This 25-minute Paneer Jalfrezi is a quick stir-fry that uses a handful of ingredients to create a restaurant-worthy dish. Bold in flavor, it makes for an easy weeknight dinner and pairs perfectly well with roti or paratha.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Entree
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil)
  • ½ tablespoon butter (I used salted butter)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (finely chopped)
  • 1-2 green chilies (sliced, adjust to taste)
  • 1 medium onion (½ finely chopped & ½ sliced)
  • 1 & ½ teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or use regular chili powder for extra-heat)
  • ½ cup tomato puree (store-bought preferably)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1 medium green pepper (sliced)
  • 1 medium red pepper (sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 250 - 275 grams paneer (cut into rectangles)
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ inch ginger (cut into juliennes)
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)

Method

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and ½ tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium to medium-high heat. Once the butter melts and oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 sliced green chili and sauté for 1 minute until the ginger-garlic start changing color.
  2. Then add ½ of onion which we had finely chopped and cook for around 2 minutes until the onions are lightly browned. Then add the spices: 1 & ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and, ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder along with 1 tablespoon of water so that the spices don't burn. Cook the spices for 30 seconds.
  3. Add ½ cup tomato puree and stir. Also add ¼ cup of water and ½ teaspoon of salt along with it. Cook for around 1 minute.
  4. Then add the remaining ½ of the onion which we had sliced along with: 1 medium green pepper (sliced) and 1 medium red pepper (sliced). Stir using a spatula until the sliced onions and peppers are well coated with the masala. Then cover the pan with a lid and cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar and mix to combine.
  6. Now, add 250 grams of paneer (I cut these into rectangular pieces but you can also cut into simple cubes) and mix until the paneer is well coated with the masala.
  7. Add ¼ teaspoon of garam masala, ginger juliennes (from ½ inch ginger) and 1 teaspoon of kasuri methi. Stir everything and then cover the pan with a lid and let it cook 1-2 minutes. Garnish with 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve hot with naan or roti.

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.