Vegetable Jalfrezi

Vegetable Jalfrezi is a type of South Asian curry which involves frying  pieces of meat, fish or vegetables in oil and spices to produce a dry, thick sauce. The dish can range in heat from a medium dish to a very hot one.

This English word derived from a Bengali word “Jhalpharezi”, in Bengali, ‘jhal’  means spicy food; in Urdu/Persian, ‘parhezi’  means suitable for a diet. Other main ingredients include bell pepper, onion and tomato.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients	Quantity
Medium pot of water
Salt	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Cauliflower cut into bite size florets	1 cup
Baby corn cut into bite size pieces	1 cup
Carrots chopped	1/2 cup
Oil	1 Tbsp
Onion chopped	1/2 medium
Ginger minced	1 tsp
Garlic minced	2 tsp
Tomato Sauce	1/2 cup (4 oz)
Bell Pepper chopped into bite size pieces	1/2
Frozen Green Peas	1/2 cup
Salt	to taste
Coriander Seeds (dry roasted and powdered)	2 Tbsp
Garam Masala	1 tsp
Red Chili Powder	optional and to taste
Tomato deseeded and chopped	1 small
Lemon Juice	to taste

Method

Bring pot of water to a boil, add salt and turmeric powder. Add cauliflower, carrots, baby corn and boil for 3 minutes. Strain the vegetables and drop them into a bowl of ice and water to stop the cooking. Drain and keep aside after 1-2 minutes. 

In a non-stick skillet or pan, heat 1 tbsp Oil. Add onions and cook 2-3 minutes until light golden. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and cook until the oil separates. Add bell pepper and green peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the half boiled vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, and baby corn), salt, powdered coriander, garam masala and optional red chili powder. Mix well and cook until veggies are tender but not mushy.

Sprinkle a little water over the veggies occasionally to provide moisture so that the dry spices do not burn. Add tomato and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle lemon juice and mix.

Serve hot with roti, chapati or naan.

You can also use this as stuffing for frankie.