This vegetable jalfrezi is an easy home-cooked curry for four, combining vegetables, chickpeas and brown rice. Allow around 20 minutes for preparation and 40 minutes for cooking. It can be a practical option for a weeknight dinner, with any remaining curry cooled and saved for another meal.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 medium apple, cored and chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tablespoons jalfrezi curry paste
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 3 handfuls cauliflower florets
- 410g chickpeas in water, rinsed and drained
- 300ml reduced-salt vegetable or chicken stock
- 180g easy-cook long-grain brown rice
- 50g fresh or frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, optional
- 4 tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt
- A pinch of ground black pepper
Method
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan. Add the onions, apple and garlic, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the jalfrezi curry paste briefly.
- Add the carrot, green pepper, chopped tomatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas and stock. Partly cover the pan and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Add a little more stock or water if needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the brown rice in gently boiling water for about 30 minutes, following the timing needed for the rice to become tender.
- Add the peas and optional coriander to the curry for the final 2 to 3 minutes. Season with black pepper.
- Serve the curry with the brown rice and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt on each portion.
Making it work at home
Canned chopped tomatoes and chickpeas can make shopping simpler and keep this meal economical. In a Malaysian kitchen, choose a jalfrezi curry paste with ingredients that suit your household’s preferences, while keeping the rest of the recipe as written.
Preparing the curry while the rice cooks helps bring the meal together without needing separate cooking sessions. If there is curry left over, cool it quickly, place it in a covered container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers thoroughly before serving.
A straightforward dinner to return to
The recipe brings familiar cupboard items and vegetables into one warming dish. For the original recipe details, see the NHS vegetable jalfrezi recipe.
For more general health and wellbeing information, visit ISAW Medical.
This article is for general education and does not replace personalised advice from a qualified healthcare professional.