Vegetable Jalfrezi is said to have originated in India during the British Raj. Once a creative way to use up leftovers, the Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe has since evolved into a flavorful and texture rich dish…a popular Indian restaurant menu item. Try this recipe with a mixture of veggies or highlight just one or two. Either way, Vegetable Jalfrezi will add a colorful splash to your plate.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients:
Medium pot of water
Salt – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cauliflower – 3 cups, cut into bite size florets
Carrots – 1/2 cup, chopped
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Onion – 1/2 medium, chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Garlic – 2 tsp, minced
Tomato Sauce – 1/2 cup (4 oz)
Bell Pepper – 1/2, chopped into bite size pieces
Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup, thawed
Salt – to taste
Whole Coriander Seeds – 2 Tbsp, dry roasted and powdered
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder – optional and to taste
Tomato – 1 small, deseeded and chopped
Lemon/Lime Juice – to taste
Method:
1. Bring pot of water to a boil and add Salt and Turmeric Powder.
2. Add Cauliflower and Carrots and boil for 3 minutes.
3. Strain the Cauliflower and Carrots and drop them into a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking.
4. Drain and keep aside after 1-2 minutes.
5. In a non-stick skillet or pan, heat 1 Tbsp Oil.
6. Add Onions and cook 2-3 minutes until light golden.
7. Add Ginger and Garlic and saute for 1 minute.
8. Add Tomato Sauce and cook until the oil separates.
9. Add Bell Pepper and Green Peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. Add Cauliflower and Carrots, Salt, Powdered Coriander, Garam Masala and optional Red Chili Powder. Mix well and cook until veggies are tender but not mushy.
11. Sprinkle a little water over the veggies occasionally to provide moisture so that the dry spices do not burn.
12. Add Tomato and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
13. Sprinkle Lemon/Lime Juice and mix.
14. Serve hot with roti, chapati or naan.
Seeds of Change makes a “Jalfrezi Simmer Sauce” that I would really like to make fresh. Every recipe I find is either vegetable Jalfrezi – or chicken Jalfrezi….I can’t find out how to make the sauce….can you help me? I LOVE your teaching style and I have made so many great dinners thanks to you!!! That is why I am asking you to help instead of going anywhere else. Thanks in advance if you have the time for me.
Hi Gia,
We have not tried the Seeds of Change sauce so can’t tell you exactly how to make it…sorry. If you want to premake a sauce for convenience, you can follow the steps for cooking the onions/ginger/garlic and tomatoes. When the oil separates, you can add it all the dry spices and mix through. This mixture can be frozen and used as necessary.
hi H & A,
i tried this recipe yesterday and it was tasty. yes the roasted coriander pwd provides a nice flavor. i had some leftover of this dish and in the morning, i heated a tava and put some amount of the dish and sauteed it along with a little chat masala. and then spread this mixture between 2 slices of toasted bread and it made for a delicious breakfast!
That is a great idea Sandhya! Thanks for sharing.
Hiii Hetal & Anuja…
Just gone through ur video..dat ws really awesome..and i hava small query?
Which Vegetable can i substitute in place of cauliflower??
Please Help me out…
I really Wanna Taste this one…
Hi Sneha,
As cauliflower is one of the main ingredients here, I am not sure if you would find a suitable substitute that will give you equivalent flavor. You may try potatoes or broccoli. Of course, the flavor will be very different.
Hi guys,
I always thought that all the vegetables are fried in jalfrezy but this is such a good, easy and yummy dish. Thank you for this wonderful post.
I tried it out and it came out wow!!!
Thanks,
Sonal
I added tomato ketchup instead of lime juice in the end…tastes awesome!!
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I made this dish yesterday for a dinner with friends. It turned out great ! With tomato puree and frozen vegetables (carrot, peas, french beans, cauliflower), all I had to do was cut onion, capsicum and ginger/garlic. Thanks a lot for your yummy recipes ! I have now started saving all my favourite recipes by taking print outs 🙂
Cheers !
Sandy
Thanks for the feedback Sandy!
Hetal & Anuja,
Thanks a lot for a wonderful recipes. I made Veg.Jalfrezi today…turned out very delicious….Videos (Visual) does help a lot. it is better than printed recipes…
Thanks…
Hi Ashmita,
Great to hear! Glad you find the website useful 🙂
Thanks for such great recipes. I am surprised to read comments from other readers, they surely seem to be interested in whose kitchen it is…it was very funny to read all the comments related to refrigerator :))
🙂
love your recipes – thanks for sharing you both are great !
i made it yday.. using home made tomato puree.. my husbnad loved it.. thanks.. i added paneer cubes as well..
Hi Hetal,
Excellent! Paneer is a great addition to this dish 🙂
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I tried this recipe for lunch today. Didn’t have any tomato sauce at home so I use tomato paste instead. Still turned out delicious. My 4 year old is a very finicky eater but he enjoyed this preparation with roti without complains.
Thanks a lot.
Rajc.
i think we can always modify the recipie and use basil thyme rosemary cilantro and oregano along with the tomatoes and create a new dish
Hi,
I tried ur recipe yesturday was awesome….sumthing different from our regular stuff….
I tried this one last week and it was fabulous– tasty and delicious. This week I changed a little bit of the recipe.. I used one cup spinach paste along with 1/4 cup tomato sauce. It was super delicious. added some small panner cubes to this along with red peppers, cauliflower, peas, carrots, onions and tomatoes. super cool flavor of spinach for those who like!
That’s a great idea Nikki! Thanks for sharing.
I tried this recipe tonight coz its so simple with very few ingredients. I did not have tomato sauce around so I used a mushroom-tomato pasta sauce and it worked really well. Also veggies were french beans, carrots, potatoes and of course tomato. It was just superb!
Please include more similar recipes that can be eaten with rotis or chappathis. I want to add more variety in my everyday cooking.
Great going gals!!
Thanks for the feedback Ancy! Glad you enjoyed the jalfrezi.
Hi Anuja and Hetal,
Well, I was surfing on the net for jalfrezi recipe and found your video. Just loved the way you presented it. For me, it was like watching a live cookery show. Miles away from the US, yet felt so close. Greaaaat show! Shall definitely try your recipe for boys, tonight!
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Probably I am the least expected audience of this website. Recently moved to Canada and tried my hand at cooking,and thanks to your great yet simple recipes quite good at the task now. I do have a request though if you could post a recipe for Gobhi and onion paranthas.
Lots of luck,
Tushar
Glad to be of help Tushar! We’ll put gobi and onion paratha on our list to do. Thanks.
I love this recipe! I didn’t do Vegetables, I used your masala and technique to make Chicken Jalfrezi and it was amazing. Substituted tri-color bell peppers (green, red, and orange) cut up into 1 inch pieces, two onions (one red, one yellow) also cut into 1 inch squares, and 2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast, (also cut up into 1 inch squares.) I kept everything the same size to make cooking/eating easier. I cooked the chicken first in the pot, after heating up the oil, with garlic and ginger, then added tomatoes and salt and haldi. Then the peppers and onions and finally your masalas. Excellent with plain basmati rice. I added an extra tomato to make it a bit saucier and then added some Sriracha Sauce at the end to give it a spicy kick. Great recipe. I’ll try the vegetable version someday too, but being that we’re non-veg in our house, the chicken jalfrezi has become a regular on our menu.
Hi Sadaf,
We’re so glad you enjoyed the Chicken Jalfrezi. Thanks for giving detailed instructions for other viewers who may want to try the recipe out.
I made veg jalfrezi a few days ago. This was easy to make and very delicious. Perfect with chappati/roti.
Thanks!
the same question, can i use tomato ketchup instead of the sauce.
hetal and anuja,
can i use tomato ketchup instead of tomato sauce?…will there be any difference in the taste??
Hetal and Anuja,
Just made it now! its awesome… the aroma of freshly grounded coriander just filled up my home… it tastes heavenly… thanks.
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
I’m a big fan of ur recipies.
I’ve maintained a recipie book which contains step wise recipies from ur website.I have been really inspired for cooking from ur recipies.
Just a small request …if it is possible for u guys to respond.
Can u suggest us few combinations of menus(right from appetizers,main course, desserts) for a lunch party or dinner party.It will be of real help and also veg and non veg menus separtely
Thanks
Neelam
Loved it… made it tonight. It was so yummy. There were none left. Thank you for great videos and recipes. It really helps to see the process, not only read it.
Keep up the great work. I really appreciate your dedication and hard work. Even my 8 yr old & 4 yr old boys love watching the videos with me. It’s our quality time. Thanks again.
heyy…thanx a lot anuja for answering my query…
u both r vry vry helpful.
thanx n God bless both of u…
Hey ladies..
Mind-blowing dish. I am going to make it tonight for my hubby. i m sure he s going to like it. Will let u know the results. Hey anuja, i liked ur bracelet. Both of you wear nice outfits. Pls wear sarees too..esp on special occasions of indian festivals like ganesh chaturti, diwali, holi etc. Hetal, would like to see u in gujju saree and anuja u would great in a kanjeevaram..:)
Hi Sandhya,
Guess you have not checked out our Kanji Video…. 🙁
https://34.233.61.50/beverages/gajar-carrot-kanji.html
Enjoy the Jalfrezi 🙂
Thanks for this recipe…has been waiting for quiet long…will def give it a try.
SUCCESS!! just finished lunch of capsicum rice, dal fry and vegetable jalfrezi and it was really yum! nothing like a tasty full meal to evoke the best of wishes and this comes straight from the tummy – THANK YOU. HUGS all the way from bangalore!
Hi Vidya,
Thank you so much 🙂
hi hetal n anuja,
can u help me in suggesting a dish or meal that i can make ahead for nxt dayz breakfast for my lil 18 mnth daughter nd my husband for evry once a week as i need to go 4 my classes.???
Hi Noor,
Here are a few suggestions:
Idli
Aloo Paratha (can be re-heated)
Rongal
Suji Upma
Seviya Upma
One of my favorites when I was little was Suji Halwa (less sweet) with milk. Just make the Halwa and when you are ready to eat, mix it with milk and heat it 🙂 It is still a comfort dish for me 🙂
hi hetal n anuja,
jst cannot stop myself to thank both of u for d last night dinner….mmmmm…veg jalfrezi,tadka dal fry nd naan..
it ws amazing…as if restaurant bought….
all thanx 2 both of u,
Thanks Noor 🙂
Instead of the store bought tomato sauce..can I use homemade tomato puree?
Hi Ami,
Yes, you can 🙂 You may have to adjust the seasoning and the spices a bit.
thanks 🙂 This is what’s for dinner tonite!
hey both looking gorgeous..I like Hetal’s dress very much…I was looking for the one u are wearing.. Can u plz tell me where did u buy..:)
Actually we make similar item – palya in kannada (dry spicy curry). Instead of the powders you mentioned, we add special powder.
You can get them at Indian stores – MTR bhathina pudi or palyada pudi or vanghi bhaath powder. They are known by few names. I have tried another brand “Iyengar bhathina pudi”. They just taste great!
Also, instead of lemon, we add tamarind extract while cooking.
We do not add onions generally for this dish. You can try them with one veggie or multiple.
Hi R,
Will give it a try 🙂
@LJC, to get a printable recipe, go to the page for the recipe you want to print. Then copy the text using the Edit menu and then open a word processing program like Notepad or Word or whatever you have, then paste what you copied. Then you can reformat if necessary. Then print.
I’m unclear as to how to get a printable version of your recipes. I have tried going to printablerecipe@34.233.61.50 but it just takes me to the home page. Can you help me out? I traveled to India almost twenty years ago and have been trying to recreate that culinary adventure ever since. Your videos have shown me how! They are easy to follow and aren’t drowning in oil or dairy. Amazing! Channa dal with zucchini is a favorite. Any thought to doing a video on Channa Masala? This was the dish that made me love Indian cuisine. Every restaurant seems to have a different version. I’d love to know yours!
Just click the recipe you want to print, on bottom or sometimes on top there is heading ‘share the knowledge or print recipe’ under that heading there is 10 or 13 icon you will find print icon, just click that and you will able to print or delete whatever you don’t want to print.
Hi Ljc,
Right under the Recipe title and above the video, there is “share the knowledge” and in that box, the 5th icon is for “print”. If you click on that, it’ll print the recipe 🙂
Like you said, every restaurant has a different recipe and every family/person has a different one too (talk about confusing) 😉 ! Having said that, we have 2 of them:
Channa Masala:
https://34.233.61.50/curries/channa-chole-masala.html
Chole A La Easy:
https://34.233.61.50/daalsbeans/chole-a-la-easy.html
Enjoy 🙂
Summer has finally set and I’m looking for vegi bbq/ bbq side dish recipes. Would love to see videos for the same.
Thanks you ladies!
i tried this at indian restautant and theirs was with gravy so tasted good.
is the studio set up at anuja’s house or hetal’s?
My guess is it is Anuja’s place. Right SMTC girls? :->)
My guess is it is Hetal’s place.
Our lips are sealed 😉
The studio is set up at both Hetal and Anujas home.
I watch the videos …the gas arrangement changes in few videos…
Neelam.
ya i’ve seen videos of both houses….but this video was taken at Anuja’s place….101%
I have seen Anuja handling the refrigerator in this house most of the time. So I am guessing it is her house. 🙂
sure is Anuja’s house….she gave a hint
Hey Guys,
We love how you guys think! Hetal is not allowed to touch my fridge and vice-versa….!
Keep guessing, coz we are just loving it 😉
I don’t mean Hetal is not allowed to touch Anuja’s house refrigerator but you seemed more cool while opening the fridge. If it is someone else’s house, the way you would open the fridge is different. Watch few videos and you will see what I mean 🙂
😉
Wonderful recipie…I’ll surely gv it a try today…
Love SMTC ….. God bless both of u…
Thanx
Love SMTC! never added lime juice to this before- I have to try that next time! Looks great!
hey,
this looks great!
I was searching for an option to contact you for recipe requests,questions etc….cudnt find one,so one request:
PLEASE PLEASE start a segment on slowcooker/crockpot recipes! Their is a dirth of indian slowcooker recipes, can hardly find any even on the best of the blogs……..I love SMTC , so please think about it,,
thanks.
-neeta
Thanks for your feedback, Neeta, you can always email us 🙂
Anuja@ShowmeTheCurry.com
or
Hetal@ShowMeTheCurry.com
fantastic taste thanks lot
Hey great recipe…for chicken jalfrezi do u add vegetables too or just the chicken??
Thanks 🙂
Finally a veg dish for me to try out after a long time. After the sweet potato chaat from your website, only this interested me enough to want to try it out and will do so soon. Thanks a lot.
Bless you both and may the blessings never stop!!:)
hi Hetal/Anuja
Mouth watering recipe, will definitely try now for lunch. Thanks for the wonderful site that you have.