Paneer Jalfrezi

A delicious Indian dish, Paneer Jalfrezi is a stir-fry made with paneer and vegetables.

Ready in just 15 minutes, this is yummy and best enjoyed with naan or parathas.

Indian cuisine is full of different colors, textures and flavors. The mains in the cuisine vary from the dry Aloo Sabji, Mixed Vegetable with Paatra Sabji and Ivy-Gourd Potato stir-fry to the curry based Potato Edamame Curry, Instant Pot Black-eyed peas and Beetroot Kofta Curry. These paired with dal, roti and salad makes a complete meal.

A lot of recipes take a lot of time to come together while some are really quick. Blending these fast and slow cooked curries help us navigate through the week.

Full of flavor, these curries are great pairings for all kinds of breads, rice and dals.

Jump to:

• What is Jalfrezi
• What is Paneer Jalfrezi
• How is this different from other paneer dishes
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Pairings
• Recipe FAQs
• More Paneer recipes to try
• Paneer Jalfrezi

What is Jalfrezi

The word Jalfrezi originates from the word jhalphrize which means spicy food cooked on high flame. Jalfrezi can be made with different ingredients like mixed vegetables, paneer, tofu or meat. 

This dish appears in various cookbooks of British India and is a popular dish on the menus of Indian restaurant in various parts of the world. 

An easy way to stir-fry vegetables for dinner, this dish works perfectly to empty out the refrigerator. A lot of cookbooks describe jalfrezi as a great way to fry leftovers with some onion and chili.

What is Paneer Jalfrezi

Paneer Jalfrezi is a spicy recipe made with paneer and vegetables. This restaurant style dish is easy to make at home in hardly any time.

The recipe is quick, totally customizable and needs only a handful of ingredients. Paired with naan or rotis it is perfect for weekday dinner. Plus, it works really well in lunch boxes. 

How is this different from other paneer dishes

Paneer is the MOST popular items on the menu of Indian restaurants. There are places that have atleast 15-20 paneer items listed. 

If you are wondering how the recipes vary from each other, this should help you understand how Paneer Jalfrezi varies from the other paneer dishes. 

Paneer Jalfrezi is a dish that has zero cream. Batons of paneer and vegetables are cooked on high flame gives everything a slight char. This is the characteristic of the dish. The dish has a thick gravy of tomatoes and is more like a stir-fry than a curry.

Comparing it to other popular paneer dishes, this one is distinct. Paneer Tikka Masala has tandoor grilled paneer pieces, Palak Paneer has paneer cubes in a green spinach sauce. Paneer Korma has a coconut based curry, Paneer Butter Masala has a mild creamy gravy and Paneer Bhurji needs crumbled paneer.

Here we add raw paneer in the dish. We do not fry, boil or cook the paneer in any way. We cook it with the masalas at high heat giving it a slight char on the outside while remaining super soft inside.

Why this recipe works

• A super quick and easy stir-fry with paneer and vegetables, this recipe does not need any pre-preparation. All you need to do is cut all the vegetables and start cooking.
• Made with minimal spices we do not need any complex ingredients in this recipe. Just a handful of spices like garam masala, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and red chili powder.
• We do not fry the vegetables or paneer for the recipe. We only use as much oil as is needed to stir-fry everything. Plus, we do not add any whipping cream or milk in the recipe.
• While the recipe is Vegetarian friendly, it can be made Vegan by eliminating the butter and substituting paneer with tofu. Moreover, it is also gluten-free.
• This Paneer Jalfrezi pairs wonderfully with roti, parathas and naan. It will work as a great filling for kathi rolls too.
• We can make Paneer Jalfrezi as part of meal prep. We can refrigerate it for 3-4 days. I would not recommend freezing it as the thawing time for vegetables and paneer varies largely.

Make this on busy weeknights or use it as a filling for kathi rolls. Or scale up the recipe and make it for a party or get together.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Paneer: Paneer or Indian style cottage cheese is the star of the dish so make your choice wisely. I used Sach Paneer in the recipe and it worked really well for me! 
• Vegetables: This dish can be made using whatever vegetables you have at hand. I like to use carrots and peas in the recipe. However, more vegetables like baby corn, cauliflower, cabbage and beans work too.
• Onions and Peppers: These are almost always used in Jalfrezi. Strips of onion and peppers make the body of the sabji. Try and not skip these while making the recipe.
• Tomatoes: The dish uses tomatoes in three forms: sliced, double concentrated tomato paste and some ketchup. Yes, I used a few spoons of ketchup here to get the required tang and sweetness. These together make the dish perfect. To substitute ketchup, use some more tomato paste and sugar in the recipe.
• Masalas: As the dish does not have any curry, the dry ingredients add a lot of flavor to the dish. We use cumin seeds, asafetida, turmeric powder and red chili powder in the recipe. We also use garam masala and kasoori methi. Having them to make the dish is a great idea.
• Oil: We use oil for tempering everything. It can also be made in ghee but I prefer oil for a neutral cooking medium.
• Beside the ingredients you need a thick bottom pan to make the jalfrezi. You want the vegetables to char but not burn. 

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Cut all the vegetables and onions and peppers into slices. Also make batons of paneer.

Pro Tip: Keep everything even so they cook evenly. Making them uneven will cook the thin slices and leave the large ones uncooked.

2- In a pan heat butter and oil together. Once hot, add cumin seeds, green chili and garlic. Sauté till fragrant.

3- Once the garlic is aromatic, add onion and peppers. Mix well and sauté for a minute. 

4- Then hen add carrots and peas. Mix well. 

5- Then add garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder, amchoor (if using), salt and sugar. Mix well. 

6- Let the masalas cook for a few minute. Then add tomato ketchup and tomato paste. Mix with the rest of the ingredients.

7- Now add tomatoes and paneer. Also add kasoori methi. Mix well till everything is coated with the masalas.

8- Turn off the flame and serve topped with some cilantro and lime juice. 

Expert Tips and Notes

• The recipe is pretty quick to make. So cut the vegetables and paneer and keep everything else ready before you start. That way the recipe comes together in minutes.
• If using frozen paneer, make sure you thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or soak it in hot water for 20 minutes before starting the recipe. Frozen paneer added as is will remain chewy after it is cooked.
• Add your choice of vegetables like baby corn, cauliflower, beans, snap peas etc if you like.
• Keep everything even so they cook evenly. Making them uneven will cook the thin slices and leave the large ones uncooked.
• We can make Paneer Jalfrezi as part of meal prep. It can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. I would not recommend freezing it as the thawing time for vegetables and paneer varies largely.

Pairings

This curry pairs perfectly with so many Indian recipes. From dal, rice and raita to Indian drinks, we can enjoy this as a meal.

Recipe FAQs

More Paneer recipes to try

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