Who needs a takeaway, when you can make your own easy paneer jalfrezi in half an hour or less? This recipe is not only quick-to-make, it’s absolutely delicious. And you can make it as hot or as mild as you like. For a vegan jalfrezi, just swap the paneer for tofu.
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Sometimes nothing but a curry will do. In such instances, this easy paneer jalfrezi is one of my go-to recipes. Just serve it with some warm flatbreads and a bowl of raita – perfect.
Dive Right In
- What Is Jalfrezi Curry?
- Why Make Paneer Jalfrezi?
- Easy Paneer Jalfrezi
- Ingredients
- How To Make Easy Paneer Jalfrezi
- Vegan Tofu Jalfrezi
- Other Vegetarian Curries You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
What Is Jalfrezi?
Jalfrezi is a stir-fried curry, which originated in Bengal. It’s usually a dish made from some sort of protein along with onions, peppers, tomatoes and spices. The word jalfrezi means “hot-fry” in Bengali.
It’s spicy, slightly sweet and slightly sour. The sweetness comes from peppers and onions and the sour from tamarind paste. Unlike some curries, this one is not swimming in sauce. It’s termed a “dry” curry, though the veg and protein are still coated with a very tasty sauce.
Chicken jalfrezi is, apparently, one of the most popular curries here in the UK. I find this quite surprising as it’s one of the hottest curries you can order in a restaurant or takeaway.
But don’t worry, my vegetarian jalfrezi isn’t particularly hot, though you can make it so if you like.
Why Make Paneer Jalfrezi?
This vibrant vegetarian curry combines protein rich paneer, colourful veggies and aromatic spices for a deliciously satisfying meal. It’s quick and easy to make, so perfect for busy weeknights, lazy weekends or casual gatherings.
But here are a few more reasons you might want to make this easy paneer jalfrezi.
- Colourful – Sweet peppers are a key ingredients in jalfrezi. Their vibrant colours make the dish visually appealing, which adds to the overall dining experience.
- Fakeaway – Save yourself the expense of a takeaway. In the time it takes you to order and have one delivered, your own paneer jalfrezi will be on the table. It has the added bonus of being a lot healthier than your average jalfrezi takeaway too.
- Full of Flavour – Paneer jalfrezi combines protein-rich Indian cottage cheese with a flavoursome blend of spices and vegetables. The dish positively bursts with taste and aroma.
- Quick and Easy – Paneer Jalfrezi is relatively quick and easy to prepare. This makes it suitable for busy weeknights or lazy weekends when you want a delicious meal without spending too much time in the kitchen.
- Vegetarian Option – For vegetarians or those looking to reduce their meat consumption, paneer jalfrezi offers a satisfying and nutritious alternative to the more ubiquitous chicken jalfrezi.
- Versatile – Cooking this dish for yourself allows you to adjust the spice and heat levels according to your own preferences. You can also make the jalfrezi vegan by swapping the paneer for tofu.
Easy Paneer Jalfrezi
Instead of chicken, I use paneer to make a tasty and satisfying jalfrezi. Paneer, sometimes called Indian cottage cheese, has a fairly bland taste, but soaks up other flavours wonderfully well. It provides something substantial to chew on too. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s a lot nicer than I’ve made it sound.
I add an extra step to my paneer jalfrezi. It’s entirely optional but frying the paneer first to make the sides crispy, really ramps up the overall eating experience. It adds texture as well as additional flavour.
The peppers provide crunch as well as colour and the sauce that coats them just makes the whole lot sing.
Serve with flatbread and a simple raita for a quick midweek meal or dish it up as part of a curry night feast. If your jalfrezi is a little too hot, the raita acts as a very effective cooling agent.
Because jalfrezi isn’t a particularly wet curry, rice doesn’t make the best accompaniment.
Paneer jalfrezi is best served freshly cooked whilst the veggies still have a bit of bite to them. However, if you don’t mind them going soft, you can easily store and reheat any leftovers. Just keep them in an airtight container and they’ll last in the fridge for three days.
Ingredients
As with most Indian dishes, you need a fair few ingredients to make this easy paneer jalfrezi. But most of them are relatively common spices.
Paneer
Paneer, sometimes referred to as Indian cottage cheese, is a fresh pressed cheese. It’s made by curdling buffalo or cow’s milk with acid, usually lemon juice.
It’s easy to get hold of and most supermarkets stock it. Paneer is a great cooking cheese and the commercial stuff holds its shape well. Going on my own experiences of making paneer, I suspect the homemade version might fall apart.
Spices
You should have most of the spices I’ve used in this easy paneer jalfrezi recipe on your spice rack. These are: cumin seeds, ground coriander, ground turmeric, garam masala.
However, I’ve used a couple that aren’t quite so common. If you like making curries, Kashmiri chilli powder is well worth stocking. It’s a mild, but flavoursome chilli with a slightly smoky taste. Ideal for those not keen on heat. If you can’t get hold of any, you can use pul biber (Aleppo chilli flakes) instead.
Fenugreek seeds give a really lovely flavour to this curry and I highly recommend them. They are optional though.
You also need some fresh ginger, garlic and chilli. Green chillies are traditional for a jalfrezi, but I have a freezer full of homegrown red chillies, so that’s what I use. If you don’t like the heat, leave the fresh chilli out or ensure you use a mild one.
Tamarind Paste
Tamarind paste is excellent for giving sour but flavoursome notes to Asian dishes. It works really well in jalfrezi. It’s easy to get hold of, but if you don’t have any, you can swap it for red wine vinegar.
Tomato Purée
Just a little tomato purée gives a real umami boost to dishes. I always keep a tube of the stuff in my fridge, because you just never know when you might need it.
Vegetables
Onion, sweet peppers and tomatoes are the key to a jalfrezi. Onions provide flavour and texture, peppers give colour and crunch and the tomatoes create the sauce and umami flavours that make this dish so enticing.
For maximum flavour and colour contrast use a green pepper and two from the other colours available. I went for a green, a yellow and a red.
You can use whichever tomatoes you like, but be careful not to go overboard. This is not a tomato curry. Their place is to provide umami flavour and a bit of juice to give that all important saucy coating to the paneer and veg.
How To Make Easy Paneer Jalfrezi
Despite the number of ingredients used for this paneer jalfrezi, it’s actually quite a quick and easy curry to make.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Fry Paneer (optional)
This is an optional first step, but I highly recommend it. Place a wide based lidded pan over a medium high heat. I use a shallow cast iron casserole dish (affiliate link). Paneer sticks to stainless steel, so try to go for something non-stick.
Cut the paneer into bitesize cubes. Add half the oil to the pan followed by the paneer. Fry for a minute on at least four sides so the cubes are crispy. Transfer the cubes to a bowl until needed.
If you want a super fast dish, just omit this step and add the paneer at the end.
Step 2. Fry Onion
Peel the onion, then halve it and slice it thinly into half moons.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and throw in the cumin and fenugreek, if using. If you haven’t first fried the paneer, add all of the oil. Let the seeds sizzle briefly, then add the onion slices.
Fry until the onions have turned translucent and softened a little, but don’t let them brown. Give an occasional stir.
Step 3. Add Aromatics
Whilst the onions are frying, finely chop the chilli. Unless you like things hot, remove the seeds first.
Finely grate the ginger and garlic into the pan of onions. I use a microplane (affiliate link), which makes the job really quick and easy.
Add the chopped chilli and give everything a good stir then add a little water to stop the ginger and garlic burning on the bottom of the pan.
Step 4. Fry Peppers
Again whilst the onions are frying, prepare the peppers. Remove the stems and seeds, then slice them lengthways into thin fingers.
Add the peppers to the onions and stir-fry for a few minutes until they’re cooked but still crunchy.
Step 5. Add Sauce Ingredients
Whilst the peppers are frying, finely chop the tomatoes. Add them to the pan along with the remaining spices, salt, tomato paste and tamarind paste or vinegar. Give everything a good stir.
Turn the heat down to medium, place the lid on the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
Step 6. Finish Curry
Add the paneer cubes, either fried or raw. Stir them in to the veg and ensure they’re coated in sauce. Place the lid back on the pan and cook for another couple of minutes, or until the cheese has cooked through.
Serve straight away whilst the curry is fresh and hot with a scattering of chopped coriander leaves over the top, if liked. Warm flatbreads and a bowl of simple raita make excellent accompaniments.
Vegan Tofu Jalfrezi
It’s super easy to make paneer jalfrezi vegan. Just do a straight swap. Instead of paneer use firm tofu. Press it first if necessary and either fry it, as I’ve done with the paneer or add it at the end of the process.
Otherwise, just follow the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Other Vegetarian Curries You Might Like
- Aloo gobi: cauliflower and potato curry (vegan)
- Green split pea curry (vegan)
- Mushroom curry
- Roasted carrot & lentil curry (vegan)
- Spinach chickpea curry (vegan)
- Vegetable curry: suitable for a low histamine diet (vegan)
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this easy paneer jalfrezi curry, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for cooking with paneer?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
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If you’d like more recipes using peppers, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Easy Paneer Jalfrezi. PIN IT.
Easy Paneer Jalfrezi
Equipment
- microplane (affiliate link) optional
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or sunflower oil
- 225 g paneer cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
- 1 large onion halved and sliced
- 1 thumb size knob root ginger finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 red chilli green is traditional, but I usually use red – deseeded and finely chopped**
- 3 large sweet peppers use a mix of colours including a green one
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp tamarind paste or swap for red wine vinegar
- coriander leaves (cilantro) to serve – chopped
Instructions
- This is an optional first step, but highly recommended. Place a wide based pan* which has a lid over a medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the oil then the paneer cubes. Fry for a minute on at least four sides so the cubes are crispy. Remove the cubes and place in a bowl until needed.225 g paneer
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and throw in the cumin and fenugreek, if using. Let the seeds sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onion. Fry until the onions have turned translucent, but not brown. This should take no more than 3 minutes. Give an occasional stir.1 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 large onion
- Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and give a good stir. Add a tbsp of water to stop them burning on the bottom of the pan.1 thumb size knob root ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 red chilli
- Add the peppers and stir-fry for 4 minutes until they’re cooked but still crunchy.3 large sweet peppers
- Stir in the remaining spices, salt, tomatoes, tomato paste and tamarind paste or vinegar. Turn the heat down to medium, place the lid on the pan and cook for 2 minutes.1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp sea salt, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp tamarind paste
- Add the paneer (fried or not), stir and cook for a further 2 minutes or until cooked through and hot.
- Serve immediately, whilst fresh and hot, with a scattering of coriander leaves on top along with flatbreads and raita.coriander leaves (cilantro)
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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