Recreating a restaurant menu in the comfort of my kitchen not only gives me a sense of satisfaction but also doubles my happiness. Every time I order this dish in a restaurant, the expression in the face of my family challenges the cook in me to give it an attempt at recreating the same dish at home.
Mixed Vegetable Handi is considered as a Royal Dish of Punjabi Cuisine where a lot of vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, Beans, Green Peas, Potatoes are cooked in onion and tomato based gravy and flavored with aromatic spices. The dish got it's name from the pot it is cooked which is a cooking pot used in Indian cuisine named as HANDI.
25 nos of cashew nuts
2 nos of medium carrot cut into cubes
2 nos of medium potato cut into cubes
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
15 to 20 nos of french beans cut into small pieces
1/2 cup green peas
1 onion finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
2 nos green chilies slit
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 bunch fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
1/2 tsp dry fenugreek leaves
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
3/4 tsp of coriander powder
1/4 tsp of garam masala
1 bay leaf
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
2 nos of green cardamom
2 nos of cloves
2 strands of mace
a pinch of nutmeg powder
2 tbsp of butter
3 to 4 tbsp of cream
1 tsp sugar
salt
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Soak the cashew nuts in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and make a fine paste of the cashew nuts. Keep it aside.
- Steam all the vegetables in a steamer . If u like u can fry the vegetables. Since this dish is very rich I have avoided the frying part and steamed the vegetables. Make sure that they are not overcooked.
- Heat butter in a Handi, if you do not have a Handi you can use the regular pan also.
- Now add the Bay leaf, green cardamom, mace, cinnamon stick and the cloves to the butter and saute for a few seconds .
- Add the finely chopped onions and fry till it turns golden brown in color.Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smells of the paste disappears.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and coriander leaves and saute till the tomatoes becomes soft and oil; started to come out of the sides of the Handi.
- Add Turmeric powder, Red Chilli powder and Coriander powder and give it a quick stir.
- Now add the cashew paste along with 1 tsp of sugar and keep stirring till oil comes out of the sides.
- Now add 1/2 cup of water, salt and give it a boil. Add the slit green chillies and let it simmer on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the steamed vegetables into the gravy .Stir well and simmer the vegetables in the gravy for 2 to 3 minutes more. Once the gravy thickens , add a pinch of nutmeg powder.
- Add crushed fenugreek leaves and garam masala powder to the gravy.
- Finally add the cream , stir well and take away from the heat.
- Serve hot with Roti, Paratha or Naan of your choice.
