I picked this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking. It is very rare that I try out a recipe without tweaking it, But this one sounded good just as it was and it has remained so after several tries. Of course, I vary on the veggies, that I choose to make this dish with, every time. But, the gravy remains the same. Today, I made it with the same veggies that Madhur presented in her book. Make it watery enough to eat with rice or thicken it enough to go with rotis. Its very versatile and can go from being an impressive side dish in an elaborate dinner to the main dish in your everyday meal. The best part, no bhunoing involved.
Chop
1 Medium Sized potato into cubes
1/4 Medium Sized Cauliflower into bite-sized florets
1 Carrot into 0.5 cm thick rounds
Take
3 tbsp Vegetable/Corn/Peanut Oil
in a Kadhai/Pan. Fry Potatoes first and then the cauliflower till golden brown. You can skip this step and directly cook them with the gravy.
In the remaining oil, add
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
When they start sputtering, add
1/2 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp Kalongi/Nigella seeds
Stir for a minute. Add
1tsp Red Chilli Powder
1tsp Coriander/Dhania Powder
1/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
1tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
Stir and immediately add
2 tbsp Tomato paste
1 medium sized Tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Peas, fresh or frozen
Chopped Carrots
Salt and Pepper to taste
Stir, Cover and cook till the tomatoes blend together with the paste to form a gravy and the veggies cook. About 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and the cauliflower. Stir together and cook for another minute. Remove from flame. Serve with rotis.