Kadai Vegetable

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Indian cuisine is rich with vegetarian curries. But sometimes you get so used to making the same old sambar and rice it is an effort to break away and embrace variety. Also, when you try to incorporate different cuisine there is only so much one can make and eat, right? Everything said and done, today I decided it was about time to spin something different and put together a vegetable curry.

The subject of gravies as far as I can see can be contented. What goes into a korma as against a kadai? A korma can have cashews and cream while a 'kadai' will not. And if you are from the South of India then you probably make the korma with coconut gravy. Therefore, if one of you feel that this recipe has too many cashews for a kadai curry you are probably right. But I like a rich gravy and added a generous portion.

Spicy hot curry.

Ingredients:

Beans – 20

Carrot – 2

Bell Pepper – ½

Tomato – 1 medium

Onions – 1/2 of one large onion

For Gravy:

Cashew nuts - 25

Dry Chili - 6

Onions - 1/2 chopped fine

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece chopped fine

Garlic - 5 or 6 pods chopped fine
Tomato - 1 medium

Chili Powder - 1/2 tspn

Turmeric - 1/2 tspn

Coriander Powder - 2 tspn heaped

Kasturi Methi - 1 pinch
Tamarind - 1 marble size ball soaked in about 1/2 cup water

Oil - 2 - 3 Tbspn

Method:

Preparing the Vegetables:

1. Boil about a cup of water and slide in the carrots and beans. When they are tender and yet crisp remove using a slotted spoon from the broth and set aside. Reserve broth for later.

2. Line a cookie sheet and place the capsicum, onions and tomato and broil on hi for about 15 minutes. Alternately, in a skillet heat about a teaspoon of oil and on high saute onions, tomato and capsicum one at a time till the edges of the vegetables are browned. Remember to keep all the vegetables crisp, never over cooked.

For Gravy:

1.Fry cashews in a tablespoon of oil until golden brown and spoon it out to cool

2. In the same oil fry the dry chilies making sure you don't burn it. You will get a distinct smell of fried chilies when you can slot it out to join the cashews.

3. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and saute ginger, garlic and onions till onions are golden brown.

4. Add turmeric, chili and coriander powder and saute until the fresh smell of coriander turns aromatic.

5. Add tomato and saute until all of the tomato blends in to a pulp.

6. Cool this mixture and make a paste using a blender.

7. Bring it back into the same pan and cook until oil clears the pan.

8. Add tamarind juice and salt to taste. Add the vegetable broth to adjust the consistency of the gray. Make sure to use only as much tamarind juice as you need.

9. Powder kasturi methi between your palms and add to the gravy.

10. Once the mixture boils add all the vegetables, mix and let it heat through.

11. Serve hot with rotis or jeera rice.

Notes:

1. Peas, cauliflower and mushrooms go well for this curry. I have just used what I had on hand but if you are making for a party you will definitely want to add these vegetables like most restaurants serve.

Contributor: Sunitha