Paneer Jalfrezi

I happened to have some home-made paneer on hand and decided that I would have to have this for chappatis. Jalfrezi is an anglicized version of dry or gravy-less curry. The sourness of this recipe comes from vinegar which is typically an English ingredient. One point I notice whenever I eat a jalfrezi is the crunchiness of the veggies. The veggies are cooked stir-fry style and also only till they are crisp-tender. I do this in an well-worn out iron kadai, one which my mother-in-law used ever since she got married. This has been passed on to me and this is as non-stick as any teflon-coated pan. The recipe I use is always from Sanjeev Kapoor, a notable Indian chef. His Indian recipes are well-tested and very good. Wonder why he has shifted his focus towards making unauthentic, compromising versions of pasta and burrito...

Anyway, please try the vegetable jalfrezi that is commonly offered in restaurants. It uses ketchup as an ingredient and since S does not like sweetness in his entrees, I shun it. The recipe goes like this:
2 Dry red chilies
1 red Onion
2 inch Ginger
2 Green chilies
2 Tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
400 gms paneer
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Red chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder (I prefer tandoori masala powder)
1.5 tbsp Vinegar
Oil or ghee, enough for sauteeing
Salt


1. Break the red chilies into two pieces, peel and chop the onions into thick slices and separate the onion rings.
2. Peel and cut the ginger into pieces, wash & chop the green chilies.
3. Cut the tomato and bell pepper into half, remove the seeds and cut them into long slices.
4. Finely chop the coriander leaves and cut the paneer into finger size pieces.
5. Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds and when they change colour, add the halved red chilies.
6. Next add the ginger pieces, sliced onions and sauté for a minute.
7. Add the red chili powder, turmeric powder & stir well.
8. Then mix the capsicum pieces and cook for a few minutes, then add the paneer pieces and toss.
9. Lastly add the salt, vinegar, tomato pieces, garam masala powder & cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.


Jalfrezi with homemade paneer chunks