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Handiہانڈیاردو
Karahi & handi

Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe

چکن جلفریزی بنانے کا طریقہ

Boneless chicken strips stir-fried with capsicum, onion and tomato in a tangy ketchup, soy and vinegar masala: the quick, crunchy Pakistani jalfrezi.
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Illustration of Chicken Jalfrezi

Prep

20 min

Cook

25 min

Total

45 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Spice

Medium hot

Jalfrezi in Pakistan is a fast, semi-dry stir-fry of chicken strips and crisp vegetables in a tangy, slightly sweet masala, somewhere between a karahi and desi-Chinese. It is a favourite at wedding menus and a weeknight standby because it is done in half an hour. The trick is high heat and adding the vegetables late so they keep their bite.

Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

Measures

Vegetables

Sauce

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a karahi or wok on high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds.

  2. Add the chicken strips and stir-fry on high heat until they turn white and lose their raw look.

    ⏱ 5 min

  3. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, red chilli, turmeric, coriander and black pepper. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring, until the tomatoes melt and the chicken is cooked through.

    ⏱ 8 min

  4. Stir in the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and chilli sauce and cook for 2 minutes until the masala is glossy and coats the chicken.

    ⏱ 2 min

  5. Add the onion squares, capsicum, tomato strips, green chillies and ginger. Toss on high heat just until the vegetables are hot but still crunchy.

    ⏱ 3 min

  6. Take off the heat straight away and serve hot.

Tips for the best result

  • Have every vegetable cut before you light the stove. The last two steps move fast and the vegetables overcook while you chop.
  • Use a mix of green, red and yellow capsicum if you can find them; it looks much better on a dawat table.
  • For a lunchbox, cook the masala a little drier so it does not soak the roti.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the capsicum and onion with the chicken. They go soft and watery and the dish loses its crunch.
  • Cooking on medium heat throughout. Jalfrezi needs a hot pan or the chicken stews in its own liquid.

How to serve

Serve with chapati, paratha or plain rice, or with egg fried rice for a desi-Chinese meal.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 2 days in the fridge. Reheat quickly in a hot pan; the vegetables will soften a little. Not good for freezing.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
375kcal
Protein
37g
Fat
18g
Carbs
16g
Fibre
3.4g
Sodium
1110mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 170

Whole dish ≈ Rs 685 · 75% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Chicken Jalfrezi: questions people ask

Is Pakistani jalfrezi different from the Indian one?

Yes. The Pakistani home and wedding version usually adds ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar for a tangy, slightly sweet finish, while many other versions are purely tomato and spice based.

Can I make jalfrezi with beef?

Yes. Use thin strips of beef undercut and boil them with a little salt and ginger-garlic until tender first, then follow the recipe from step 3.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

All karahi and handi recipes

Read this recipe in Urdu: چکن جلفریزی بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/chicken-jalfrezi · Handi, DanixSoft