Paneer Jalfrezi Recipe
Updated: May 9, 2022, By Swasthi
Paneer Jalfrezi is a vegetarian take on the “Jalfrezi“, a classic curried dish popular in the UK. This quick dish is made with paneer, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes & spices. A tempering of cumin (jeera) with sautéed aromatics and a generous sprinkling of spices completes this delicious stir-fry recipe. Paneer jalfrezi is a perfect side for your Naans, rotis, simple Jeera Rice, or even a bowl of steaming aromatic rice like basmati or jasmine.
What is Jalfrezi?
While Jalfrezi is considered the second most popular curry in the UK, the dish has a Bengal and colonial India origin story. Food historians believe that jalfrezi (the original curry) was born out of the necessity to use leftover roasted meat in the absence of refrigeration.
Jhal in Bengali means hot & spicy while Frezi is literally stir fry. This curry dish is a unique mix of Indian and Chinese cooking styles but was invented for the British homes. The dish is prepared with locally available vegetables & spices but stir fried using a high heat technique, introduced to the local Bengalis by the Chinese immigrants.
So Jalfrezi is a stir fry made with meat, fish or cottage cheese, vegetables along with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, chili and spices. A prominent feature of a good jalfrezi is the crunchiness of its vegetables.
While the modern, meat-based jalfrezi is made with fresh stir fried meat, you have vegetarian versions too. A popular one being this paneer jalfrezi.
About Paneer Jalfrezi
Paneer Jalfrezi is a quick and easy to make Indian dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Aromatics like onion and ginger are sautéed with cumin seeds in hot oil. The addition of pureed tomatoes follows a quick stir fry with spices, bell peppers, and any other vegetable you choose to add.
Lastly paneer and kasuri methi are tossed in the flavorsome spicy and hot stir fry. How easy right?
Paneer jalfrezi is a good mix of protein and nutritious veggies. When you combine this with a wholegrain main dish, it makes a balanced lunch or dinner meal. This tasty dish complements any mains from flatbread to cooked grains. Serve it with cooked rice, pulao, biryani, roti, naan, paratha or chapati.
Jalfrezi is a semi-dry dish and you won’t have tons of gravy/sauce. So this also makes a great filling for your wrap and sandwiches. On occasions, I have also made kathi rolls and sandwiches with these filling. You will need some salad veggies like cucumber, zucchini, onions and carrots when you assemble them.
Variations
A versatile recipe, it can be adapted into a Vegetable Jalfrezi where you sub paneer with mixed vegetables. I often make a boiled egg jalfrezi when we get tired of the paneer version. Vegans who need to avoid dairy can use tofu or try kabuli chana/chickpea jalfrezi. Use boiled chickpeas as the protein base and follow the standard recipe steps.
More Paneer recipes
Matar Paneer
Paneer Makhani
Restaurant Paneer Butter Masala
Paneer Bhurji
Photo Guide
How to make Paneer Jalfrezi (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
1. Wash and chop 2 large tomatoes (250 grams to make about 1¼ cups chopped). Add them to a blender and make a smooth puree. Or If you want you may substitute fresh tomatoes with half cup store bought tomato puree (like passata, without citric acid added)
2. Prep up the other ingredients.
- You need 250 grams (8 to 9 oz) paneer, cut to 2 * ¾ inch or 1 * ¾ inch. You may cut to any shape and size you want. If using store bought paneer, optionally you may soak the block in warm water for 10 mins. Remove and cut to desired sizes.
- Slice ½ medium green or yellow bell pepper to nearly the same size as your paneer.
- Slice ½ medium red or yellow bell pepper to nearly the same size as your paneer.
- Slice 1 medium to large onion to make 1 cup sliced & layers seperated. (yellow or red onion)
- Slit and deseeded 1 green chili
- You also need 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1 teaspoon each, ginger & garlic minced
Temper & Stir Fry
3. Add 2 tablespoon oil or ghee to a hot pan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds to hot oil.
4. When they begin to sizzle, add green chilli and onions. Stir fry on a high heat just until transparent, for 4 to 5 mins.
5. Add ginger garlic paste.
6. Stir fry for 50 to 60 seconds, until aromatic.
7. Add the tomato puree and stir fry on a high heat.
8. Add the following ground spices:
- â…“ teaspoon salt
- â…› teaspoon turmeric
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 to 1¼ teaspoon garam masala. If your garam masala is too strong then add ¾ teaspoon garam masala & ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
9. Mix well and stir fry until the raw smell of tomatoes is gone.
Make Paneer Jalfrezi
10. Add bell peppers.
11. Stir fry until the peppers are slightly tender, yet crunchy, for 4 to 5 mins. Taste test and adjust salt and spice at this stage. If you want you can add 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vinegar or tomato paste (dissolved with 1 tbsp water) at this stage for a more tart flavor.
12. Add 250 grams (8 to 9 oz) paneer. Mix everything gently to coat the paneer with the masala. Be gentle else paneer may break. Cook covered on a low heat for just 2 minutes, until heated through. I also added 1 teaspoon kasuri methi, Just a personal choice. If you don’t want skip that.
13. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.
Serve paneer jalfrezi with naan, roti or plain basmati rice.
Pro Tips
- For the best paneer jalfrezi, keep the veggies (bell peppers) crunchy. Do not overcook them. Cook them for a few minutes on high flame until they lose the raw flavor.
- To give the dish extra tart flavor, add one teaspoon of vinegar or tomato paste. Restaurants add tomato ketchup or tomato paste.
- Don’t overcook the paneer else it will dry out and become hard.
- Skip the green chili if you prefer low heat.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Paneer Jalfrezi Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 1¼ cup (250 grams) chopped tomatoes or ½ cup store bought tomato puree like passata
- 1 cup onions , thinly sliced (1 medium to large yellow or red onion)
- 1 green chili slit (deseeded for low heat)
- 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 1 tsp each minced)
- ½ medium green or yellow bell pepper sliced (capsicum)
- ½ medium red bell pepper sliced (capsicum)
- 250 grams (8 to 9 oz) paneer
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (white or apple cider or tomato paste, optional, for tart flavor)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (optional, but recommended)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
Spices
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 to 1¼ teaspoon garam masala (or use ¾ tsp garam masala + ½ tsp coriander powder if your gm is too strong)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- â…› teaspoon turmeric
- â…“ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
Instructions
Preparation
- Cut Paneer to ¾ * 2 inch long pieces. (You can cut to any sizes and shape you want)
- Puree the fresh tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Rinse and slice the onions and bell pepper.
How to make Paneer Jalfrezi
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and wait until they sizzle.Â
- Add onions & green chilli. Fry them until transparent, for 4 to 5 mins. Add ginger garlic paste & stir fry until aromatic, for a minute.
- Pour tomato puree and cook on a medium high heat until it becomes slightly thick. Add chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Saute until the raw smell of tomatoes is gone, for another 2 to 3 mins.
- Add the bell peppers & stir fry until slightly tender on a high heat, for 4 to 5 mins.
- Taste test the sauce and add more salt if needed. Optionally you may add vinegar/ tomato paste (dissolved in 1 tbsp water) and sugar. If your sauce is already sour, don't add vinegar, just sugar is enough.
- Reduce the heat and add paneer. Gently stir in to coat the paneer with the jalfrezi. Crush kasuri methi and sprinkle.
- Cover and cook on a very low heat just for 2 mins. Sprinkle coriander leaves and serve paneer jalfrezi with rice or roti.
Notes
- Most jalfrezi recipes use a small amount of tomato paste or ketchup. It is considered one of the important ingredients in the preparation of this dish. I don’t use it always but there is a difference in the flavor. Tomato paste imparts more flavor. If you want you may use 1 tsp tomato paste or ketchup.
- Adjusting the quantity of spices is very important. If tomatoes are too sour, add more spices and sugar to balance the tang.
- Kasuri Methi can be skipped but it does add another layer of flavor to the dish.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Paneer Jalfrezi first published in July 2015. Updated & republished in May 2022.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Very tasty and very simple to make thanks Swati for this recipe
Glad you like it Vandana.
Ibfollowed this recepie and it was a hit with my vegetarian friends. Spicy and tasty….visually very appealing. Thanks for a easy recipe
Glad to know Chandra. Thank you for sharing back
Love this paneer jalfrezi! Very easy and very delicious.
Thank you Olivia. Glad you like it
Tried this last night, it turned out very delicious. Thank you.
Simple recipe
So delicious and easy to make. My husband and I like this a lot more than chicken jalfrezi.
Glad to Know Zoya. Thank you so much!
This turned out to be banging and even impressed my very discerning flatmate (whose parents are Indian), who went for seconds! This will be one of my staples from now on! Also, any excuse to eat paneer 😉
Thank you so much for posting!
Glad to know Kimmy, Thank you
Just made this recipe. It is awesome. Thank you so much!
Glad to know Thelma
Turned out very nice. I used a mix of paneer and vegetables. Lightly sauteed the vegetables in oil before adding. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Meenal
You are welcome! Love the addition of veggies. Thank you!
Very simple and delightful change
Thank you!
Simple yet so tasty
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
One twist we made was added kalonji seeds to it at the end as well. It gave the extra nice restaurant like flavor to it
Kaloni seeds sounds good. Thank you for trying
So easy yet super tasty. An incredible recipe.
Thank you so much
Very easy to make and very tasty, I will follow your recipes in future. Thank you.
Welcome Beena
Hi Swasthi, I just love all your recipes and this one was no different. All your recipes just come out so perfect each time! Thank you!
Welcome Swarsh
Thank you so much. Glad to know the food turns out good.
Wow! DH and I made this recipe today. Deeeeeeelish!!!!
We used half a carton of tomato passatta for speed, didn’t have any green chilli so used dried red chillies instead. We hadn’t read the comments before cooking and we cut our paneer into cubes which stirred in nicely. Remembered the chilli powder just at the right time.
Found it to be really, really tasty I would recommend.
Will make sure next time we make it we use green chillies as per recipe, for the added oomph, and also add the sliced fresh tomatoes too!
Very impressed, and we look forward to trying out other recipes from your repertoire.
Barbara xx
Hi Barbara
Thanks a lot. So glad to know you liked it. Do try other recipes too.
Very tasty and easy to make
Thanks Aarthi
yummmmm i like it so much not only this all the veg recipies
Thanks Shikha
I love paneer. This would be my go to recipe, but i would make a small change by making paneer into smaller cubes. doing so i will get the juicy sauce completely for every bite of paneer.
Hi Amali,
You can make to small cubes, paneer jalfrezi is prepared and served in restaurants with long blocks of paneer, hence i too made it that way. You can try with small cubes. Do share with us how it turned out
healthy food
Thank you
It looks so yuuum
Thanks Moumita