Chicken Jalfrezi with Jeera Rice
Prepare carefully. Work safely. Evaluate honestly.
- Serves / makes
- 6 servings
- Preparation
- 20 minutes
- Cooking
- 30 minutes
- Total time
- 50 minutes
Heat / oven settingHob: medium-high heat, then simmer
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 750g | |
| 1.5 | |
| 1.5 | |
| 1.5 | |
| 3 cloves | |
| 22.5g | |
| 3 tbsp | |
| 3 tsp | |
| 1.5 tsp | |
| 600g (1½ × 400g tins; then drain if directed) | |
| 150ml | |
| 375g | |
| 1.5 tsp |
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Equipment
- Digital scales, measuring jug and spoons
- Clean chopping boards and sharp knife
- Mixing bowl
- Clean serving utensils
- Oven gloves and heatproof mat
- Large saucepan for curry
- Separate saucepan for rice
- Grater
- Can opener
- Wooden spoon
- Clean food thermometer
- Extra baking tray or larger pan/dish if needed for six servings
Method
Prepare
Wash hands, tie back hair and clean the workstation. Weigh the ingredients. Prepare vegetables first, then handle raw meat on a separate board; wash hands and sanitise equipment afterwards. Use pans and trays large enough for six servings. Cook in batches if needed; keep pieces the same size and allow extra time for batches. For baked dishes, use a wider dish to keep the original depth.
Start curry
Heat 1.5 tbsp oil. Fry onion and peppers for 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and ground cumin for 1 minute.
Cook chicken
Add chicken and stir for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and water. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the thickest pieces reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds with a clean food thermometer; keep cooking and recheck if necessary.
Make jeera rice
Heat remaining oil in a separate saucepan. Toast cumin seeds for 30 seconds without burning. Add rice and the water quantity on its packet. Cook according to packet instructions until tender.
Check consistency
Simmer curry uncovered briefly if the sauce is too thin. Keep peppers slightly firm rather than mushy.
Serve
Fluff rice and divide into six portions. Spoon curry alongside.
Portion for six
Divide the finished dish evenly between six people.
Food safety
- Wash hands, clean surfaces, tie back hair and use clean equipment. Check use-by dates and ingredient labels before starting.
- Keep raw meat separate from cooked and ready-to-eat food. Do not wash raw poultry; wash hands and sanitise utensils after raw meat contact.
- Use a cleaned food thermometer for meat and egg dishes: the centre should reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds, or an equivalent safe time and temperature. Timings are a guide; size and equipment affect cooking.
- Serve rice promptly. To save freshly cooked rice, cool quickly, ideally within 1 hour; refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Do not keep rice warm at room temperature.
- Cool perishable leftovers and refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Keep the fridge at 5°C or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Rice has a shorter storage limit.
Guidance: Food Standards Agency cooking advice ↗ · Rice storage advice ↗
Nutritional considerations
Chicken supplies protein. Peppers contribute vegetables and rice provides carbohydrate. Measured oil limits added fat.
Practical skills
Toasting spices, stir-frying, simmering and absorption cooking.
Presentation
Use clean serving equipment, divide evenly and wipe the plate or dish edges. Check the finished food against your planned colour, texture and appearance.
Evaluate your practical
Describe the appearance, flavour, texture and a skill you used successfully.
Explain one improvement to the recipe, your timings or your technique.
Classroom adaptation written from the recipe title in your collection. Review portions, ingredients and timings with your teacher before a practical.
Times are approximate. Quantities are for the stated yield; accompanying foods are included only when listed. This learning sheet does not itself award a qualification.