Mixed vegetable kadhai

By: Anjum Anand
From: I Love India
Serves: 4
Photographer: Martin Poole

A kadhai – a certain spice combination – is both a type of restaurant dish and also a cooking pot, similar to a wok but with rounded sides. It is a really useful pot as it allows you to stir-fry with without worrying about bothersome edges, but also to cook a curry and do everything else you need in an Indian kitchen. The word kadhai also refers to the dish’s style and the spices used. This is a delicious and versatile sauce to have with any protein, but also works really well with vegetables, and is one of the dishes I order for my vegetarian husband in Indian restaurants (in India). Delicious with Indian breads, Naan or Flaky Malabar Paratha.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient

For the kadhai masala

Quantity	Ingredient
1 tablespoon each	coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon	cumin seeds
1-2	kashmiri dried chillies, (these are mild, if you don't have them, use 1 red chilli, or give them a miss)
8	black peppercorns

For the sauce

Quantity	Ingredient
4 tablespoons	vegetable oil
1	large onion, finely chopped
5g	finely grated root ginger, (peeled weight)
3	large garlic cloves, finely grated
3	medium-large tomatoes, blended until smooth
1/2 teaspoon	ground turmeric
	salt
1/2 teaspoon	see method for ingredients, (fresh if possible)
1 teaspoon	dried fenugreek leaves, crushed between your fingers
2-3 tablespoons	single cream
3 tablespoons	chopped coriander leaves, to serve

For the vegetables (this is the classic version, but vary them as you like)

Quantity	Ingredient
1	potato, cut into 2cm pieces
1	small carrot, cut into half moons
100g	3–4cm cauliflower florets
480ml	boiling water
100g	frozen peas, defrosted

Method

In a small frying pan, gently dry-roast the spices for the kadhai masala, stirring often to avoid any burning. Once the coriander seeds have coloured a little, pour everything into a spice blender and grind to a fine – or even slightly coarse – powder.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the onion and cook until golden on the edges. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until they smell cooked. Add the blended tomatoes, turmeric and salt and cook over a medium-high heat until the mixture has completely reduced and releases oil back into the pan.
Stir in the potato and carrot, cover and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and boiling water and return to the boil. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just cooked, adding the peas for the last couple of minutes.
Add the garam masala and fenugreek leaves to the pan and give it a stir. Take it off the heat and sprinkle over and shake in the cream and coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.