Vegetable Paneer Jalfrezi is an easy and healthy stir fry recipe made with cottage cheese, vegetables like bell peppers and Indian spices

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Bengali, Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil ((or ghee))
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera seeds)
  • 1 medium onion (sliced lengthwise)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 red bell pepper (sliced lengthwise)
  • 1/2 green bell pepper (sliced lengthwise)
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper (sliced lengthwise)
  • 1 medium tomato, de-seeded (sliced lengthwise)
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree ((1 large tomato))
  • 200 grams paneer (cut lengthwise (7 oz))
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried methi leaves) (optional)
  • juice of half lime

Garnish:

  • 2 tablespoon cilantro (coriander leaves)

Method

  1. Cut the veggies and paneer length wise and keep aside.
  2. In a Pan, heat oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
  3. Then add sliced onions, minced ginger, garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until light brown.
  4. Next, add the spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, a splash of water, and saute the masala on medium-high heat for another minute. Note: Make sure to add the water else spices will burn.
  5. Add the bell peppers and continue sautéing them for another 2-3 minutes till they are tender and cooked.
  6. Add sliced tomato and tomato puree and saute for a minute until the tomatoes soften.
  7. Finally, add the paneer, garam masala, toss well to coat with all the spices. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes. You can also add kasuri methi at this stage.
  8. Lastly, squeeze from fresh lime juice and sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander leaves. Then, the restaurant style paneer jalfrezi curry is ready to serve with naan or rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.