Veg Diwani Handi

It’s wintertime the best season for all type of vegetables also the season to eat more nutritional food. If you eat healthy in the winter season then it is like you are making a health deposit for a whole year. Then that one dish which is rich in a variety of veggies with the goodness of spices and cashews is what you need. This restaurant-style dish if you prepare in your kitchen with that little effort then you don’t need to go or order food from swiggy or zomato.

Try this awesome recipe and give a break to those mundane recipes for a while.

If you are a paneer lover then this dish will go very well with veggies and add more nutritional value.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 4-5 people

For base gravy

Ingredients:

• Oil 3-4 tbsp

• Onions 4 medium size (sliced)

• Cashew nuts 15-16 nos.

• Tomatoes 5-6 medium size (quarters)

• Ginger 1 inch

• Garlic 4-5 cloves

• Kashmiri red chillies 3-4 nos.

• Salt to taste

• Green chillies 2 nos.

• Water 220 ml

For half cooked veggies

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower 1 cup (florets)

• Turmeric 1/4th tsp

• Salt a pinch

• Carrots ½ cup

• Green peas

• French beans ½ cup

For making the sabzi

Ingredients:

• Ghee 1 tbsp

• Garlic 3 tbsp (chopped)

• Green chillies 2-3 nos. (chopped)

• Whole spices:

1. Dalchini 1 inch

2. Tej patta (Bay leaves) 2 nos.

3. Hari elaichi 2 nos.

4. Laung (Cloves) 2-3 nos.

5. Kaali Mirch (black peppercorns) 3-4 nos.

• Powdered spices:

1. Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tbsp

2. Coriander powder 1 tbsp

3. Jeera powder 1 tsp

• Blended base gravy

• Hot water as required

• Half cooked veggies

• Ginger 1 inch (julienned)

• Fresh cream 1/3rd cup

• Garam masala 1 tsp

• Kasuri methi 1 tsp

• Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)

• Kewda water 2 drops

For tadka:

• Ghee 2 tbsp

• Almonds 5-6 nos. (halved)

• Cashews 5-6 nos. (halved)

Method: Base gravy

• Slice the onions thinly, and further separate the layers.

• Set a wok/handi on medium heat, add oil and cook until the onions are completely golden brown. The onions will darken further even after removing from the oil, so make sure to remove them just before they are about to get golden brown colour. Do not burn them, technically we need to fry the onions just the way we fry but using less oil.

• Remove the fried onions over the paper towel to absorb excess oil, further transfer in grinding jar.

• Now, remove 80 % oil from the wok/handi add cashew nuts and roast them on medium to low flame until golden brown in colour. Remove and keep aside.

• In the same pan, add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, Kashmiri red chillies, salt to taste and green chillies, cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes, add water and stir well.

• Further cover & cook for 10 minutes on medium-low flame, after cooking, switch off the flame and cool down to room temperature.

• Further transfer it in a grinding jar, along with the roasted cashews and the fried onions, add some water to grind into a fine paste. The base gravy is ready.

Method: For half cooked veggies

• Set water for boiling, add turmeric powder, salt and cauliflower florets, blanch them for briefly 30 seconds and keep them aside. This step is usually done to remove impurities from cauliflower.

• Now, take the same wok/handi and add the reserved oil used for frying onions, and fry the carrots, green peas, blanched cauliflower and french beans. Cook them on high flame for 3-4 minutes keeping them crunchy. Remove in a bowl and keep aside to be used later in the sabzi.

Method: For making the sabzi

• Continue to cook in the same handi, add some ghee, garlic, green chillies & whole spices, cook on medium low flame until the garlic turns slightly golden brown.

• Now, low down the heat and add the powdered spices, add some water to prevent the spices from burning, and increase the flame to medium heat and cook the spices, cook until the oil & ghee is separated.

• Now add the blended base gravy to wok/handi, you can add some hot water in the grinding jar to avoid the gravy wastage. Add hot water depending on the desired consistency of the gravy.

• Stir well and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium flame, stirring in regular intervals.

• Further add the half-cooked veggies, ginger and mix well, taste the gravy and adjust the salt as per taste, stir well and cook for 7-8 minutes on high flame.

• Now, lower the flame and add fresh cream, garam masala and Kasuri methi, stir well and cook for a minute on low flame.

• Finish with some freshly chopped coriander leaves and 2 drops of kewda water, make sure you don’t overdo the kewda water as it’s very strong in taste.

• Veg Diwani handi is ready, serve it hot just by adding the nuts tadka.

• For tadka, simply heat a tadka pan, add ghee and the nuts, fry until they are golden brown and top it over the sabzi.

• Serve hot with some roti or naan or any Indian bread your choice.