Directions
What is the meaning of Jalfrezi, History of Jalfrezi.
Jalfrezi comes from the Bengali word “Jhal,” meaning spicy, and “Frezi,” which likely refers to stir-frying. The story of Jalfrezi is linked to both British and Indian cuisine, though it was originally created by Indian chefs. Today, it’s one of the top dishes in the UK.
However, the story of Jhalfrezi isn’t all happy. When the British ruled India, their governors—especially the governor of Bengal—would host grand parties for the British officers. They mostly ate non-vegetarian food like roasted mutton, chicken, sausages, salami, etc. And as you know, British food often involved only salt and black pepper. The cooks in their kitchens were Indian, and when the party ended and leftover meat remained, these cooks would chop the meat into small pieces and stir-fry it quickly in ghee with onions and spices. I’m sure some British officer must have tried it too, and that’s likely how this dish traveled with them back to the UK.
In fact, there’s an interesting recipe for Jhalfrezi in a book called The Indian Cookery Book, published in Calcutta in 1880. It mentions that you should take half the amount of onions, ghee, chilies, and salt as compared to the leftover meat, and stir-fry it together. Since this was written in 1880, it’s clear the recipe dates even further back.
As with every recipe, times change, and so did Jhalfrezi. Restaurants began adding tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and various spices, and gradually, the original dish transformed into the modern-day Jhalfrezi. Of course, vegetarian and paneer Jalfrezi have also become quite popular. Today, many chefs add vinegar or even tomato ketchup to the dish, with everyone having their own version of it.
INGREDIENTS
Ghee (घी) – 2 tbsp
Cumin (जीरा) – 2 tsp
Onion, Chopped (प्याज़) – ½ Cup
Ginger, Chopped (अदरक) – 1 tbsp
Garlic, Chopped (लहसुन) – 1 tbsp
Green Chillies, Slit and Deseeded (हरी मिर्च) – 3 no
Tomatoes, Chopped (कटा हुआ टमाटर) – 1 cup
Tomatoes, Fresh Puree (टमाटर प्यूरी) – ½ Cup
Salt (नमक) – To Taste
Turmeric Powder (हल्दी पाउडर) – ½ tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder (कश्मीरी मिर्च पाउडर) – ½ tbsp
Coriander Powder (धनिया पाउडर) – ½ tbsp
Cumin Powder (जीरा पाउडर) – 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder, (गरम मसाला) – 1 tsp
Gobi, Florets (फूलगोभी) – ½ cup
Green Beans, Sliced (फ्रेंच बीन्स) – ½ cup
Carrots, Julienne (गाजर) – ½ cup
Cabbage, Sliced (पत्ता गोभी) – 1 cup
Green Capsicum, Julienne (हरी शिमला मिर्च) – ¼ cup
Yellow Capsicum, Julienne (पीली शिमला मिर्च) – ¼ cup
Red Capsicum, Julienne (लाल शिमला मिर्च) – ¼ cup
Coriander, Chopped (धनिया) – A Handful
Paneer, Fingers (पनीर) – 100 gm
Green Chillies, Slit (हरी मिर्च) – 2 no
Onion, Sliced (प्याज) – ¼ cup
Lemon Juice (नींबू का रस) – ½ tbsp
Salt (नमक) – To Taste
Steps
|
1
Done
|
To make Jhaal (spicy) frezi (stir-fry), we start with heating our kadhai and melt ghee. Add in cumin and roast it then add in chopped onions and stir fry over high heat till for a few seconds. Sprinkle finely chopped ginger, garlic and stir fry on high heat for a few more seconds. |
|
2
Done
|
Now we add slit & deseeded green chillies, chopped & pureed tomatoes to give them a tangy taste. |
|
3
Done
|
For veggies we start with cauliflower as it takes a longer time to cook.After cooking it for around one to one and half minute we add our other veggies - beans, carrots, and cabbage with a sprinkle of water to prevent our veggies from sticking or burning on the high heat. We collect our veggies in the centre of our utensil and cover it with a lid and let it cook on low heat to tenderise vegetables and cook it to semi dry. |
|
4
Done
|
On high heat, we add all 3 types of capsicums, paneer fingers, coriander, slit chillies, sliced onions, lemon for sharpness, and salt to taste and gently toss it by lifting and dropping it by a spatula. |
