If you have guests coming over with little or no notice, and you wanna impress them, then this Vegan Vegetable Jalfrezi can be your answer.
Or if you are bored of your usual dinner fare, a quick fix dinner recipe such as this one can come in very handy.
My entire family loved this as a side dish with dal tadka and jeera rice.
The Vegan Jalfrezi recipe is a stir fry curry that has its roots in the Indian subcontinent from colonial times.
What started as a way of using leftover vegetables evolved into a dish of its own.
Down to the basics, it is a mixture of a variety of vegetables together with balancing spice and herbs to give it a deliciously mouth-watering taste.
This dish can be prepared in a hurry, and it's perfect for those times when you want something different from your usual dinner fare.
So go ahead and give this vegan jalfrezi a try - I'm sure you'll love it!
Today I will show you how to easily prepare this Vegan jalfrezi recipe at home, and save yourself the cost of going out or buying curry.
It's a great way to have a nutritious dinner without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
Jump to:
What is Jalfrezi?
Jalfrezi is a stir-fried curry and originated in Bengal. Jalfrezi means hot fry. Jalfrezi recipes appeared in cookbooks of British India as a way of using up leftovers by frying them with chili and onion.
I came across this recipe when I was watching a youtube video in which Chef Ranveer Brar was beautifully explaining the origins and how this vegan jalfrezi can be prepared within 15 minutes with a small list of Indian spices.
Paneer Jalfrezi is another variation that is also quite popular and I plan to share a vegan version of that too. But for now, let's look at the details for the Vegan Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe.
Ingredients note
- Vegetables: Use your choice of vegetables. I used fresh green beans, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, and onions. Using Baby corn, green peas can also give a fresh new dimension to the dish. Vegetables take the centre stage in a Jalfrezi recipe and a bigger variety makes it even more enterprising.
- Tomato sauce: I added ¼ cup of water to 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. This is the main ingredient that makes the base flavorful. Tomato puree is an alternative if you do not have tomato paste. Just simmer the puree on low heat to reduce moisture. I also considered using tomato ketchup but decided against it because it could introduce other flavors that are not typical for Jalfrezi.
- Spices: We only need light spices to make vegan jalfrezi. I used fresh ground black pepper, hot chilli powder, and cumin powder. Using coriander powder and turmeric powder is optional for this dish, but it does bring wonderful flavors.
- Oil: You need a very small amount of oil for this recipe and any kind of oil is good for that. I used extra virgin olive oil.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make this
Place a Kadai or a large pan on medium-high heat. Add vegan butter or oil let it melt. As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds and when it starts to sizzle, add chopped garlic and saute it.
Add chopped onion, julienned ginger, and saute until the onion turns translucent.
Add tomato sauce and all the listed spices and mix well.
Now add the chopped beans and carrots. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and frozen peas. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
Add chopped bell peppers and cook for 30 seconds. Mix well Switch off the heat and garnish with fresh cilantro on top.
Give again a nice stir. Vegan jalfrezi is ready to serve.
Recipe FAQ's
With the right kind of vegetables and spices, this dish will take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
This dish is moderately spicy. You can always adjust the spice level to your liking by adding more green chillies.
Expert tips
- Mixed vegetable Jalfrezi is best served hot paired with steamed rice or naan bread.
- You can add a wider variety of vegetables than what I have used here. Red bell pepper, yellow pepper, spring onions, and cherry tomatoes are some options that could be explored. Look for vegetables that cook fairly quickly to go with the quick-fix dinner theme.
- If you want a bit more of a kick, add some extra red chili powder to the dish.
- You can add Kasuri methi leaves if you prefer that flavor. It is quite common to find that taste in Indian restaurants.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated later.
Serving suggestion
Just like several other Indian dishes, this vegetable jalfrezi curry can be served with Indian flatbreads like phulka roti, besan roti, avocado paratha, homemade naan, and also with sona masoori rice and brown rice.
If you are looking for more side dishes like this check out my 35 plus side dishes for roti, chapathi, and naan recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Jalfrezi Recipe
Equipment
Process Shot
Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)
Ingredients
- 1 cup green beans chopped lengthwise
- 1 carrot chopped lengthwise
- 5 mushrooms chopped
- 1 onion chopped (Or 1 cup chopped)
- ⅓ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup tomato puree or sauce
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
Instructions
- Place a Kadai or a large pan on medium-high heat. Add vegan butter or oil let it melt. As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds and when it starts to sizzle, add chopped garlic and saute it.½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon vegan butter, 2 garlic cloves chopped
- Add chopped onion, julienned ginger, and saute until the onion turns translucent.1 onion chopped (Or 1 cup chopped), 1 inch ginger
- Add tomato sauce or puree and all the listed spices and mix well. (check above for step by step method with pictures)½ cup tomato puree or sauce, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, salt to taste
- Now add the chopped beans and carrots. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.1 cup green beans chopped lengthwise, 1 carrot chopped lengthwise
- Add mushrooms and frozen peas. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute. (check above for step by step method with pictures)5 mushrooms chopped, ⅓ cup frozen peas
- Add chopped bell peppers and cook for 30 seconds. Mix well Switch off the heat and garnish with fresh cilantro on top. Give again a nice stir. Vegan jalfrezi is ready to serve.1 yellow bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper
Notes
- Mixed vegetable Jalfrezi is best served hot paired with steamed rice or naan bread.
- You can add a wider variety of vegetables than what I have used here. Green bell pepper, yellow pepper, spring onions, and cherry tomatoes are some options that could be explored. Look for vegetables that cook fairly quickly to go with the quick-fix dinner theme.
- If you want a bit more of a kick, add some extra red chili powder to the dish.
- You can add Kasuri methi leaves if you prefer that flavor. It is quite common to find that taste in Indian restaurants.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated later.
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Tristin says
I had never heard of this before so knew I had to try it! It was so easy to make and we loved all the veggies and the hint of spice.
Aya says
I made this for dinner, and it was terrific. It filled the house with a delicious and spicy aroma. So easy to make, and yet so flavorful! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Uma Raghupathi says
Thanks, Aya!
Amanda Mason says
This was the perfect lunch recipe! I eat so much meat protein and was looking for some good vegetarian/vegan meals to introduce and this one showed up in my search results. Really delicious!!
Leslie says
I just love this recipe! There's nothing more satisfying that eating a whole bowl full of veggies that are loaded with flavor!!
Mikayla says
We really enjoy a vegetarian meal during the week. This is a great combo of flavors and vegetable options. You can really make it exactly what you want.
Amanda says
This was so delicious! It came together so quickly and easily, and that wonderful spice mixture gave it the best flavor.
Lauren Michael Harris says
I don't know how I haven't made anything like this before. I love stir fry and curry, and I prefer to eat vegetarian. I need to make this asap!
Marta says
I've never heard if jalfrezi, but when I saw the images and read the ingredients I was intrigued. This recipe is so flavorful and quick to make. I served it with basmati rice and naan.
Heather says
This was delicious! And I love that it was made with simple ingredients too!