Chicken tikka jalfrezi
Flavour on flavour is what this chicken tikka jalfrezi is all about.
Servings: 2
Calories: 720kcal
Ingredients
Quick naga chicken tikka
- 4 chicken thighs - boneless, skinless. Cut each thigh into 3 even pieces.
- 2 tbsp tandoori masala - available from any Indian grocer. Look for a brand that isn't all salt.
- 1 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled between your fingers
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt - if your tandoori seasoning has a lot of salt leave this out.
- 1/4 tsp naga pickle - available from most Indian grocers (optional)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
The spice mix
- 2 tsp Indian restaurant spice mix - recipe link below
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp kasoor methi - dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/2 tsp tandoori masala - again, watch out for the high salt content brands.
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
chicken tikka jalfrezi
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil - any neutral oil is fine
- 1/2 cup onion - coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper - coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic ginger paste - recipe link below
- 1 cup Indian hotel curry gravy - recipe link below. Dilute it with 4 tbsp water.
- chicken tikka - whatever chicken tikka you like
- 2 jwala green chili aka finger hots - seeded and cut in half and then into 1 inch pieces (for a total of 6-8 pieces). You can add more. This is a jalfrezi after all.
- 4-5 cherry tomatoes - halved
Instructions
Do your prep
- Make your spice mix. Cut up your green chilies, onion, green pepper and tomatoes. Make your naga chicken tikka - or whatever chicken tikka you prefer. Have everything ready.
- DIlute your curry gravy with 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) of chicken stock. You need to dilute it because the chicken is going in pre-cooked.
Make your quick naga chicken tikka
- Combine the tandoori masala, kasoor methi, salt (if necessary), naga pickle and oil in a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken. This is your chicken marinade. It does not go into the final curry.
- Add the chicken and combine with the marinade. Use tongs. This stuff will stain your fingers.
- Marinate for about an hour. Pre-heat your oven to 400F while this is going on. Place a sturdy baking sheet in the oven to pre-heat.
- Transfer the chicken (again, use tongs) to that pre-heated, sturdy but not too large baking sheet (can you tell the pre-heated pan is important?). Place in the oven. Cook for about 6 minutes. Flip all the pieces and return to the oven.
- Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F. This should take another 4-8 minutes or so. Really depends on how big your chicken thigh pieces are. Remove the chicken from the baking sheet. Set aside.
- You have a bit extra so snack on a piece or two if you must. I know I can never resist so I added an extra thigh to the recipe. Enjoy. Guilt free. If you aren't hungry they can go into the curry. Fine either way.
Make the chicken tikka jalfrezi
- Heat the oil in a medium sized frying pan until the oil just starts to shimmer.
- Add the onions and green peppers and stir every few seconds. Keep the peppers skin side down as much as you can. Fry until the pepper starts to blister and the onion edges turn brown.
- Stir in the garlic ginger paste. Cook until the garlic ginger paste stops sputtering.
- Turn your heat down to medium low and add your spice mix. This is why you need to use all the oil. You want to fry your spices. Too little oil and you risk your spices sticking or burning. Nothing you can do will fix burned spices.
- It might look a little dry after frying the onions and peppers. You want the spices in oil. Not a dry paste. If it does look dry add a spash of oil immediately. Cook your spices for about 30 seconds.
- Add the Indian hotel curry gravy. Stir it really well to get the oil to combine with the curry gravy. You want everything mixed together at this point. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover loosely and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken tikka and the green chilies. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes to warm the chicken through. Add the tomatoes and cook another minute or so. At this point your sauce is going to be a little thick. Stir in a tablespoon or two of chicken stock or water to get the consistency you want. As much liquid as you need. This step is feel.
- Taste. You have a decision to make. A 1/4 tsp of naga pickle mixed in at this point is a nice touch. It kicks the heat up though but it does add a distinctive flavour you can't get any other way. I like it both ways. Depends on my mood. The more classic jalfrezi leaves it out. Up to you.
- Serve with rice, dal and Indian flatbreads of your choice.
Notes
Naga pickle is hot stuff. I love the taste. This is a jalfrezi so it can stand a little heat and, as written, this recipe is really just on the high side of medium hot. Try it in the tikka. If you really love naga think about making this a naga chicken tikka jalfrezi. It's a nice twist.
Make your Indian hotel curry gravy ahead of time. It takes time to make so think about doing it the day before.
I use this Indian restaurant spice mix in most of my Indian restaurant style curries.
For maximum flavour you should consider making your garlic ginger paste from scratch.
Nutrition
Serving: 2servings | Calories: 720kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 2022mg | Potassium: 1148mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 878IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 6mg