BIR Lamb Jalfrezi

BIR Lamb Jalfrezi is a modern British recipe (from British Indian Restaurants) for a classic spicy jalfrezi curry of lamb in a yoghurt and tomato base with bell pepper. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: BIR Lamb Jalfrezi.

prep time

15 minutes

cook time

25 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Curry BIR Curries Chilli Recipes Spice Recipes Lamb Recipes British Recipes

The jarfrezi is one of the mainstays of the British Indian Restaurant (BIR) menu. It’s based on a Bengali original, where the name refers to a hot and spicy curry made with fried meat and vegetables. In Bengali, 'Jal or jhal' means spicy and 'frezi' means stir-fried. So, you would not be far off the mark to characterize this Indian-style stir fry. Traditionally this meal was cooked with leftover meat and was typically quite spicy, incorporating cooked and raw chillies. The BIR version has been toned down for the British palate but it still retains some heat (especially if you ask for extra chillies). This is why I tend to dial up the chillies in my version of jalfrezis. This recipe, however has remained faithful to the BIR original on which it’s based.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp vegetable oil
250g (1/2 lb) pre-cooked lamb cut into bite-sized pieces
1 x medium onion cut into 3cm (1 in) chunks
1/2 x green pepper, cored and roughly sliced into 3cm chunks
2 tsp of coriander (cilantro), chopped

2 Thai birds' eye green chillies, sliced lengthways into strips
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp (heaped) natural yoghurt

200ml cold water

Method:

Heat a wok, curry pan or large balti bowl over high heat. When hot add the oil and use to fry the onion and bell pepper pieces until they start to caramelize around the edges (about 6 minutes).

Now stir in the garlic, chopped chillies and spices. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic or spices burn (or you curry will turn bitter).

Add the tomatoes and stir fry to combine. Cover the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have begun to break down. Stir in the yoghurt and half the coriander (cilantro) then add 500ml (2 cups) boiling water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened a little.

Add the cooked lamb pieces, re-cover the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the yoghurt has separated and the gravy has reduced to your liking.

Turn into a serving bowl, garnish with the remaining coriander (cilantro) leaves, a fresh green chilli and a twist of lemon.