Beef Jalfrezi with Peppers and Tomatoes
Jalfrezi originated in Bengal and became one of the most ordered curries in British-Indian restaurants. The name comes from a cooking technique — jhāl means hot or spicy, frezi refers to stir-frying. It is a dish with strips of beef, quickly browned and finished with peppers, tomatoes, and lemon juice. The spices — coriander, turmeric, ginger, and fresh chilli — are cooked first in oil with onions so they have time to develop flavour before the meat goes in.
The dish is dry rather than saucy. Only a little liquid collects in the bottom of the pan, and that is intentional. The flavour sits in the meat and vegetables, not in a sauce. The lemon juice adds freshness and sharpness; the peppers and tomatoes add sweetness and juice.
Serve with chapati or cooked basmati rice and a bowl of raita on the side. Everything can be on the table in about half an hour.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2½ cm fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, chopped
- 500 g beef, cut into 2½ x 1 cm strips
- 1 pepper (green or red), deseeded and roughly sliced
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- salt, to taste
- lemon wedges, to garnish
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
Reduce the heat slightly. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, ginger, and chopped chilli. Cook the spice mixture for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. If it starts to stick or catch, add 1 tbsp water.
Increase the heat. Add the beef strips and brown them, stirring, until they have colour on all sides.
Add the pepper and stir through. Cover and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes until the meat is tender and the pepper has softened slightly.
Remove the lid. Add the tomato quarters, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Cook uncovered for 2–3 minutes, just long enough for the tomatoes to warm through without falling apart. The dish should not be swimming in liquid — a little sauce in the bottom is fine, but this is a dry dish.
Arrange on a platter or deep plates and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve immediately with chapati or cooked basmati rice.
Notes
Active time about 5 minutes, total time about 35 minutes.
The beef should be lean and cut into thin strips so it becomes tender quickly. Topside, silverside, or rump work well.
The amount of chilli controls the heat. One fresh red chilli with seeds gives noticeable but not overwhelming warmth. For a milder result, remove the seeds and membrane.
The spice mix — turmeric, coriander, ginger, chilli — should cook long enough to smell clearly fragrant, but not so long that the turmeric turns bitter. Keep the heat low during that step.
Leftovers keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator and reheat best in a pan with a small splash of water.
See Also
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Mint Raita
Green Chutney
Mango Chutney (Indian Style)
