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Home » Recipes » Curry

Paneer Jalfrezi

Published September 16, 2019 Updated February 24, 2022 By Meeta Arora 15 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Paneer Jalfrezi
Paneer Jalfrezi

Paneer Jalfrezi is a delicious stir-fry curry that has the heavenly combination of paneer with peppers. This vegetarian restaurant style dish can be made within 20 minutes and is a perfect accompaniment for naan.

Paneer jalfrezi in a skillet garnished with cilantro

Growing up, paneer was a staple in our home. Paneer is indian cottage cheese, and a widely used ingredient for Indian curries.My mom made a variety of dishes with paneer, such as Palak Paneer and Matar Paneer. However Paneer Jalfrezi was something we only ate at restaurants. I really don't know why, considering this is such an easy dish to make.

I love paneer and always keep paneer in the refrigerator, so I can make many quick curries such as Paneer Butter Masala and Saag Paneer. If you like to do meal prep and have this Indian Curry Sauce ready, paneer recipes are even easier to make. However I prefer to make this Paneer Jalfrezi from scratch as it takes just 20 minutes.

If you love paneer, don't forget to check out my 20 Best Paneer recipes.

What is Paneer Jalfrezi?

Paneer Jalfrezi is stir fry curry having chunks of paneer with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers. The paneer along with the vegetables are well coated with the thick and spicy gravy.

The word Jalfrezi originated from the local eateries of West Bengal, India. It means a stir-fry of vegetables in sweet and tangy gravy. As paneer can absorb the spices well, this dish well-liked in many countries and is a favorite at many restaurants.

How to make Paneer Jalfrezi?

The main prep work in this dish the cutting of the veggies and paneer. After you are done, it hardly takes any time to make this restaurant-style paneer jalfrezi at home.

Paneer in a bowl with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes on the side
  • Take a heavy bottom pan and heat oil in medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle a bit.
  • Then add the sliced up onions, garlic and fry them for a bit.
  •  Add the spices and sauté the onions and garlic till they are coated with spices evenly. Make sure to not burn the spices.
  • Just sprinkle some tablespoons of water on the pan if the spices and onions start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
steps to make paneer jalfrezi
  • Then add the yellow and red bell peppers and stir them till they also get well coated with spices.
  • Now you can add the chopped tomato along with the tomato puree until the puree mixes well with the curry.
paneer jalfrezi in a pan steps
  • Add the paneer cubes after you see that the curry has become a semi-solid gravy. Make sure the paneer blends well and becomes soft by stirring in between intervals.
  • Finally, add the lime juice and mix well for a tangy surprise
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti, paratha or naan.
Paneer jalfrezi with peppers in a large pan

Tips to make perfect Paneer Jalfrezi

Here are some tips that will help you in making authentic restaurant-style Paneer Jalfrezi at home.

√ Paneer Jalfrezi can be made using normal paneer or fried paneer cubes. I have used fresh paneer cubes for this recipe. If you like fried paneer cubes, follow these steps:

  • Heat oil in a large pan
  • Add the paneer cubes and lightly fry them
  • Remove the cubes from the pan after they become golden brown on all sides
  • Then follow the same steps as above and then add the fried paneer cubes.

√ You can also use any color bell pepper for this recipe, I used red and yellow peppers as that is what I had in my pantry.

√ Do not over cook the paneer, as the paneer can become chewy. You want to just mix in the paneer, let it soak the flavors and take it off heat.

√ If you want to make this curry vegan, you can make it with extra firm tofu.

What to serve with Paneer Jalfrezi?

Paneer Jalfrezi makes up for a sumptuous side for roti, paratha or naan. We usually have it with yogurt or dal along with this dish. Dal recipes like green moong dal, yellow dal fry, and so on pair well this dish. I also love to use this Paneer Jalfrezi to make these delicious Paneer Frankie Rolls (also called Kathi Rolls).

More Indian curry recipes to enjoy:

  • Methi Matar Malai
  • Chana Masala
  • Vegetable Korma
  • Paneer Vindaloo
Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
Paneer jalfrezi in a skillet garnished with cilantro

Paneer Jalfrezi Recipe

Meeta Arora
Paneer Jalfrezi is a delicious stir-fry curry that has the heavenly combination of paneer with peppers. This vegetarian restaurant style dish can be made within 20 minutes and is a perfect accompaniment for naan.
4.85 from 19 votes
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Servings: 4
Calories: 283
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten-free, Low Carb, Vegan
Method: Stovetop
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 20 mins

Equipment

  • Heavy Bottom Pan

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoon Oil I used avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 Onion medium, about ¾ cup, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • ½ Yellow Bell Pepper medium, thinly sliced
  • ½ Red Bell Pepper medium, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup Tomato puree
  • ½ cup Tomato chopped
  • 9 ounces Paneer diced in cubes
  • 1 tablespoon Lime juice
  • Cilantro leaves to garnish

Spices

  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or mild paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
  • Add sliced onions, garlic and fry them for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add all the spices and stir them with the onions for a further minute. Add a couple of tablespoons water if the spices stick to the pan.
  • Add the yellow and red bell peppers and mix with all the spices for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomato and tomato puree and cook for about 2 minutes until the tomatoes mix well with the curry.
  • Add the paneer cubes and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the paneer softens.
  • Add the lime juice & mix into the curry.
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with naan, roti or paratha!

Notes

Frying the paneer: I did not fry the paneer before adding in this recipe. If you like, you can fry it. Heat oil in a large pan. Lightly fry the paneer until it is golden brown on all sides. Remove and use in the above recipe. 
Optional ingredient: You can add dried kasoori methi along with the paneer.
Bell Peppers: I used yellow and red bell peppers as that is what I had on hand. Any color peppers will work in this recipe. 
Make it Vegan: If you want to make this curry vegan, you can make it with extra firm tofu. 

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 10gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 327mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 934IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 323mgIron: 1mg
Keyword paneer jalfrezi, paneer with peppers, restaurant style
Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kathryn rajabally says

    January 21, 2022 at 11:34 pm

    Really quick delicious recipe!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      February 04, 2022 at 9:57 am

      Hi Kathyn - Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  2. Donald Wright says

    September 05, 2021 at 7:23 pm

    One question: if one optionally adds Kasoori methi (fenugreek), should it be the dried leaves or fresh, or could it be either one? And do you have a recommendation of how much should be added? I'm looking forward to trying the recipe, which looks delicious. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      September 15, 2021 at 1:54 pm

      Hi Donald - The Kasoori methi I mention in notes is the dried one. Add about 1-2 tablespoon of the dried leaves. Take the leaves in your palm and crush them using the other palm before adding. Hope you enjoy the jalfrezi!

      Reply
  3. Adriana Quintero says

    June 02, 2021 at 6:22 am

    This is sooo delicious and loved making it, what a great, easy recipe. I make it over and over. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      June 02, 2021 at 9:30 am

      Hi - So good to hear that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂

      Reply
  4. Vidya says

    February 19, 2021 at 12:46 pm

    Just made it and tastes and looks fantastic! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Piping Pot Curry says

      February 22, 2021 at 8:42 am

      Hi Vidya - So good to hear that. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Sonal Parmar says

    July 21, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    can you use tofu in place of paneer?

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      July 23, 2020 at 12:35 am

      Hi Sonal - Sure, tofu will work well in this recipe. I would suggest to use firm or extra firm tofu, press the tofu and remove any extra water.

      Reply
  6. Aruna says

    June 18, 2020 at 10:14 am

    One of the best recipes I’ve tried and so simple!

    Reply
  7. Kim says

    May 30, 2020 at 3:06 pm

    Another amazing recipe! First I have ever cooked with Paneer, and it came out delicious!!!

    Reply
  8. beentheredonethat says

    February 06, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    I was surprised at how easy this was. It came together so simply. I used my own home-made paneer (first time!). This was flavorful and enjoyable. My first try making the paratha was not as successful but undaunted, I am excited to try another of your recipes.

    Reply
    • Meeta Arora says

      February 26, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      Glad to hear you enjoyed the Paneer Jalfrezi. Paratha does take some practice 🙂

      Reply
  9. Karishma says

    November 13, 2019 at 9:58 pm

    This was soo good!

    Reply

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