Vegetable Jalfrezi

This one is a simple and easy to cook recipe-Vegetable stir-fry with Indian spices. Bring on the vegetables and saute it with coriander powder and garam masala to create a perfect infusion. You can vary the vegetables for this dish and spice it up with red chilli powder.

What do we need? 


Vegetables used


Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup
Potatoes - chopped in cubes - 1 cup
Carrot- chopped in slices - 1 cup
Green bell peppers - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 1 (chopped) or Broken red chilli pieces
Onions - 2 medium (sliced)
Tomato- 1 (blanch it, remove the skin, deseed it and then chop to bits)

** Note, the cup size measurement usually varies from household to household. I used a small sized serving cup, you could use a small soup bowl or cup. what matters is the spice level- if you can handle good spice, notch it up a bit higher and vice versa.

Spices used


Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger (minced)- 1/2 tsp
Garlic (minced) - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt according to taste-

Preparation-

• Step 1 will be to blanch the chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, potatoes). All the vegetables take different cooking time, so you will have to be patient with each vegetable. For example, potatoes take longer time to cook whereas cauliflower takes lesser time and carrot takes medium time. Get the water boiling and boil the potatoes first- a word of caution, don't over boil anything- the vegetables should be tender and cooked not mushy. Once the potatoes are cooked to a medium level, add the carrots and after a few minutes add cauliflower florets and in the end peas-
• Alternatively, you can microwave the vegetables till tender/soft (not mushy).
• In a wok add oil (about 2 tbsp) and once hot, add cumin seeds.
• As the cumin seeds start to sputter, add green chillies/broken red chilli pieces, onions and cook them till onions become golden brown.
• Add minced garlic and ginger and cook for few minutes
• Add tomatoes and cook the ingredients on a medium flame for a couple of minutes.
• Add the boiled vegetables and green bell pepper.
• Spice it up with red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala
• Add salt and about a tablespoon of oil and toss the vegetables together with the spice.
• Saute the vegetables for 5-8 minutes- Add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing and serve!

carrots & potatoes cooked in a masala gravy

Nothing fancy about this dish- all I can describe is - hearty, comforting with simple flavors to go with roti or rice! I just made this dish and my whole house is smelling of a lovely coriander flavor with garam masala wafting through out the house. Should get that appetite up and running, shouldn't it?

What do we need?

2 cups chopped/cubed carrots
1 cup chopped/cubed potatoes
garlic/ginger paste - 1 tsp
cumin seeds
1 green chilli- chopped
garam masala 1/2 tsp
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt according to taste
1/4 tsp red chilli powder

How did I make it?

Once the veggies are chopped, cooking the dish takes about 10-15 minutes. It is a gravy based dish and works well with rice dishes. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sputter. Add green chilli pieces and chopped onions. Fry them for about 2 minutes till the onions become translucent. Mix the garlic/ginger paste and toss them for a second. Add the tomato puree and cook for a couple of seconds. Blend in the garam masala and red chilli powder. Add the carrots and potatoes to this mixture with a bit of water for them to cook. Adjust salt according to your taste. Cook on a medium flame till the vegetables are cooked. Bring in the magical coriander leaves for garnishing! Enjoy :)