The number of Curry Recipes, the Indian food culture holds in itself is really astounding, especially for someone who is not from India. Thus, this country truly is synonymous with the word ‘curry.’ This post talks about one such famous curry dish, the Veg Handi, also known as the Veg Diwani Handi – a rich, creamy and delicious gravy made with mixed vegetables, traditionally from Hyderabadi cuisine. This recipe is a very restaurant-style version of the dish, for which you definitely would need to put in some efforts. But once done, it will all be worth.
What is handi
It is obvious from the name Veg Handi that this dish is made in a typical Indian cooking vessel called the ‘handi.’ With a shallow depth and a wide mouth and bottom, handi is popularly used Indian cooking as a cooking vessel. Thus, like this Diwani Handi, other recipes made in a handi are named so – Paneer Handi, handi pulao, handi biryani, etc.
For this Veg Handi, I have used a clay handi, which is also the case with any such dish which traditionally uses a clay or any earthen handi to cook it. Like if you visit any iconic eateries in Hyderabad too, they too use the same to get a royal and earthy flavor in the Veg Handi.
But I understand at home, you might not have this specific cooking utensil to make this dish. In that case, you can even use a steel handi or a regular kadai, pot or pan. Many dishes in Indian cuisine like Kadai Paneer Gravy and Kadai Veg are cooked in the humble kadai.
Similarly, if you travel to different regions in India, there are other cooking vessels with different names that are equivalent to a handi. Some of them are degchi, tasla or tasli and ahuna. Basically, a dish cooked in a handi is usually slow-cooked or simmered for a long time.
Sometimes, it is sealed with a dough to sustain the steam within that helps to retain the nutrients in the dish. Thus, the food gets cooked in its own juices or moisture, further enhancing the flavors and textures in it. The much-loved event ‘dahi handi’ is also a part of the festivities of Krishna Janmashtami.
Who doesn’t like restaurant food at home? We also do, and are no exceptions. And once a while, it is also alright to be indulgent and consume such food. After all, we don’t really eat binge on restaurant food every day.
I have taken inspiration from the rich, filling food served in restaurants for this recipe of Veg Handi. Though the ingredient list is quite long, it is an easy and simple recipe that I have developed by referring ‘On The Butter Chicken Trail: A Moti Mahal Cookbook.’
The gravy of this recipe of Veg Handi also has a base made with onions, tomatoes, cashews paste and cream. Hence, the flavors are a bit sweet, mild as well as creamy. Generally, the vegetables are fried or sautéed for this dish. However, I have steamed the veggies.
My choice of vegetables for this Veg Diwani Handi are carrots, potatoes, French beans, green peas, cauliflower and corn kernels. I also like the taste of mushrooms in this curry, so have added them too. Along with this, I also add paneer or cottage cheese to give it a richer feel. You can add whatever your choice is. Tinned fruit cocktail can also be added towards the end in the recipe.
Just a bit of prep work is required to prepare the cashew paste and steam the veggies. After this is done, cooking the Veg Handi is a breeze. Cooking the veggies in the gravy is also an option. But I prefer to steam them separately and do the remaining prep work, while they are steaming.
The Veg Handi pairs great with tandoori rotis, naans, parathas or even your homely chapattis, phulkas or plain rotis. You can have it with steamed rice as well.
How to make Veg Handi
Preparation
1. Soak 3 tablespoons (20 t0 22) cashews in hot water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, drain and add them to a grinder or blender.
3. Add water and blend to a smooth paste.
4. While the cashews are soaking, rinse, peel and chop the vegetables. You can add vegetables of your choice.
5. Steam the vegetables in a pressure cooker, steamer or electric cooker, till they are cooked completely. You can also fry or sauté the vegetables.
Making gravy
6. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a handi or pan. Keep the heat to the lowest, so that the butter does not brown or burn.
7. Add whole spices – ½ inch cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 2 single strands of mace, 2 cloves and 1 small to medium bay leaf (tej patta). Sauté the spices till fragrant.
8. Add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
9. Stir and sauté the onions on low heat.
10. The onions need to become golden.
11. Then, add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves and 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves. Stir and sauté for a minute.
12. Add ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes.
13. Stir and sauté till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see fat leaving the sides of the mixture.
14. Then, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder and ½ to ¾ teaspoon coriander powder.
15. Add the prepared cashew paste and 1 tablespoon yogurt (curd). Curd is optional and gives a faint sour taste in the gravy. You can easily skip, if you do not prefer curd.
16. Sauté till you see fat releasing from the sides. Stir often.
17. Add 1 cup water and stir.
18. Then, add 1 to 2 slit green chilies.
19. Stir again and let the gravy begin to simmer. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes on low to medium heat.
20. Season with salt. You can also add sugar for a light sweet taste. Stir again.
Making Veg Handi
21. Add the steamed vegetables.
22. Stir very well and simmer the vegetables in the gravy for 2 to 3 minutes. The gravy will begin to thicken.
23. Grate a bit of nutmeg directly in the gravy. About a pinch of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
24. Then, add ½ teaspoon crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder. Stir.
25. Lastly add 3 tablespoons cream. I added Amul cream. Use a low fat cream.
26. After adding cream, stir the Veg Handi gravy well and then switch off the heat.
27. Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve Veg Handi with tandoori rotis, naan, parathas or chapattis or roomali rotis.
Expert Tips
- If adding mushrooms, you’ll have to sauté them. Once the tomatoes have softened and turned pulpy, add mushrooms and sauté till they are cooked.
- In case you don’t have the clay handi, use a steel handi or your everyday kadai, pan or pot to make this dish.
- The vegetables for this gravy can be of your choice. You can steam them in a pressure cooker, electric cooker or steamer or fry or sauté them too.
- Adding curd (yogurt) in this recipe is optional. Remember, adding it will impart a faint sour taste in the curry. So, skip if you want to.
- If you don’t have nutmeg at home, skip adding it in the gravy.
- Make sure to use a low-fat cream for this gravy.
More Curry Recipes To Try!
Indian Curry Recipes
Indian Curry Recipes
Maharashtrian Food
Gluten Free Recipes
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Veg Handi
Ingredients
for the cashew paste
- 3 tablespoon cashews or about 20 to 22 cashews
- ½ cup hot water or 125 ml – for soaking
- 3 tablespoon water for blending – you can also use the soaked water instead of plain water
other ingredients for veg handi
- ¼ or ⅓ cup chopped carrots or about 2 small or 1 medium carrot
- ¼ or ½ cup chopped french beans or about 8 to 10 french beans
- ¼ or ⅓ cup chopped potatoes or about 1 medium potato
- ¼ or ⅓ cup green peas, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup corn kernels – optional
- ¼ or ⅓ cup chopped cauliflower
- ¼ or ⅓ cup sliced mushrooms or 6 to 8 button mushrooms (optional) * for cooking mushrooms check notes
- ¼ cup paneer (cubed), Indian cottage cheese – optional
- 1 medium onion or about ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 medium tomato or about ½ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 3 to 4 medium garlic + ½ inch ginger – crushed to a paste or 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (adrak lahsun ka paste)
- 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
(cilantro leaves)
- 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
- 1 to 2 green chilies, slit or sliced (hari mirch)
- 1 cup water or 250 ml water
- 3 tablespoon low fat cream – 25% to 35% fat
- 1 tablespoon Curd – optional (yogurt)
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi – crushed (dry fenugreek leaves)
- 1 pinch nutmeg powder or grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- salt as required
- sugar as required – you can add about ½ teaspoon of sugar or as per your taste, (optional)
whole spices
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 2 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 2 single strands of mace
- 2 green cardamoms
Instructions
preparation
- First heat water in a pan, microwave or electric heater.
- Then soak cashews in the hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water and add the soaked cashews to a grinder or blender.
- Add water and grind or blend to a very smooth paste.
- Meanwhile when the cashews are soaking, rinse, peel and chop the veggies.
- Steam the veggies in a pressure cooker, steamer or electric cooker till they are cooked completely. You can also fry or saute the veggies till they are cooked.
making veg handi gravy
- Heat butter in a handi or pan.
- Add whole spices – cinnamon, green cardamoms, mace, cloves and tej patta. Saute the spices till fragrant.
- Add finely chopped onions.
- Stir and saute the onions on a low flame till they become golden stirring often.
- Then add ginger-garlic paste, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes.
- Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see fat leaving the sides of the mixture.
- Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
- Add the prepared cashew paste and yogurt/curd. Curd is optional and does give a slight sour taste in the gravy. You can easily skip, if you do not prefer curd.
- Stir often and saute till you see fat releasing from the sides.
- Add water. Stir.
- Then add slit green chilies. Stir again and let the gravy begin to simmer. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.
- Season with salt. You can also add sugar for a light sweet taste. Stir again.
- Add the steamed veggies.
- Stir very well and simmer the veggies in the gravy for 2 to 3 minutes. The veg handi gravy would begun to thicken by now.
- Grate a bit of nutmeg directly in the gravy. About a pinch of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
- Then add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and garam masala powder. Stir.
- Lastly add cream. I added amul cream. Use a low fat cream.
- After adding cream, stir & switch off the flame.
- Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve veg handi hot or warm with tandoori rotis, naan, parathas or chapatis.
Notes
- * mushrooms have to be sauteed. So once the tomatoes have softened and become pulpy, add mushrooms and saute till they are cooked.
You can use a steel handi or even a regular kadai or pot or pan to make this dish. - You can add veggies of your choice like green peas, cauliflower, baby corn, potatoes, cauliflower, baby corn, french beans, bell pepper, carrots and corn.
- If you like paneer and mushrooms then you can add them as well.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Veg Handi recipe from the archives was first published in May 2014. It has been updated and republished in April 2024.
Loved this! I substituted coconut products for dairy to make it vegan, and also substituted allspice for mace. It was so good I immediately had a request to make it again and this time double the batch! Thank you!
Great to know and thanks for sharing. Yes most vegetarian indian recipes can be easily made vegan. Welcome and happy cooking.
I am a regular follower of your site the guidance and tips you give is excellent .I do not feel like going to any restaurant now ????.The pictorial steps stays in our mind and so no confusion . Today i tried out Veg Handi it was excellent and restaurant taste ????.. Thank you once again. How to share pics ?
Welcome Shashi. Glad to know that stepwise recipes presentation is helping you. Thanks for sharing positive feedback on veg handi recipe. Currently there is no way to share pics. But your positive comment is more than enough.