Want to make restaurant-style vegetable jalfrezi at home? This easy Indian side dish combines mixed vegetables with a spiced tomato sauce for a homemade version of a takeaway favourite. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free, and you can save time by preparing the vegetables as you cook.
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My Favourite Vegetable Jalfrezi Recipe
This vegetable jalfrezi recipe is one I turn to when I want a lighter vegetable side dish with plenty of flavour. It’s packed with colourful vegetables and everyday pantry spices. I like the vegetables tender but still with a little bite—never mushy! Read my tips below for getting the vegetables just right and adjusting the jalfrezi sauce to your liking.
I prefer my jalfrezi a little saucier, so I add a splash more water and some extra tomato purée. That way, there’s plenty of sauce to scoop up with warm chapatis or spoon over jeera rice.
The homemade jalfrezi sauce is simple to make, and once it’s ready, I toss in the prepared vegetables and finish cooking everything together.
Where Does Jalfrezi Come From?
Jalfrezi is believed to have originated in Bengal during the British Raj as a way to use up leftover cooked meat, stir-frying it with onions, chillies and spices. Its name is linked to the Bengali word jhal, meaning hot or spicy.
Today, restaurant-style vegetable jalfrezi typically combines stir-fried vegetables with a thick, spiced tomato sauce. It’s a familiar favourite on British Indian restaurant menus.
Sandhya's Top Tips
- Keep the vegetables slightly crisp. Blanch the carrots, beans, cauliflower and baby corn until just tender, then drain. They will cook again in the sauce.
- Add the peppers towards the end. They only need a couple of minutes before the blanched vegetables go in.
- Adjust the sauce to your taste. Add a splash of water if it becomes too thick, or simmer briefly if you prefer a thicker sauce that coats the vegetables.
- Short on time? Use a shop-bought jalfrezi sauce, such as Patak’s (easily available in the UK), and add your prepared vegetables. It saves about 10 minutes, although I prefer making my own so I can adjust the spice and consistency to my liking.
Ingredients
- Tomato passata: I use tomato passata (sold as passata in the UK) or US tomato purée for plenty of flavour and just the right sauce thickness. UK tomato purée is a concentrated paste, so it isn’t a like-for-like substitute.
- Tomato ketchup: Just a tablespoon adds a little sweetness to balance the flavours.
- White onion: I use diced white onions for their milder flavour, but red or brown onions work too. Use what you have.
- Ginger and garlic: Fresh minced ginger and garlic add a zesty kick. Shop-bought versions are handy if you want to save a little prep time.
- Chilli: I use both red chilli powder and green chilli for colour and a little heat.
- Mixed vegetables: I use baby corn, green beans, carrots, mixed peppers, cauliflower florets, tomatoes and onions. Feel free to try other vegetables you enjoy.
- Everyday Indian Spices: You’ll need turmeric, chilli powder, cumin, coriander and garam masala for that familiar jalfrezi flavour.
- Finishing touches: I finish with fresh coriander, dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and either white vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice for extra flavour and aroma.
How to make Vegetable Jalfrezi curry? : Step by Step
Before you start: Place the carrots, beans, baby corn and cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave for 4–5 minutes until just tender, then drain. This step isn’t pictured.
Step 1: Heat oil in a wide pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Step 2: Add ginger, garlic and green chilli. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened.
Step 4: Pour in the passata and add the ketchup.
Step 5: Stir in turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder and salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
Step 6: Add the sliced tomatoes and peppers. Cook for 2 minutes.
Step 7: Add the blanched vegetables, garam masala, kasuri methi, vinegar and a splash of water if needed. Mix well.
Step 8: Cover and cook for 5–6 minutes until tender with a little bite.
Step 9: Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with warm chapatis or rice.
If you prefer a saucier Jalfrezi, you can add 1.5 cups of tomato passata and a little more water in the initial stage of cooking.
Serve this Vegetable Jalfrezi WITH
- With my easy-peasy yellow rice
- With homemade chapati or yogurt flatbread
- A side of yogurt or a cooling cucumber raita to balance out the heat
- As a flavourful, spicy main dish in a large Indian feast, alongside other dishes such as green lentils dal, vegetable pakora, steaming basmati rice, and garlic naan bread
Leftover vegetable jalfrezi
There are many ways to use up leftover Jalfrezi
- Serve it as is with steaming rice or chapatis for an easy lunch option.
- Get innovative by using it as a filling for sandwiches or wraps.
- Create an Indo-fusion pasta recipe by mixing the leftover jalfrezi with cooked pasta and serving it with cheese.
- Use it as a topping for baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes.
- Layer it as a topping for nachos or as a base for a seven-layer dip.
Jalfrezi Recipe FAQ'S
Jalfrezi vegetables are a variety of vegetables that are used in the Indian dish, jalfrezi. They are typically stir-fried with aromatic spices and served with a spicy tomato-based sauce. Common vegetables used in jalfrezi include bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, but other vegetables like carrots, green beans, butternut squash, and zucchini may also be used.
Jalfrezi is a spicy and flavourful semi dry restaurant style Indian side dish served with roti and rice. It has the perfect balance of crunch, spicy and savoury with a hint of tang from tomatoes.
Jalfrezi curry is vegan if you are only using vegetables and chickpeas for protein. The Jalfrezi sauce has no dairy products and hence it is vegan.
Jalfrezi has a spiced tomato-based sauce, with vegetables that still have a little bite. Korma is usually milder and creamier, often made with nuts, yoghurt or cream. Mixed vegetable curry is a more general name—the sauce and spice level depend on the recipe.
More Easy Indian Vegan Side Dishes
Ingredients
Jalfrezi Vegetables
- 100 g baby corn sliced diagonally ⅔ cup
- 100 g carrot sliced 1" batons ⅔ cup
- 100 g cauliflower florets separated ⅔ cup
- 150 g mixed peppers sliced 1 cup
- 150 g tomato sliced 1 cup
- 50 g green beans sliced diagonally into 1" pieces 1 cup
Jalfrezi curry base
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 100 g white onion cut to chunks 1 cup
- 240 ml (1 cup) tomato passata (UK) canned tomato purée (US)
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 60 -70 ml water or more ¼ - ⅓ cup
- 1 green chilli sliced
- salt to taste
Spices
- ⅓ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ⅓ -1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon vinegar or Juice of ½ Lemon
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi crushed between your palms
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves
Optional ingredient 100g paneer / tofu or halloumi cheese
Instructions
- Blanch the veggies by placing the cauliflower, carrots, green beans and baby corn in a large microwave safe bowl and cover with enough water. Cook in microwave for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Drain and set aside.100 g baby corn , 100 g carrot, 100 g cauliflower florets, 50 g green beans
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and allow it splutter. Next add ginger, garlic, and green chilli. Cook for 1 minute.2 tbsp oil, 1 inch ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1 green chilli, 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Sauté onion until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.100 g white onion
- Pour in the tomato passata, then add the ketchup, turmeric, cumin, coriander and red chilli powder. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is bubbling and the spices are well mixed in. Add a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce.240 ml (1 cup) tomato passata (UK) , 1 tbsp tomato ketchup, salt to taste, ⅓ tsp turmeric, ⅓ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ⅓ -1 tsp red chilli powder, 60 -70 ml water or more
- Add sliced tomatoes and mixed peppers. Cook for 2 minutes.150 g tomato , 150 g mixed peppers
- Now add the blanched carrots, green beans, baby corn, cauliflower florets. Sprinkle garam masala and kasuri methi. Mix well. Add a splash of water if necessary.100 g baby corn , 100 g carrot, 100 g cauliflower florets, 50 g green beans , 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tbsp kasuri methi, 60 -70 ml water or more
- Cover and cook veggies for 5-6 minutes until still slightly crunchy.
- Optionally, add paneer at this stage and stir. Drizzle vinegar or lemon juice. Sprinkle coriander leaves.1 tsp vinegar, 2 tbsp coriander leaves
- Enjoy hot with rice or Indian bread.
Video
Notes
- Tomato note: In the UK, use passata, not concentrated tomato purée. In the US, use canned tomato purée, not tomato paste. If your sauce is thick, add a splash of water.
- A note on timing: Allow about 50 minutes if you prefer to prepare all your ingredients before cooking. I save time by chopping the remaining vegetables while the firmer ones blanch and the sauce cooks. If you’re making this for the first time, I recommend prepping everything first.
- Spice Adjustment: Adjust masalas and spice levels to taste by controlling red chilli powder and green chillies.
A Smith says
Great taste, but in no world does this recipe take 30 minutes. Plan on putting in a couple hours. I realize all recipe prep times are falsely understated, but this one so grossly that I had guests arriving to my potluck while my counter was still a mess and it was just starting to cook. It tastes fantastic. I will make it again.but 30 minutes? No.
Sandhya Hariharan says
Thank you for your feedback. I’m really pleased you enjoyed the jalfrezi, and I’m sorry the timing left you rushing as your guests arrived. My original 30-minute estimate relied on preparing ingredients alongside cooking, and I should have made that clearer.
I’ve now updated the recipe to allow 30 minutes for prep and 20 minutes for cooking—50 minutes in total when preparing everything first. Thank you for bringing this to my attention—it’s helped me make the instructions clearer for everyone.
Catherine says
Veg Jalfrezi was hearty and comforting...I love meals that are bountiful in veggies and wholesome ingredients like this. What a wonderful meal for the family!
Tavo says
The Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe you shared was absolutely delicious! Every bite was a burst of flavors, and it's clear you have a knack for creating memorable dishes. Thanks for introducing us to such a delightful meal!
Janie says
Loved the flavors of the curry in this vegetable jalfrezi. The seasoning and spices were on point! I'll be making these again and packing it for lunch too.
Anjali says
This was such an easy vegetable curry recipe to make at home, and tasted better than most jalfrezi recipes I've had at Indian restaurants! We added paneer and it tasted great!
Elisa says
Love this Easy Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe, specially because is lots of vegetables and looks so delicious!!! will try it soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂