Easy chicken jalfrezi recipe with Quorn jalfrezi alternative

I often cook a chicken jalfrezi for Ben and Stuart and a Quorn jalfrezi for myself.

Jalfrezi is one of my favourite curries to cook, partly because I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy things but this is one I really like, and partly because it is really easy to make!

The ingredients are things I generally have in the fridge/freezer anyway so it is an ideal meal to make that whilst it is quite quick and easy to make!

Why choose this Jalfrezi recipe?

Hands up if you love a good curry! I do (as long as there’s not too much spice!), and I make a mean jalfrezi, too. They wouldn’t call me Jalfrezi Jen for no reason now, would they?

No one calls me that, but let’s start a revolution. I’d like a nice nickname, please.

Chicken jalfrezi is a meal I often cook for others, and I make a Quorn version for myself and other vegetarians who visit.

Traditionally, curries take a lot of time to prepare and marinate, but this one is much simpler and quicker to cook from scratch. Much like traditional Indian curries, though, I feel this one reheats brilliantly the next day, proving to be equally flavoursome.

What is a chicken jalfrezi?

Jalfrezi originated in Bengal – an area which now finds itself in Bangladesh and India. The literal translation is ‘hot fry’, and the dish often contains green chilli peppers.

My version contains chilli powder, and adding green chillies is optional, depending on how spicy you can cope with your curries. I also add red peppers to my dish.

How to serve your chicken jalfrezi

I usually serve my curry on a perfectly cooked, fluffy rice bed. However, when reheating the next day, I like having something different.

This jalfrezi also tastes great on top of a jacket potato or alongside a portion of chips.

A vegetable side dish, such as aloo gobi or aloo gajar matar (Indian carrot potato and peas), can also provide a tasty change from rice.

Have you seen my air fryer onion bhaji recipe? It would go well with this and is so easy to make!

If you’re feeling super brave, you may wish to try a curry toastie – provided you haven’t got too much sauce in there, they are actually pretty tasty!

A little less adventurous would be a naan wrap. For those trying to reduce the number of carbs in their diet, try a rice alternative such as cauliflower rice or brinjal (aubergine) or bhindi (okra) bhaji.

The reasons peppers are perfect in Jalfrezi

Peppers, also known as bell peppers and capsicum, are part of the nightshade family, actually, a fruit though treated very much like a vegetable.

You wouldn’t want one in a fruit salad with ice cream now, would you? They are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

When you hear vitamin C, you likely think of an orange – well, a pepper actually contains up to three times as much vitamin C as an orange!

Orange ones contain the most, closely followed by red, then yellow, and green has the least (but still more than an orange!).

Red peppers also contain a nice amount of vitamin A, which is important for your vision. Overall, they are a good thing to have a lot of in your diet.

Jalfrezi with Chicken Alternatives

As I mentioned, I like making a Quorn version of this curry for myself. You can use fillets of pieces – both taste yummy.

Butternut squash and sweet potato take on the spices within this recipe nicely – just use chunks of both, and they will cook fairly quickly if you simmer them in the sauce.

Alternatively, grab whatever veggies you have in the fridge and use those. About ten minutes prior to serving, add a drained tin of chickpeas.

For meat eaters, turkey can work well in this recipe. Beef and pork can also be tasty, but be sure not to overcook otherwise it ruins the dish completely.

Finally, king prawns are another option. Again, you must not under or overcook them.

Enjoying this jalfrezi on a diet

Jalfrezi is essentially spices, peppers, onions and chicken or Quorn, so if you follow Slimming World, Weight Watchers (WW), Noom or any other weight loss plan, this is a great recipe to try.

It is, of course, important to check any plan you follow and remember all nutritional information and ingredients are found in the recipe card below.

The last time I checked, all the ingredients in this recipe made it a syn-free chicken jalfrezi on Slimming World. If you follow that plan, then why not give it a try?

Using frozen chicken for chicken jalfrezi

Chicken for this or any other chicken recipe should never be cooked from frozen; there are so many issues with this that risk food poisoning.

If you have just realised you only have frozen chicken there, I have lots of tips to defrost chicken safely. Check them out in my defrosting chicken guide.

More recipes you may like

If you don’t fancy this jalfrezi but would like another recipe with rice check out my huge selection of rice recipes here and check out my tips for cooking the perfect rice!

You can find more recipes with chicken here if you love this chicken jalfrezi. Do let me know in the comments below too!

If you are a curry fan, check out this post full of curry tips and recipes.

Do you enjoy recipes like this Quorn jalfrezi as a vegetarian? Check out all my vegetarian meal ideas too.

Print

If you found this helpful please share!