetable oil
200g (½ tin) of chopped tomatoes
1½ tablespoons of garlic paste
1 tablespoon of ginger paste
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon of cummin powder
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
¼ teaspoon of chilli powder
1 teaspoon of curry powder (Rajah mild madras)
½ teaspoon of garam masala powder
(See 5 below)½ teaspoon of aromatic salt
(See 3 below)Method1. Cut the chicken breast fillets into ¾ to 1 inch cubes.
2. Mix all of the spice powders and salt together.
3. Heat up a pan on high heat and add the vegetable oil.
4. Add the garlic and ginger paste and fry until just golden brown.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the spice mixture. Stir continuously for 10 seconds (OFF HEAT) making sure the spices don't burn.
6. Put the pan back on to the heat and add the tomatoes while stirring.
7. Bring to the boil while stirring and add the chicken and mix well.
8. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
9. Put a lid on the pan and cook for approximately another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
10. Remove from heat when chicken is cooked and allow to cool.
(3) Aromatic SaltFor every 100 grams of Coarse Sea Salt add 1 level teaspoon of ground Allspice and 1/2 level
teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon.
(4) Spice mix10 tablespoons of coriander seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon of fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon of white peppercorns
1 tablespoon of green cardamom pods
5 dried, whole red chillies, broken into bits
1 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into bits
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of whole cloves
1 teaspoon of celery seeds
2 tablespoons of Channa Dal
2 tablespoons of Urad Dal
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of Jaggery
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
Break into bits the chillies and the cinnamon stick. Place all of the above into a heavy based frying pan. Over a medium heat, roast the spices for a few minutes, stirring continuously until they just change colour. DO NOT BURN. Allow to cool right down and then place in a spice grinder along with the following:
Grind down to a fine powder. Add the following ground spices:
32 fresh dried curry leaves
4 tablespoons of turmeric
1 tablespoon of sweet paprika powder
2 teaspoons of ground garlic powder
2 teaspoons of ground ginger powder
1 teaspoon of asafoetida
1 teaspoon of amchur powder
Mix everything very well and place into a suitable non-reactive storage container.
(5) Garam Masala Ingredients 10 black cardamoms
20 green cardamoms
8 pieces cassia bark, about 2-3cm in length
10 bay leaves (Asian)
10 cloves
2 teaspoons of black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds
4 teaspoons of coriander seeds
DONE !