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! ! ! This is a fantastic dish of chicken stir-fried with lots of green chillies and garlic – jalfrezi means 'hot-fry'. We use the long thin green chillies for this – they’re not as hot as some but they add lots of flavour. Our jalfrezi has a lovely fresh taste but it's still spicy so you might like to serve it with a raita to temper the chili heat. You can also make this with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. Serves 4
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CHICKEN JALFREZI
! 6 long green chillies 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 8 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 5 fresh ripe tomatoes, 3 of them chopped and 2 quartered 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp garam masala (see page 345 or use ready-made) 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tsp flaked sea salt 200ml cold water 2 tbsp plain natural yoghurt 1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into 3cm chunks
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! 78 CHICKEN CURRIES
Place the chillies on a board and finely chop 4 of them. Deseed them first if you don’t like your food very spicy (see page 349). Split the other 2 chillies from stalk to tip on one side without opening or removing the seeds. Cut each chicken breast into 6 or 7 bite-sized chunks.
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Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil or ghee in a large, fairly deep, non-stick frying pan (or a wok) over a high heat. Add the garlic, chopped chillies, chopped tomatoes, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, sugar and salt, then stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Don't let the garlic and spices burn or they will make the sauce taste bitter.
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Next, add the chicken pieces and whole chillies and cook for 3 minutes, turning the chicken r e g u l a r l y . Pour over the w a t e r , s t i r i n t h e yoghurt and reduce the heat slightly. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce has thickened. The yoghurt may separate to begin with, but it will disappear into the sauce.
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While the chicken is cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a clean frying pan and stir-fry the onion and pepper for 2 minutes. Add the quartered tomatoes and fry for another 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are just tender and lightly browned.
! When the chicken is cooked, stir in the fried vegetables and toss together lightly. Serve immediately.