Vegetable Jalfrezi

Closeup of kadhai with mix veg jalfrezi with a cilantro garnish.

5 from 10 votes

This delicious vegetable jalfrezi recipe has a rainbow of healthy vegetables cooked in a spicy and creamy tomato onion sauce. It is easy to make and has just 85 calories per serving. Serve with roti, naan or rice for a tasty Indian dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course/Curry

Cuisine: British Indian, Indian, Indo-Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 85kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Wok or large skillet or wide saucepan
Blender

Ingredients

1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 medium onions (cut one onion into a very fine dice and the other into long, thin slices)
1-inch knob ginger (julienned)
4 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
1 green chili pepper (like jalapeno, optional)
3 large tomatoes (cut two tomatoes in a fine dice and one in long, thin slices)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (or ketchup, or ¼ cup tomato sauce)
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (pr Kashmiri red chili powder. Can sub paprika for less heat)
2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves, crushed in your palms)
2 tablespoons raw cashews (or pistachios. If nut-free use pumpkin seeds)
1 medium carrot (cut into 1-inch by ¼-inch batons)
2 bell peppers (or about 8 sweet peppers, any color. Cut into long, thin strips)
1 cup cabbage (thinly sliced)
1 cup cauliflower (separated into florets)
1 medium zucchini (cut into 1-inch by ¼-inch batons)
½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala (use less to begin with and add more if needed)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon vinegar (or use lemon juice)
2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Blend the cashews or pistachios (or pumpkin seeds) into a smooth paste with ½ cup water. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wide saucepan or skillet or, preferably, a wok. Add cumin seeds and let them darken a bit and become fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the finely chopped onion with a bit of salt and saute over medium heat until the onions brown. You don't want to caramelize them thoroughly but you should have good color on the onions so they just melt into the sauce.
Add the julienned ginger and crushed garlic and the minced green chili pepper, if using, and saute for a few seconds.
Add the two finely chopped tomatoes followed by the tomato paste. Mix.
Stir in the powdered spices: turmeric, cayenne and ground coriander. Add the crushed kasoori methi. Mix everything thoroughly and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes are thoroughly broken down and have formed almost a paste along with the onions. If needed add a splash of water to keep the tomatoes and onions from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Add to the cashew/pistachio/pumpkin-seed paste to the tomato-onion sauce in the wok and mix well. If you want a saucier jalfrezi, you can add about ½ cup water to the wok at this time and mix.
Add the carrots, cut into batons, to the pot. Mix, cover, and let the carrots cook five minutes. Stir once or twice to make sure nothing's sticking.
Add the remaining veggies to the pot--bell peppers, cabbage, carrots and zucchini. Mix well and let the veggies cook over medium or medium-high heat, stirring them frequently, for about three to five minutes or until they are tender enough but still have a good bite.
Add a sliced onion and a sliced tomato to the pot and stir in. Add garam masala and salt. You can also add some ground black pepper, if you want a bit more spice. Stir in the vinegar. Mix well and turn off the heat.
Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Notes

My top tips for vegetable jalfrezi

Cut the veggies into similar-sized pieces, preferably long slices or chunky squares. The veggies should retain their texture, shape and individual flavor so don't chop them too small.
Adding cashew or pistachio or pumpkin seed cream will mellow the sauce a bit and will add restaurant-style flavor to this dish, so be sure to add it.
You need to cook the first round of tomatoes and onions thoroughly so they are almost paste-like. But when you add the second round of onions and tomatoes at the end of cooking don't overcook those. You want their flavor and texture to add complexity to the dish.
Use veggies that are quick-cooking--eggplant, for instance, or okra, would not be a good choice here. Leafies also won't work as they will water down the flavor.
Don't overcook the veggies for the mix veg jalfrezi. They need to have a bite. Also don't fry the veggies over extremely high heat, as you would a Chinese style stir-fry because you don't want the sauce to burn. Maintain a medium level of heat and, if necessary, add a bit of water to the sauce.
A jalfrezi is not meant to be a very saucy dish and the juices expressed by the veggies add plenty of moisture. But if you absolutely want some sauce stir up to ½ cup of water into the sauce before you add the veggies to the pot.

Nutrition