Simply hot and spicy Jalfrezi from The Tiny Takeaway
The Tiny Takeaway’s Jalfrezi Spice Mix is all about the heat and if you love your curries hot, you won’t be dissatisfied.
That said, while the chillies in the Jalfrezi Spice Mix do lend an explosive burst on the tongue, the overall flavour is not compromised by spice-induced pain.
All the spices have been selected and measured by The Tiny Takeaway providing what you need to make a delicious Jalfrezi at home, just make sure you have some onions and tinned tomatoes to hand and of course, your chosen meat, fish or veg.
We opted for the fish and added cod and king prawns, which seemed daring at first. Would the delicate seafood be swamped by the heat and spice?
Worth noting is, if using fish hold back on adding until the final sauce is made as it takes a lot less time to cook than meat. This also minimises on stirring which can easily break up the delicate flesh of fish.
How did The Tiny Takeaway Jalfrezi taste?
The overall effect was quite amazing and the final result complemented the fish very well. Combined with the tomatoes, the Jalfrezi Spice Mix is tangy, exciting and incredibly fragrant.
The ground spices comprise of cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala (see our article on Madras Spice Mix to find out what this is), ginger, and chilli powder. There are some whole spices too – green cardamoms, cloves and dried red chillies – these give out their flavour more subtly in the dish and little ‘wows’ when eating. We happen to like nibbling on the odd clove or cardamom pod.
For another yet milder chilli pepper hit, we added sliced sweet yellow peppers for some extra texture plus a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten the flavours. With accompaniments of plain basmati rice, crunchy poppadoms and a cooling raita made with yogurt, cucumber and our own home grown fresh mint, the Jalfrezi was a hit.
What is Jalfrezi?
The name broken down translates to ‘jal’ or ‘jaldi’ which means quick and ‘frezi’, which is to fry. Jalfrezi is not a traditional Indian dish as such, but is actually a method of cooking and is probably better translated as ‘stir-fry’.
The term jalfrezi entered the English language at the time of the British Raj in India. Colonial households employed Indian cooks who used the jalfrezi method of cooking to heat up left-over cold roasted meat and potatoes.
However, the familiar restaurant jalfrezi is not a version of the Anglo-Indian dish. Indian restaurant chefs use the jalfrezi method to stir-fry green peppers, onions and plenty of green chillies as the basis for a curry with just a little sauce. The chillies make the jalfrezi taste very fresh but also make it one of the hotter curries on the restaurant menu.
Artisan Food Trail Approved
We are pleased to give this award to The Tiny Takeaway for their Jalfrezi Spice Mix
Photos: © childsdesign
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