Jalfrezi which essentially means 'stir fry' is not only a very 'broad sheet' in curry terms, it also happens to be one of my favourite Indian curries. Tonight's Chicken Jalfrezi was loosely based on a recipe from Andhra Pradesh (got part of it from utube, I think?) and has an unusual 'pre fry' stage for the chicken (this works well in other chicken dishes where marinating is not possible / desirable). In tonights version, I swapped the usual fried mixed peppers for pre-roasted whole peppers (plus some roasted chillies) which gives a very distinctive sweet intense flavour. As usual with my Jalfrezi(s), the final dish was pretty (very) hot !!! - chicken was thigh meat, mix of on and off the bone.

The Key Ingredients



The Finished Result



Great Accompaniment - Punjabi Style Dhal !



Just to add that the 'pre fry' stage is simply frying the chicken until just turning golden brown, adding 1 tsp of curry powder mix (or just  turmeric) and frying for 1 - 2 minutes more. Then just drain the chicken and set aside until required.

Cheers
Chrisnw

Kashmiri chillies, both whole dried and powder are used widely in traditional Indian cooking in many regions. They provide flavour & colour but have little (i.e. no heat). Dried whole Kashmiri chillies make a great dall topping when fried in oil with cumin & garlic (Punjab speciality).

Cheers
Chrisnw

Jerry,

Thanks for the kind words re website, hope to get the vindaloo recipe up today.

I assume you meant 're-hydrate' with regard to dried chillies. They are soaked / simmered in boiling water for 10 - 15 mins, this makes them soft and very easy to blend. A chef from Kashmir showed me this, they make lots of wonderful red gravies using this method including the traditional Rogan Josh. You can use the water from the re-hydrate process, although be careful as it is sometimes very bitter depending on the type of chillies used. If I am just using Kashmiri chillies, I will always use some of the water in blending the masala.

Cheers
Chrisnw

You do get the same type of onion result, when you do a Bagar for precook meats
which some BIR chefs add to final dishes, along with the meat.

cheers Chewy

And with very good reason CT, this is my BIR 'Liquid Gold' 

Cheers
Chrisnw

Most traditional Indian gravies and masasla (think curry paste) start life with browning the onions (as in golden brown) in oil with whole spices. In most BIR style gravy recipes that I have encountered, the onions are essentially boiled, although some do call for some sauteing first. I am a very big fan of traditional gravies, but (IMHO) they look and taste nothing like their BIR counterparts. Must point out though, there are some really great BIR base gravy recipes on this site, mine included! (shameless self plug).

"Quelle Surprise" - pre-cooked  gravy & masala are also the starting point of many dishes / curries throughout India (and Pakistan too) . There are many different types of both, depending on the application and there are many regional, village, restaurant and indeed individual home variations, closely guarded secrets abound. You could live for several lifetimes and still not discover all the variations !
 
The onion / tomato masala shown in my original post is a very common variant and works well in many different types / styles of curry, the recipe I used comes from the Hyderabad area of Andhra Pradesh. Many dishes will use more than one masala (or gravy / masala combination), my version of Goan Chicken Vindaloo (shown below) uses the onion / tomato masala and a second  masala made from dried red chillies, whole spices, garlic and vinegar.



Chrisnw