Zero Waste Quorn and Veg Jalfrezi in 30 minutes

Veg Jalfrezi is a dish that I always used to order at Indian restaurants or when we got a takeaway. It’s the perfect balance of crunchy veg, a decent level of heat and a great sauce for dipping naan in!

We’re chuffed to be teaming up with Quorn for this recipe. They’re a brand that we absolutely love, and we buy their products regularly. This veg Jalfrezi is actually part of their Zero Waste campaign so we’ve made sure that this recipe uses up veg from the fridge and also uses parts of vegetables that would ordinarily be thrown away.

It’s also worth noting that vegetables in this recipe can be easily swapped out for what you have remaining in the fridge! So don’t go out and buy extra veg – almost anything you have will work and it will save it from going to waste.

What is Jalfrezi?

Jalfrezi originates in the Bengal region of India, but has become popular throughout the world. While it’s not as well-known as a korma or tikka, it is high up on our favourite curry list!

It has quite a spicy thick sauce, along with crunchy vegetables. That means this Veg Jalfrezi is a drier curry than what you’d usually expect, but there’s still enough sauce to mop up with the all-important naan!

We cook the vegetables in a different pan from the sauce, to make sure they don’t overcook - this helps them to retain their crunch. We include halved green chillies to add to the spiciness, but you can tailor this to your taste!

Ingredients for Jalfrezi

1 pack of Quorn Vegan Pieces

1 onion – we always buy a bag of onions so to make sure they get used up, they always end up in a curry!

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 yellow pepper – it can actually be any colour so if you have a green or red left in the fridge, that’s cool too! Chop into large chunks.

175g cherry tomatoes – we had these left over from another dish that we were working on, so made sure to pop them in to add to the sauce! Chop each one in half.

350g potatoes – we always buy a big bag, so if there’s any leftover, they always end up in a curry (which we also love!) to save them from going to waste. These should be chopped into small chunks to ensure they cook quickly. Leave the skin on to reduce waste, but be sure to give them a scrub so that they’re clean and remove any eyes – those knobbly bits.

125g baby spinach – we always end up with more spinach than we need! That’s why we decided to pop it in this curry. It always adds something extra and is so healthy too!

6 finger green chillies – to bring the heat! Remove the seeds and reduce the number of chillies if you want the curry to be milder. Four of the chillies should be diced finely and the other two should be cut in half. Don’t eat the whole chillies if you’re not keen on spicy food.

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin powder

10 dried curry leaves

1 tsp mustard seeds

500g passata

200ml water

2 tbsp coconut yoghurt 

2 tbsp oil

How to make this veg jalfrezi recipe

Step 1
Once the potatoes have been chopped into small pieces (no bigger than 1cm thick), pop them into the frying or sauté pan with one tablespoon of oil and cook for 5-6 mins. Then, put the curry leaves and mustard seeds into the pan for another couple of minutes. 

Step 2
Add the onions, cherry tomatoes and peppers to the frying pan and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. The onions and peppers should have a good bite to them and the potatoes should be cooked by this point. Set aside.

Step 3
In a separate large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (or wok), pour the remaining oil and then add the crushed garlic, cumin, garam masala, turmeric and fresh chillies. Sauté for 2 minutes over a medium heat.

Step 4
Pour in the water and passata, stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Step 5
Add in the Quorn Vegan Pieces and then simmer for 8-10 minutes. The sauce will thicken and reduce down in this time, and the Quorn will heat through well. Stir through the spinach, it should wilt down in a couple of minutes.

Step 6
Remove from the heat, then spoon in the coconut yoghurt. Add in the stir fried potatoes, peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes from earlier and heat through on the hob for 1 minute. Serve with extra coconut yoghurt, naan, pilau rice and your favourite chutney.

Why we use Quorn in this veg Jalfrezi

Quorn Vegan Pieces go so well in this vegetable jalfrezi! The pieces absorb the flavour superbly, and they hold their shape really well in the cooking process.

I also have a memory of trying a Quorn Jalfrezi ready meal when I first went vegetarian – and I really loving it! Partnering with Quorn and recreating it from a zero waste perspective has been a lot of fun.

Quorn’s Zero Waste Initiative

Quorn’s Zero Waste campaign is all about trying to reduce food waste. That's why we've included items that were leftover in the fridge in this veg jalfrezi! This is something that we’re passionate about, and we’re always doing all we can to reduce it. 

That means only buying what we need, planning what meals we’ll have – and when – as well as using up parts of veggies that would otherwise go to waste. Things like cauliflower leaves and stalk, broccoli stalk, potato skins and chickpea water. The list goes on!

Tips on how to reduce food waste

Here are some quick tips from us on how to reduce food waste. I’m sure there’s lots more out there but these are our top five:

1. Meal planning – we actually have a spreadsheet that we update every week with what we’re eating and when. This means we only buy what will go into the meals we’ve decided to cook, so there’s next to no waste. We’re big planners and this is the most important step to reducing food waste. Plus it helps keep costs down!
2. Utilise your freezer! If you buy a pack of chillies but only need to use one or two, put them in the freezer until next time. We always do this – it helps keep costs down and reduces plastic usage too. Buying less and making what you’ve got last longer is a great way to reduce waste, cost and plastic use! This can also apply to so many veggies.
3. Use all of the vegetable – like in this recipe, keep potato skins on! The parts that are usually thrown away are often the tastiest! This also applies to broccoli and cauliflower stalks and leaves, and many more.
4. Store fresh herbs in a small jar of water, stalks first. This will help them stay fresher for longer. Better still, grow your own herbs in a garden or window veg patch if you can!
5. Compost. Inevitably some parts of vegetables can’t be eaten, whether it’s parsnip peelings or seeds from chillies or peppers. Composting these items is a way more responsible method of disposal than putting them in the bin. Plus, it will mean the bin won’t smell of rotting vegetables! We can’t be the only ones who have experienced this, right?

What to serve with this veg Jalfrezi

Pilau Rice – since we realised how easy pilau rice is to cook, we’ve been making it nonstop! Would definitely recommend it as it only takes 15 minutes to make and it’s really special.

Mushroom Bhaji – one of our favourite side dishes and another one that only takes 15 minutes to make!

Naan Bread – naan makes every curry better! Homemade vegan naan is easy to make and freezes well. Make a big batch and then reheat for any impromptu curry nights of the future!

If you're interested in finding even more delicious Indian inspired recipes, head to our list of 60+ of the best ever vegan Indian dishes.

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