Paneer jalfrezi is a tangy, mild and semi dry curry of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) cooked with a mix of healthy vegetables, savory herbs and spices. This is an easy recipe and I make it when I want to cook a quick and delicious dish that pairs well with a side of roti, paratha or bread. You can make this paneer veg jalfrezi recipe for lunch or dinner.
Paneer jalfrezi is a dish that is served in some Indian restaurants. There are many ways to make this dish. This is a vegetarian version with paneer being the hero ingredient. So I suggest using fresh and good quality homemade paneer.
I already have a Baby Corn Jalfrezi, but this recipe is slightly different and much mild and less spiced. A semi dry paneer dish, good for kids and people who cannot tolerate spicy food. The recipe has been adapted from the book “100 great Indian recipes” by Master Chefs Of India.
In this veg paneer jalfrezi recipe, I have added veggies like carrots, baby corn and capsicum (green bell pepper). Feel free to add your choice of veggies like broccoli, sweet corn, cabbage, peas (fresh or frozen), spring onions or skip the veggies completely. It is a good way to use leftover vegetables and this also makes the dish more nutritious and flavorful.
Alternatively, this recipe can be easily customized to make veg jalfrezi recipe with only veggies and skipping the paneer completely. To make veg jalfrezi add 2 to 2.5 cups mix vegetables like cauliflower, capsicum, carrots, green peas, cabbage, baby corn, sweet corn, broccoli.
The prep work is just slicing the veggies and making the tomato puree. If you use ready-made tomato puree, then the prep work is halved.
This mild and tangy paneer jalfrezi goes well with chapati, naan or roti. Accompany plain raita, boondi raita or an onion tomato raita by the side.
How to make Paneer Jalfrezi Recipe
1) First all your veggies in fresh water. Drain all the water and set the veggies aside.
Then peel if needed and thinly slice all the vegetables.
- 1 small to medium carrot or 50 grams carrot. You can also cut the carrots into 1.5 to 2 inches batons or sticks.
- 9 to 10 baby corn or 50 grams baby corn,
- 1 medium to large capsicum (green bell pepper) or 80 to 100 grams capsicum,
- 1 large onion or 100 grams onion.
TIP 1: You can even shred the veggies in a food processor.
TIP 2: You can add your choice of veggies like spring onions, sweet corn, green peas, broccoli or skip the veggies completely.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and then add the ginger paste (1 inch ginger, crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle or minced or 1.5 teaspoon ginger paste) and 2 dry red chilies.
If you prefer you can remove the seeds from the chilies.
3. Saute the ginger on low to medium-low heat for some seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger goes away.
4. Add the sliced onions (1 large onion or 100 grams).
5. Saute stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes and then add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder. Stir and saute the onions for a further 3 minutes.
6. Add all the sliced veggies. Stir and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook the veggies on a low heat, till they are almost tender. About 10 to 12 minutes on low heat.
Keep on stirring in between. It is important to thinly slice the veggies, so that they cook faster. You can even chop them into small cubes.
If in case, the vegetables began to stick on the pan then add a splash of water. Mix well. Cover with lid and continue to cook.
7. Meanwhile make a puree of the tomatoes in a blender (1 medium to large tomato, 80 to 100 grams – about 4 to 5 tablespoons of tomato puree). No need to blanch the tomatoes.
8. Add the tomato puree to the veggies.
9. Mix well. Simmer without the lid till the rawness of the tomatoes goes away and the vegetables are completely cooked. About 6 to 7 minutes on low heat.
Stir at times. Season with salt as required, ½ teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
If the mixture starts sticking to the pan, then add in some water. Mix and continue to cook.
10. Lastly add the paneer (200 to 250 grams cottage cheese). Stir well and switch off the heat.
You have to cut the paneer in batons as shown in the below photo. Use fresh and preferably homemade paneer. You can refer to this post on How to make Paneer at home.
11. Check the taste and add more salt, sugar as needed. Garnish with (½ to 1 tablespoons) coriander leaves or parsley.
Serve paneer jalfrezi hot or warm with naan bread, roti or paratha or whole wheat bread.
It can also be had as a side dish with a meal of dal and rice. I would recommend finishing this dish in one go. Avoid keeping any leftovers as on reheating the paneer might become chewy or dense.
More Paneer recipes
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Paneer Jalfrezi Recipe | Paneer Veg Jalfrezi
Ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams Paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
- 1 small to medium carrot or 50 grams
- 9 to 10 baby corn or 50 grams
- 1 medium to large capsicum or 80 to 100 grams
- 1 large onion or 100 grams
- 1 medium to large tomato or 80 to 100 grams – or about 4 to 5 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 to 1.5 inches ginger – crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle or minced or 1.5 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder or white pepper powder
- 2 dry red chilies (preferably remove the seeds)
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar – you can also add more or less depending on your taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
- salt as required
- ½ to 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) or parsley leaves, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons oil – neutral flavored.
Instructions
Preparation
- First rinse the veggies in fresh water.
- Peel the carrots. Peel the onions and then rinse them.
- Thinly slice the onions, slice the carrot into thin strips or batons/sticks or shred them in a food processor.
- Slice the baby corn and and bell peppers, thinly.
- Thinly slicing the vegetables, helps them to cook faster.
- Crush the ginger to a paste in a mortar-pestle or grate/mince it.
- Chop the paneer into sticks or batons.
Making paneer jalfrezi
- Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil become hot, add the ginger paste and dry red chilies (remove the seeds if you prefer).
- Saute on low heat for some seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger paste goes away.
- Add the sliced onions. Saute for two to three minutes and then add the cumin powder and black pepper powder.
- Stir and saute the onions for a further 3 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
- Add all the sliced veggies. Stir and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook the veggies on a low heat, till they are almost tender. Keep on stirring in between. No need to add any water while cooking the vegetables. Cook the vegetables covered, for about 10 to 12 mins on a low heat.
- If in case, the veggies starts sticking to the pan then add some water. Mix and continue to cook.
- Meanwhile make puree of the tomatoes in a blender. No need to blanch the tomatoes.
- Add the tomato puree to the veggies.
- Simmer without the lid till the rawness of the tomatoes goes away and the vegetables are completely cooked. About 6 to 7 minutes on a low heat.
- If the ingredients starts sticking to the pan then add a splash of water and continue to simmer.
- Season with salt as required, sugar and vinegar. Lastly add the paneer. Stir well and switch off the heat.
- Check the taste and add more salt, sugar as needed.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves or parsley leaves.
- Serve paneer jalfrezi hot or warm with chapati, tandoori roti, paratha or naan. You can also have paneer veg jalfrezi with bread or as a side dish with dal rice.
Notes
- You can add vegetables like carrots, capsicum (green bell pepper), broccoli, green peas (fresh or frozen), sweet corn, cabbage, baby corn, spring onions.
- You can easily customize this recipe to make veg jalfrezi made only with veggies and skipping the paneer completely. To make veg jalfrezi recipe you need to add 2 to 2.5 cups of mixed vegetables.
- This recipe can’t be scaled as it is. You have to use the method of approximation to scale up the recipe and adjust the spices and seasonings accordingly.
- I recommend thinly slicing the vegetables so that they cook faster. If you prefer then you can even chop the veggies in small cubes.
- Use fresh homemade paneer. Make sure the paneer is not rancid or has become sour.
- I suggest to finish this dish and not keep any leftovers as on reheating the paneer will become chewy or dense.
- You can also use ghee (clarified butter) instead of oil.
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
This Paneer Jalfrezi post from the archives (May 2014) has been republished and updated on 24 September 2021.
I would just like to mention that, thanks to your recipe collection, I’m bringing home new ingredients and trying out a variety of recipes! It’s also a great source of ideas for when you can’t think of something to make, or when you don’t feel like making the same old routine ????
This recipe also turned out very nice. Thanks!
Welcome Sweta. Glad to know that recipes are helping you in cooking variety of dishes. thanks for sharing this positive feedback.
I love ur recipes…but can i cook dis recipe without onion and garlic?
you can pooja. just add a pinch of asafoetida in the masala while sauteing.
I owe my culinary skills to my mom and you! Tussi great ho
pleased to know this thankyou so much khushboo 🙂