Jalfrezi

Jalfrezi
Chicken jalfrezi
Alternative namesJhal frezi
TypeCurry
CourseMain
Region or stateSouth Asia
Associated cuisineAnglo-Indian cuisine
Main ingredientsGreen chillies; meat, seafood, vegetables or paneer
  •   Media: Jalfrezi

Jalfrezi (/dʒælˈfreɪzi/; Bengali: ঝালফ্রেজী; also jhal frezi, jaffrazi, and many other alternative spellings) is a curry dish popular in Britain. It was created in Bengal during the British Raj to use up leftover meat by stir frying. The stir fry technique was brought to India by Chinese labourers working in Assam tea plantations in the 1830s. The dish consists of a main ingredient such as meat, fish, paneer or vegetables, spiced and stir fried, often with chilli peppers.

In a 2011 survey, jalfrezi was rated the most popular dish in UK Indian restaurants, having taken over from chicken tikka masala. The dish is rare in restaurants in India.

History

See also: Anglo-Indian cuisine and Curry in the United Kingdom

Jalfrezi recipes appeared in Anglo-Indian cookbooks during the British Raj as a way of using up cold meat leftovers by frying them with chilli and onion to make a curry.[1][2] This ignored the fact that eating leftovers was taboo 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 of Marcus Sandys, governor of Bengal.[4] The English-language usage is derived from colloquial Bengali jhāl porhezī: jhāl means spicy hot; porhezī means suitable for an abstinent diet.[5][6]

The stir frying technique used for making jalfrezi was introduced to British India from Chinese cuisine as Chinese labourers migrated to Assam to work in the tea plantations during the 1830s.[7] This meant it was much quicker to make than traditional curries.[4] In Indian restaurants in Britain in the 20th century, "jalfrezi" could mean a standardised curry sauce with a little extra curry powder and food colouring.[1] In a survey in 2011, jalfrezi was rated the most popular dish in British Indian restaurants, having taken over from chicken 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 was created during the British Raj in Bengal to use up leftover meat. Back in Britain, it became a standard Indian restaurant curry with a thick spicy gravy.[1][11]

Dish

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 by Jamie Oliver or the Hairy Bikers, be marinated in yoghurt.[15][16] The British Indian chef Atul Kochhar proposes a version using duck, while Madhur Jaffrey offers a recipe using beef.[17] In Britain, the resulting spicy curry has a thick gravy.[11] The British National Health Service proposes a chicken jalfrezi as a low-fat dish, easy to cook; its recipe includes salt, with a suggestion to use paprika or lemon juice instead for a low-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 as paneer in place of meat.[3][12]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Collingham, Lizzie (2006). Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 138, 225. ISBN 978-0-19-988381-3.
  2. ^ a b Das, Arindam (3 July 2025). "Family recipe diaries and consumption of transcultural Anglo-Indian identity". Asian Ethnicity. 26 (3): 552–576. doi:10.1080/14631369.2024.2444266.
  3. ^ a b Rana, Navreet Kaur (2022). "The perpetual quest for 'Authenticity' in Indian cuisine: an answer through history and folklore". Digest: A Journal of Foodways and Culture. 9 (1).
  4. ^ a b Pushkarna, Kritika (18 February 2021). "The story of Chicken Jalfrezi". Times Food. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  5. ^ "jalfrezi". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  6. ^ প - পৃষ্ঠা ১৩. Accessible Dictionary Government Bangladesh (in Bengali).
  7. ^ "The History of Indo-Chinese Cuisine – How Two Cultures Created a Culinary Sensation". Itihaas. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Tikka masala out, jalfrezi is UK's No. 1 dish". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  9. ^ Hall, James (21 July 2011). "Move over masala, jalfrezi is now our favourite curry". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Briefly..." Hinduism Today. April 1998. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  11. ^ a b Ali, Enam. "Jalfrezi". British Curry Day. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  12. ^ a b Jacob, Jeanne; Ashkenazi, Michael (2014). The World Cookbook: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe (2nd [4 volumes] ed.). ABC-Clio. p. 99. ISBN 978-1610694698.
  13. ^ Bhangal, Jasprit (2013). Indian Cooking with Four Ingredients: Quick, Easy, Every Day, Authentic Indian Recipes Using Only Four Ingredients. Troubador Publishing. p. 103. ISBN 978-1780884868.
  14. ^ "Chicken jalfrezi Serves 4 Easy". BBC Good Food. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  15. ^ Oliver, Jamie. "Chicken Jalfrezi". Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  16. ^ Myers, Dave; King, Simon James. "Chicken jalfrezi". Hairy Bikers. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  17. ^ Mirza, Meher. "Jalfrezi: The Spicy Indian Curry from the British Raj". NDTV Food Awards 2026. Archived from the original on 15 July 2025. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  18. ^ "Chicken jalfrezi recipe". Better Health: healthier families. National Health Service. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  19. ^ Palanimurugan, T. K. V. (17 February 2012). "Quick fix: Chicken jalfrezi". The Hindu. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  20. ^ Ayto, John (2012). "Jalfrezi". The Diner's Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199640249.
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