Jamie Oliver's "Vegetable Jalfrezi" With Fruit, Nut and Veggies

My dears, sorry for absconding for nearly 3 weeks. I have been busy with family, friends and other things that made me put my blog in the back burner..but only for a while. How have you been? Hope everyone is doing okay.

Today's "Person of Interest" - Alex O'Laughlin: My fascination towards Aussie Alex O'Laughlin started when I first noticed him in Moonlight(08)((mainly due to the long sable locks he was sporting, I think. I always like long hair on men!!Hubby, take a hint and don't go running to the salon for a military cut!!)) When CBS canceled that show after a season I was extremely upset( to put it mildly). I was so overjoyed when he re-appeared on the small screen as a handsome ER doc in Three Rivers. When that show was canceled I was back to the being upset. My joy knew no bounds when he came back as a detective in Hawaii Five-O. With this show being a runaway hit I don't have to worry about Alex absconding for a while. And for those you who are wondering if my hubby is cool with me being a little starstruck now and then, put your worries to rest. He doesn't mind it all that much.He He.

Anyways, have you seen the movie "Backup Plan"??By now you guys must have guessed that I specifically saw that movie for Alex. Besides him there was one scene in the movie that I found riveting. It was the scene where the newly pregnant J.LO dunks a couple of crusty bread slices into a pot of stew and shoves it into her mouth in a gluttonous manner. Those of you who watched that movie must remember that scene, yes? That's what you would want to do when you make this Vegetable Jalfrezi. Dunk soft fluffy Rotis(Indian flat-bread) or parathas(another Indian flat-bread) and eat the soaked bread straight from the pan. So delicious it was and the whole family relished it. While the inspiration for this recipe is from the famous Jamie Oliver, I have made a few changes to the original recipe. For example, I have made my own version of "curry paste" rather than using the store-bought one and I have added a fruit,nut and a variation of vegetable for a truly unique spin. Enjoy!

FYI: What is Jalfrezi?? Jalfrezi  is a type of curry in which marinated pieces of meat or vegetables are fried in oil and spices to produce a dry, thick sauce. It is cooked with plenty of chilies, with the result that a jalfrezi can range in heat from a medium dish to a very hot one. Typically those eating jalfrezi cool it down by combining it with cream.Other main ingredients include peppers, onion and tomato.

The Back Up Plan "Eating Scene" in case you are interested..this is how you would want to eat the Jalfrezi - with gusto!

Ingredients:

• 2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 (Red, Yellow or Orange) "Mini" Peppers or 1 large Red peper, cored and thinly sliced
• 20#s French String Beans, finely cut
• 1/2 Cup Cooked Chickpeas
• 1/4 Cup Frozen/Fresh Green Peas
• 1 Medium "Gala" Apple, roughly chopped
• 2-3 Tsp White Vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1-1/2 Tsp Chili Powder or more/less
• 3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil 
• 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
• Salt as needed

For the Curry paste:

• 1 Small Onion, roughly chopped
• 4 Cloves Garlic, de-skinned
• 1" Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 Stalk Curry Leaves
• 2-3 Dry Red Chilies
• 1/4 Cup of Walnuts
• 1/4 Cup Canned Cubed Tomatoes or 2 Roma Tomatoes
• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tbsp Oil for frying

Procedure:

•  In a pan, heat the oil and fry the ingredients under "Curry Paste" in this order - Onions, garlic, ginger, red chilies and curry leaves.

• Once the tips of the onions are browned add the walnuts and fry.

• Lastly add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they start shrinking.Transfer and cool this mixture in a wide dish/plate and grind it to a fine paste.

• In the same pan, heat 3-4 Tbsp oil and add the cumin seeds. A minute later add the chopped onions and carrots.

• Once the onion is browned, add the chopped pepper, beans and fry till they are slightly browned.

• Sprinkle the chili powder, coriander powder and add the finely ground "cury paste"

• Add a little bit of water and salt and bring to a boil. About 7-8 minutes later, add the chopped apple, Chick peas, Green peas and give it a stir. Check for taste and add more spice or salt, if needed. Cook for another 7-8 minutes.Add more water, if needed.

• Once the gravy thickens, add the vinegar and cook for a couple of minutes.

• Serve it piping hot with soft and fluffy Roti, Naan or Lachedar Paratha.

For this week's Black And White Wednesday @ The Well-Seasoned Cook::  Paper Cups In Suspension

Enjoy!