Zesty vegetables are mixed with spicy onion and tomato gravy to make a luscious Indian side dish called Vegetable Jalfrezi. This recipe is simple. And ready to serve in less than 30 minutes. Make this Indian-style mixed vegetable stir fry in a rich tomato curry.
Thinking of making this dish for the party? This side dish is the first to vanish in the middle of the crowd — a naturally feel-good side dish that everyone will appreciate. Once you taste a bite, I'm sure you'll love this forever.
Why do we love this recipe?
This is fabulously easy to make. If you have cooked Indian food before, trust me, making this vegetable jalfrezi is like a breeze. It is ideal to make any time, from busy weeknight dinners to hassle-free weekend dinners.
This Vegetable Jalfrezi, the side dish, is acknowledged by both of us since it is super-rich, tasty gravy simultaneously, and loaded with vegetables and protein-rich Paneer.
This vegetable sidekick is deliciously creamy. I can't think of any other delightful food with heaps of veggies that tastes extremely good. Seriously, I cannot stop myself from gobbling them.
There is more room for customization to enhance your requirements. Let's combine to make a Splendid and appealing vegetable and paneer jalfrezi.
What is vegetable jalfrezi?
Jalfrezi is believed to have originated from Eastern India. And the word Jalfrezi refers to the spicy food. This dish is usually made with leftover vegetables and rich gravy. It can be made with any combination of veggies and one main protein-rich ingredient.
Other curry recipes you may like,
- Madras lentils
- Mung bean curry
- Lima bean curry
- Indian cauliflower curry
- Capsicum curry
- Instant pot potato curry
- Curry recipes
How to make Vegetable Jalfrezi?
The Ingredients
Paneer. This is the protein-rich ingredient in this recipe.
Veggies. I used a mix of colored bell peppers like green, red, and yellow. You may add veggies like broccoli, green beans, beets, carrots, and potatoes.
Onion. Onion thickens the gravy and gives an excellent texture to the side dish. You may use red, yellow, or white onion. I mostly use yellow onions as I feel a hint of sweetness, making the gravy delicious. This is my personal choice, and you can use any variety of onions.
Tomato puree. I used plum tomatoes, as they give a neutral taste and thicken the Vegetable Jalfrezi curry nicely. Roma tomatoes add a little bit more sourness. I always make tomato puree with fresh tomatoes. This step is not time-consuming, but you may still use canned diced tomatoes if needed.
Kitchen King Masala. I suggest using this store-bought masala, available in Indian stores with different brands. It gives the dish a whole new twist. Without it, I feel this dish cannot be completed. If you don't have it handy, you may substitute it with Kasuri methi.
Otherwise, you may substitute with garam masala, but the product will differ entirely. But this one, too, still tastes good.
Spice powders. For this recipe, we need red chili powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Though you may find this a long list of ingredients, these are staples in every other Indian home. These ingredients are essential and give this vegetarian Jalfrezi an authentic taste.
Some people find red chili powder super-hot; depending on your preferred spice level, you may substitute it with cayenne pepper or paprika.
The recipe directions
Roast the vegetables. Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil and add cauliflower florets, red peppers, and green and yellow peppers.
Roast them until they change their color slightly. And keep aside.
The veggies need not be cooked thoroughly. Half-done, they taste excellent and add a crisp texture to the vegetable jalfrezi.
Adding spices: Heat 4 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan and stir in ginger-garlic paste. Sauté on a simmering flame for 2 minutes or until it changes its color slightly.
Then, finely chop the onion and Sautee until the onions become soft and tender. Then add freshly pureed tomato. And sauté until the oil separates.
Then, add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, and sauté on a mild flame for a minute.
Make the gravy. Do not burn; otherwise, the sauce will be bitter. Then, add a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Cook until the gravy thickens.
Add paneer. Now add the paneer and combine gently. Finally, add a tablespoon of Kitchen King masala and stir for a minute.
Remove it from the flame and serve hot with Indian flatbreads or rice.
What does this taste like?
The sauce is rich, with mild flavors of onion, tomatoes, and garam masala. Furthermore, it combines the taste of vegetables with the creamy paneer.
What do you serve?
This is best served with rice or Indian flatbreads like roti, naan bread, and kulcha.
Naan bread, vegetable jalfrezi, and a simple garden salad would make an excellent menu. Each dish complements the others well. Trust me, this is a beautiful, heartwarming Indian dinner that is wholesome for the family and friends.
The pairing dishes
Vegetable Jalfrezi variations
Are you running out of time or planning to make this recipe at the last minute? No worries—that's cool! Here are some tips that can cut down the cooking time instantly.
- Use canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh, pureed tomatoes.
- You may make the gravy ahead of time and mix the vegetables as needed.
- Make the gravy and sauté the vegetables simultaneously.
Adopting the diets
- If you are vegan, skip the paneer. Instead, you may add tofu or chickpea for the protein content in this Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe.
- Meat lovers, this recipe can be used to make a meat version of jalfrezi. Substitute paneer with chicken, shrimp, or lamb.
Printable recipe card
Vegetable jalfrezi
Ingredients
For roasting the vegetables
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup cauliflower florets
- ¼ cup red peppers sliced
- ¼ cup green peppers sliced
- ¼ cup yellow peppers sliced
For the curry
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ cup tomato fresh puree
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
For cooking
- 2 cup water
- 1 cup paneer sliced lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon kitchen King masala /Garam masala
Instructions
For roasting the vegetables
- Over medium heat, in a pan add vegetable oil, cauliflower florets, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and yellow bell pepper.
- And pan roast for 4-5 minutes in medium flame or until the veggies are half cooked.
- And keep aside.
For seasoning
- In the pan add 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil and finely chopped onion.
- In medium heat, sauté until the onions changes turns soft and pink.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until fragrant but without burning them.
- Add tomato puree and sauté until the oil separates.
- Now add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Now sauté for a minute in simmer flame.
For cooking
- Add water and bring it to boil for 10 minutes in medium flame or until the gravy thickens.
- Add paneer, roasted vegetables, and kitchen King masala and combine them until paneer is coated well with the masala.
- Serve hot with Naan or rice.
Kelley
This was so good and full of flavor! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Tayler
I made this curry for dinner last night and it was delicious. Definitely adding this to our regular rotation!
Shadi
Easy and delicious, this one is a keeper. I know I’m going to make it over and over again!
kushigalu
All time favorite, flavorful curry. I will try your version soon., Thanks for sharing
Lisa Huff
So many fresh veggies, love that! I'm trying to eat more veggies this year so this is perfect.
Daniela Modesto
This is such a beautiful curry! It's getting saved and will be in rotation!
Hayley Dhanecha
Such a flavourful vegetable dish, paerfect with hot chapatis. Can't wait to make this so soon!
Janessa
This was such a flavorful curry and was so simple to make. We all enjoyed it for dinner and I'll definitely be making it again!
dana
This was so incredibly comforting! It's been cold here again the last few days so this was just the thing we needed!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!