Shrimp Jalfrezi Curry Recipe

There's nothing quite like a well-cooked Indian curry. The way that a multitude of spices and fresh ingredients are combined in Indian cuisine to make beautifully flavored and richly aromatic dishes is unparalleled. It's no wonder that it can seem daunting to try cooking an Indian curry from scratch, but we are here to explain just how simple it can be to make delicious curry in the safety of your own kitchen. Jalfrezi curry is a great place to start, as it is almost like stir fry in how it is assembled, making it relatively quick and easy to cook.

To make a flavorful dish, you will want to make sure you have a strong curry flavor base for your dish. In this case, recipe developer Jennine Rye has created a jalfrezi curry paste, which uses green chilies along with a plethora of fragrant spices to add heaps of flavor. Making curry paste is truly as simple as adding ingredients to a food processor and blending them into a paste. This paste is cooked with chopped tomatoes and creamy coconut milk, along with some vegetables and shrimp, to make a vibrantly spiced dish that's packed full of flavor and quick to assemble.

To make this shrimp jalfrezi curry recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. To make the curry paste you will require garlic, fresh ginger, groundnut oil, tomato purée, green chilies, and fresh cilantro. You will also need some dried ground spices; turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and mustard powder, along with some salt. Additionally, you will want an onion, red and green peppers, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, shrimp, and some lemon zest. And, this dish isn't complete without a sprinkle of cilantro on top; this popular, bright herb is central to Indian cuisine and adds both vibrant color and a delicious freshness to the curry.

It can be simple enough to buy curry paste from your local supermarket, and we definitely think there is a time and a place for shop-bought curry bases, but there's nothing quite like making and refining your own curry paste at home. You can enjoy far more flavor when using fresh ingredients, and it allows for much more variety when made in your own kitchen instead of the store shelf. And, although it may require quite a few ingredients, it couldn't be simpler to make. Simply add all of the ingredients to a food processor, and then blend everything until a thick paste has formed. That's it!

To start the jalfrezi curry itself, fry sliced onions and bell peppers in groundnut oil for a minute or two. Then, add garlic and further green chilies, then the prepared jalfrezi curry paste to the pan. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes to release all of the delicious fragrant flavors and maximize taste. Jalfrezi curry uses green chilies and is known to be a relatively spicy curry due to this. If you prefer to reduce the heat in this dish, you can deseed the chilies before adding them, or omit them from this stage entirely.

Once the jalfrezi curry paste is filling the kitchen with its beautiful fragrance, it's time to add the can of chopped tomatoes and coconut milk to the dish. At this stage, you can either add the tomatoes in their naturally chunky form, or you can give them a quick whizz in a blender to create a smoother sauce. Either way, allow the liquids to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce and thicken before adding the shrimp and the lemon zest. Keep a close eye on the shrimp as it cooks; it should have just turned pink so that it is safe to consume but still deliciously tender. You don't want to overcook it and end up with tough, rubbery shrimp.

Once the shrimp has cooked through, the jalfrezi curry is ready to serve. It is commonly served with rice to absorb the delicious sauce, and can be finished off with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and use them within two to three days.