Jalfrezi is more similar in its cooking method to dry-fried Chinese dishes rather than the typical wet Indian curry. It's made by cooking spicy green chiles (I use Thai bird chilies, you can use serranos or jalapeños if you prefer) along with onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems and red peppers. The key to great flavor development is to cook down the aromatics in oil until almost all the moisture is driven from them and they become sticky and begin to brown. To this flavorful base, a few spices are added (hot paprika, cumin, coriander, and turmeric), along with chopped tomatoes.
Recipe Details
Chickpea, Potato, and Spinach Jalfrezi With Cilantro Chutney Recipe
Ingredients
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into rough 1 1/2-inch chunks
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater
3 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
1 tablespoon ginger, grated on a microplane grater
4 to 5 small green Thai bird chiles (or other green chiles, if you prefer)
1 small red pepper, finely diced
8 stems cilantro, leaves roughly chopped, tender stems finely minced and reserved separately
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot paprika
2 small plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (a canned tomato is fine)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, with their liquid
8 ounces curly spinach, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes
For the Cilantro Chutney:
2 cups picked fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 clove garlic
1 small green Thai bird chile
Directions
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water by 1-inch. Season to taste with salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add grated onion, garlic, ginger, chiles, cilantro stems, and red pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture has evaporated and mixture is beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, 1/2 cup of water, and cooked potatoes. Stir until spinach wilts. Add half of lime juice and season to taste with salt. reduce heat to lowest setting, cover, and keep warm while making chutney.
For the Chutney: Combine cilantro, garlic, chile and remaining lime juice in a blender or in the cup of a hand blender and add 1/3 cup water. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides and adding water as necessary. Season to taste with salt.
Add more liquid to jalfrezi if necessary and serve with chutney and steamed basmati rice or naan.
This Recipe Appears In
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
378 | Calories |
13g | Fat |
58g | Carbs |
12g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 378 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 13g | 16% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 548mg | 24% |
Total Carbohydrate 58g | 21% |
Dietary Fiber 12g | 42% |
Total Sugars 9g | |
Protein 12g | |
Vitamin C 92mg | 460% |
Calcium 156mg | 12% |
Iron 6mg | 34% |
Potassium 1496mg | 32% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |