Veg chilli milli recipe with step by step photos – veg chilli milli is a spicy and tasty mix vegetable gravy from the North Indian cuisine.
Veg chilli milli is a unique name for a dish. I first came across this dish in a few restaurants in Mumbai. The recipe name suggests a spicy chilly vegetable mix. Here I am sharing the way I make this recipe.
This veg chilli milli recipe is very spicy. generally I do not make spicy food at home, but for a change at times I do make some spicy Indo Chinese food or spicy vegetarian gravies like Veg Kolhapuri or Chilli paneer. the hotness of the green chilies is felt in this complex flavored curry, having the tartness of the tomatoes, the mild sweetness of the cashew paste and onions. The slight crunch and sweetness of the cabbage, carrots and peas also add to the overall texture and taste.
Usually cabbage, carrots, capsicum (green bell pepper) and green peas (matar) are added in this dish. Though, you can also use your choice of veggies. You can also add paneer or tofu in the recipe. I have not used cream in the dish as I felt the cashews were enough to give a smooth and creamy gravy. However to tone down the heat and spiciness of the curry, you can add 2 to 3 tbsp cream. For kids and folks who cannot have spicy food, reduce the number of green chilies and red chili powder.
The spicy veg chilli milli goes very well with some steamed rice as well as with chapatis or rotis or butter naan or jeera rice. The combination is so good with rice or rotis that you don’t need any other accompaniment.
If you are looking for more Indian curry recipes then do check:
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veg chilli milli recipe
Ingredients
veggies for veg chilli milli
- 185 grams cabbage or 2 cups shredded or grated cabbage
- 75 grams carrot or 1 medium to large carrot or ¾ cup carrots, cut in thin strips or batons
- 90 grams capsicum or 1 medium to large capsicum or ¾ cup thinly sliced capsicum (bell pepper)
- ⅓ cup fresh or frozen peas
other ingredients
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 small to medium sized tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 1 single strand of mace (javitri)
- 125 grams onion or 1 large onion or ¾ cup finely chopped or minced onion
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste or ½ inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium sized garlic cloves - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 5 to 6 green chilies - slit
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- 1 to 2 pinch garam masala
- 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves - optional
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or add as per taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoon low fat cream (optional)
- salt as required
for paste
- 175 grams tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes or 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon cashews
Instructions
preparation to make veg chilli milli
- Soak 3 tbsp cashews in 1/3 cup hot water for 30 minutes.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a grinder jar along with 2 large chopped tomatoes. Do make sure that the tomatoes are not too sour.
- Without adding any water grind to a smooth paste. Keep the tomato-cashew paste aside.
- Next shred or thinly cabbage (half of a small to medium cabbage).
- Slice into thin strips or batons 1 medium to large carrot.
- Thinly slice 1 medium to large capsicum (green bell pepper).
- Finely chop the onions. Keep the chopped veggies aside.
preparing veg chilli milli gravy
- Heat 3 tbsp oil and add 1 small to medium sized tej patta/indianbay leaf, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 single strand of mace. Saute till the spices splutter.
- Then add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute the paste till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add 3/4 cup finely chopped or minced onion.
- Stir very well and begin to saute the onions on a low to medium flame.
- For a quick cooking of the onions add a pinch of salt.
- Saute till the onions become golden brown.
- Then add the ground tomato+cashew paste. Stir very well.
- Now add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Mix with the rest of the paste.
- On a low to medium flame, stirring often, saute the masala paste.
- Keep on sauteing till you see the oil leaving sides of the masala. The masala will also reduce and gather around itself and becoming glossy. The consistency should be like shown in the pic below.
- Add 5 to 6 slit green chilies. Stir and mix.
- Next add the shredded cabbage, carrots, capsicum and green peas.
- Mix all the veggies with the rest of the masala. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Now add 2 cups water. You can also use veg stock.
- Season with salt and mix very well.
- Cover the pan with a tight lid and simmer the curry on a low to medium flame till the veggies are done. You can even cook the veggies till they are three-fourth done. In this case, add less water as the gravy has to be smooth, creamy and not thin or watery.
- While the gravy is simmering, you can check the consistency. If the gravy reduces a lot while cooking, then do add some water.
- Once the veggies are cooked, add a pinch or two of garam masala powder, 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi and ¼ to ½ tsp sugar . You can add sugar as per your taste preferences.
- Mix very well. At this step you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp of low fat cream.
- Switch off the flame and serve the spicy veg chilli milli hot with chapatis, naan or steamed rice. You can garnish with some coriander leaves while serving.
Notes
Dried fenugreek leaves - a tiny pinch of fenugreek powder
Cashews - almonds
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
Preparation to make veg chilli milli recipe
1. Soak 3 tbsp cashews in ⅓ cup hot water for 30 minutes.
2. Drain the cashews and add them to a grinder jar along with 2 large chopped tomatoes. Do make sure that the tomatoes are not too sour.
3. Without adding any water grind to a smooth paste. Keep the tomato-cashew paste aside.
4. Next shred or thinly slice 185 grams cabbage (half of a small to medium cabbage). Slice into thin strips or batons, 1 medium to large carrot. Thinly slice, 1 medium to large capsicum (green bell pepper). Also finely chop or mince 1 large onion. Keep aside.
Tip – before shredding the cabbage, peel and remove the top skin from the cabbage. Rinse and then halve or quarter the cabbage and blanch in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain very well and then shred or chop the cabbage.
Making veg chilli milli
5. Heat 3 tbsp oil and add 1 small to medium sized tej patta/Indian bay leaf, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 single strand of mace. Saute till the spices splutter.
6. Then add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute the paste till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
7. Now add ¾ cup finely chopped or minced onion.
8. Stir very well and begin to saute the onions on a low to medium flame.
9. For a quick cooking of the onions add a pinch of salt.
10. We need to brown the onions. Once the onions become light brown, reduce the flame and continue to saute on a low flame.
11. Saute till the onions become golden brown.
12. Then add the ground tomato+cashew paste. Stir very well.
13. Now add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder or Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 tsp Coriander powder.
14. Mix with the rest of the masala paste.
15. On a low to medium flame, stirring often, saute the masala paste.
16. Keep on sauteing till you see the oil leaving sides of the masala. The masala will also reduce, leave the sides of the pan and becoming glossy. The consistency should be like shown in the pic below.
17. Add 5 to 6 slit green chilies. Stir and mix.
18. Next add the shredded cabbage. From 185 grams of cabbage, I got 2 cups shredded cabbage. But you can also add 1.5 cups cabbage.
19. Then add the carrots, capsicum and ⅓ cup green peas (fresh or frozen).
20. Mix all the veggies with the rest of the masala.
21. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes.
22. Now add 2 cups water. You can also use veg stock.
23. Season with salt and mix very well.
24. Cover the pan with a tight lid and simmer the curry on a low to medium flame till the veggies are done. You can even cook the veggies till they are three-fourth done. in this case, add less water as the gravy has to be smooth, creamy and not thin or watery.
25. While the gravy is simmering, you can check the consistency. If the gravy reduces a lot while cooking, then do add some water.
26. I slow cooked the veggies and it took me 20 minutes for them to cook perfectly on a low flame.
27. Then add a pinch or two of garam masala powder, 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and ¼ to ½ tsp sugar. You can add sugar as per your taste preferences.
28. Mix very well. At this step you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp of low fat cream.
29. Switch off the flame and Serve the spicy veg chilli milli hot with phulka, naan bread or basmati rice or jeera rice. You can garnish with some coriander leaves while serving.
i tried this recipe…it turned out really good.. Thank you for this lovely recipe
Welcome Lorreta. Glad to know this.
can we add potatoes along with veggies?
you can add potatoes.
awesome
thanks.
HI Tried your amazing veg chillimilli and it turned out to be really good.My husband loved the masala flavour.thank you so much will keep following your recipes.
thanks suvidha for the feedback on the recipe and also thanks for sharing your experience.
Nice
thanks.