Jalfrezi Paneer or Paneer Jalfrezi Sabzi is an easy side dish for rotis. We make this with paneer and capsicum cooked in an onion-tomato gravy spiced with regular Indian spices.
The recipe for this Paneer Jalfrezi Sabzi is an easy paneer recipe from my microwave cookbook and has instructions on how to make this Paneer Jalfrezi in Microwave. I have already shared the Microwave Paneer Jalfrezi made in microwave mode. I even used the excess curry I had to make Kati Roll with Paneer Jalfrezi.
This time the recipe is slightly different. A hearty recipe that suits my requirement for J in my quest to make A to Z Side Dishes. So I made this is Vegetable Paneer Jalfrezi Sabzi on the stovetop.
Why is it called Jalfrezi?
I was curious to know about the word Jalfrezi. So originally, Jalfrezi is a medium-hot Indian dish made with either chicken or lamb with fresh chili peppers, tomatoes, and onions. It is a stir fry kind of dish and later adapted to include vegetables as well. I have used green capsicum along with green chilies.
Jalfrezi comes from the colloquial Bengali term jhal porhezi. Jhal means spicy food and porhezi refers to as suitable for a diet. We stir fry the ingredients while making Jalfrezi, very similiar to the Chinese cuisine.
Previously it was also a good way to use leftover meat. Later turned out into making it with precooked marinated meat. It also includes bite-sized pieces of onions, tomatoes, green peppers.
All in all, it is surely a very hot curry. During the British Raj, it is a decked-up leftover dish in fragrant herbs and spices.
Other Paneer dishes you can make:
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Step By Step Pictures
How to Make Paneer Jalfrezi
I made this sabzi with homemade paneer. Since the homemade paneer is not as firm as the store-bought, we have to be careful in handling it while cutting it into 2-inch fingers.
Heat a nonstick pan with oil, butter, next add cumin, ginger garlic paste, and saute for a minute. We chop the onions as julienne and saute it turns translucent.
Add the capsicum and saute for few minutes. Add all the spice powders and mix well.
Cook till the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes on low flame.
When the onions and capsicum is well cooked, add the tomato puree, mix and
cook on high flame with 1/2 cup water added. When the tomato and spices are cooked well, add paneer cubes at this stage and simmer again. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
When the gravy is thick and paneer is well coated, add Kasuri methi and mix well.
Serve hot with chapati.
This dry vegetable paneer jalfrezi sabzi is best served with rotis, we can make it as stuffing for rolls as well.
If you are looking for other easy side dishes to serve with rice, then try this Okra ki Sabzi
Recipe
Jalfrezi Paneer | How to make Paneer Jalfrezi Sabzi
Ingredients
- 400 gms Paneer cubed
- 2 tsp Cooking Oil
- 2 tsp Butter
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 cup Onion juliennes finely chopped
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 cup Green Capsicum juliennes
- 1/4 cup Tomato puree
- 2 no Green Chillies finely chopped
- Sal to taste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 tsp Garam masala
- 2 cups Tomato Puree
- 1/4 tsp Kasuri Methi
- Coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
How to Make Paneer Jalfrezi
- Cut the Paneer into a 1.5-inch size. Keep it aside.
- Heat a nonstick pan with oil, butter, next add cumin, ginger garlic paste, and saute for a minute.
- Next, add onions, cook the onions to become slightly translucent.
- Add the capsicum and saute for few minutes.
- Add all the spice powders and mix well.
- Cook till the mixture for about 5 to 7 minutes on low flame.
- Add the tomato puree, mix and cook on high flame with 1/2 cup water added.
- Cook till the tomato and spices are cooked well.
- Add paneer cubes at this stage and simmer again.
- Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- When the gravy is thick and the paneer is well coated, add Kasuri methi and mix well.
- Serve hot with chapati.
Rajani says
This is a great side dish for rotis and a favorite with kids. Good to read the background story about this dish too 🙂
Harini Rupanagudi says
I agree this is very popular with the kids and a breeze to prepare. Good choice.
Radha says
This is loved in our home. Excellent paneer dish.
sushma pinjala says
Paneer Jalfrezi looks too good Valli.
Narmadha says
Paneer jalfrezi looks like so flavorful and delicious dish. Would love to have it with hot phulkas or chapati.