This jalfezi (jhal frezi, zalfrezi) is a really interesting dish. I must confess, when the original recipe was shown to me, I wasn’t particularly impressed and I wasn’t particularly keen to try it. It’s based on boiled spices and I’ve never been overly keen on that particular method of extracting flavor for Indian food. Well, I was wrong – this is a great dish. Quick, simple and quite delicious!
Anyway, this recipe was shown to me by a chef who was on tour with a rather famous Irish rock band, and she got the recipe from a Canadian chap while she was touring in North America.
So, if this is your recipe, please let me know and I’ll happily give you all the credit you so rightfully deserve for what is a truly wonderful lamb Jalfrezi recipe. So make sure you try this one out. It really is a very simple meal and one of the best stir-fry (and boiled!) curries I’ve ever tasted.
Ingredients:
2.2lbs / 1kg of boned lamb
4 finely chopped onions
6fl oz / 175ml of water
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of ajwain/carom or caraway powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
4 inches of cinnamon stick (smash it up a bit – you don’t have to powder it – in fact that would spoil this dish – but let it know who’s boss…)
3 black cardamoms (split them open)
4 cloves (whole cloves, NOT powder)
1 tbsp tomato paste/puree (good n thick)
chopped green chilies (your call on the amount, but make ‘em fat ‘n juicy ‘n green – its a flavor thing)
3 tbsps chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
salt to taste
vegetable oil
Method:
Cut the lamb into generous chunks and chuck it in a pan with half the onions and everything else apart from the chopped chillies, cilantro and tomato paste. No salt at this stage. Bring the mixture to the boil with a good stir and simmer for 25 minutes.
While the mixture is simmering, gently fry the rest of the onions in a good gloop of oil. Once the lamb chunks have had their 25 minutes of simmering, you can add them to the onions. Gently fry this mixture for about 6 or 7 minutes
While the lamb and onion mixture is gently frying, drain the spice liquid from the other pan through a fine sieve, collect all the liquid and chuck the squished spices onto your compost heap (hey! I’m an old hippy at heart – what can I say…). Anyways, save the liquid – that’s the bit we’re after.
Add a third of the liquid to the meat and onion mixture and stir fry for 3 minutes; add the second third of the liquid and stir fry for another three minutes; add the final third and stir fry for a final 3 minutes.
Add salt and chopped green chillies to taste and then add the tomato puree. Stir fry gently (low heat at this stage or it will stick and burn) for about five minutes. Stir in the finely chopped cilantro, mix well for 30 seconds or so, remove from heat, serve immediately – Delicious!
Serve with good quality plain boiled rice (Texmati is good, genuine Basmati is MUCH better), warm fluffy naans and a cool, cool cucumber raita. This is a killer meal… After writing this I just might have to cook it tonight.
Variations? It works VERY well with chicken (possibly best of all with chicken…) and it’s pretty good as an ostrich dish or a venison dish. I’ve made it with various types of fish, over the years, but I’ve never really managed to make it succeed as a fish dish. If you do – please let me know.
