Veg kadai recipe with step by step pics – restaurant style delicious kadai vegetable gravy recipe.
At home, we like kadai recipes and so I make these on ocassions. Though most of the times, I make kadai paneer as its easy to put together, this time I made mix vegetable kadai.
Making veg kadai takes some more time than preparing kadai paneer as the veggies need to be cooked. But the results are too good and delicious. Make this veg kadai gravy on weekends or for festive or family occasions as the gravy is a bit rich.
Generally, kadai recipes are made in a kadai. Kadai resembles the Chinese wok, but is more broader & deeper than a wok. In India the kadai is used as an utensil for deep frying as well as to make many other dishes.
If you don’t have a kadai or wok then just make in a pot or pan. In this recipe I have made some variations in the kadai masala, which resulted in a better kadai gravy.
Bell peppers are a must in the recipe. generally green bell peppers are added. However, even red or yellow colored bell peppers go well. You can even use a mix of all three bell peppers for a colorful dish. Apart from bell peppers, the other veggies can be of your choice.
Serve veg kadai gravy hot with tandoori rotis or naan or rotis or paratha or bread. Also goes well with steamed rice, jeera rice or saffron rice or garam masala rice.
How to make veg kadai
1. Begin by preparing the kadai masala. Heat a small frying pan and add the following spices – 1 tbsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, ½ inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 dry Kashmiri red chilies, 1 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), 7 to 9 cashews and 4 to 5 black pepper.
2. Stir and roast till the spices become fragrant. No need to brown the spices.
3. When the ingredients cool down, add all of them in a dry grinder or spice grinder.
4. grind to a fine consistency. Don’t make a coarse powder as the masala then comes in the mouth while eating. Remove the kadai masala and keep aside. The cashews will release fat while grinding, but just scrape the masala from the sides and continue to grind again. Substitutes for cashews are 6 to 7 almonds or ½ tbsp melon seeds (magaz). With almonds and melon seeds, the taste of the gravy will slightly change.
5. also puree 3 medium tomatoes (200 grams) in the same grinder if its big enough or in another blender or mixer. No need to blanch tomatoes before pureeing. Keep the tomato puree aside.
Preparing veggies
6. In a kadai or pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add ⅓ cup sliced onions and ½ cup sliced bell pepper. Use any colored bell pepper/capsicum.
7. Stir very well and saute the onions and bell peppers on a low to medium flame.
8. Saute till the bell peppers are half cooked. About 5 to 6 minutes on a low to medium flame. Some crunch is desirable in the bell peppers.
9. Remove the sauteed onions and bell peppers aside. Chop the potatoes and carrots in batons and keep aside too.
Making veg kadai
10. In the same kadai, then heat 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
11. Next add ¼ cup finely chopped onions.
12. Stir and saute the onions.
13. Saute till they become light golden.
14. Add the prepared tomato puree. If using ready tomato puree, then add ⅔ cup tomato puree.
15. Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¼ tsp red chili powder.
16. Stir very well.
17. Saute the masala till it thickens and you see oil releasing from the sides.
18. Then add the potato, carrot batons along with ⅔ cup peas.
19. Stir and saute for a minute.
20. Add 1.5 to 2 cups water.
21. Season with some salt. Stir.
22. Cover the pan. On a medium flame simmer and cook the veggies. Check at intervals and if required, add more water.
23. The veggies need to be cooked well yet still retain shape. They should not become too soft. For a quick option, you can cook the veggies in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles and add 1 to 1.25 cups water.
24. Then add the ground kadai masala reserving 1 tsp of it for garnish. Stir very well.
25. Add the sauteed bell peppers and onions.
26. Mix and stir again very well.
27. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. If the kadai vegetable gravy looks dry, then do add some water. Toward the end, before the next step, if you want you can also add some paneer and simmer for two minutes till the paneer is cooked.
28. Then add 3 tbsp cream. Use low fat or whipping cream.
29. Stir and mix the cream with the rest of the veg kadai gravy. Switch off the flame. Check the taste of gravy and add more salt if required.
30. Lastly add 2 to 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir again very well.
31. Serve veg kadai hot garnished with some chopped coriander, ginger julienne and sprinkled with the reserved kadai masala. Accompaniments for kadai vegetable curry are rumali roti, naan, chapati, paratha, bread. Also goes well with steamed rice, jeera rice or ghee rice.
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Veg Kadai
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
for kadai masala
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cloves
- 2 green cardamoms
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 3 to 4 dry kashmiri red chilies
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- 8 to 9 whole cashews
- 4 to 5 black peppers
veggies for veg kadai
- 100 grams carrots or ½ cup carrots cut in batons
- 100 grams potatoes or ½ cup potatoes cut in batons
- ⅔ cup green peas - fresh or frozen
- 100 grams bell pepper or 1 medium sized or ½ cup sliced bell pepper (capsicum)
- 1/3 cup sliced onions
- 1 tablespoon oil for sauteing bell peppers and onions
for kadai vegetable gravy
- 2 tablespoon oil
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste or ½ inch ginger and 3 to 4 garlic - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- 200 grams tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes pureed - about ⅔ cup tomato puree
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1.5 to 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoon low fat cream or whipping cream
- 2 to 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- ½ inch ginger - julienne for garnish (optional)
- salt as required
Instructions
making kadai masala
- Heat a small frying pan and add the following spices - 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 3 to 4 dry kashmiri red chilies, 1 tsp kasuri methi, 7 to 9 cashews, 4 to 5 black pepper.
- Stir and roast till the spices become fragrant. No need to brown the spices.
- When the ingredients cool down, add all of them in a dry grinder or spice grinder.
- Grind to a fine powder. Remove the kadai masala and keep aside.
preparing veggies
- Also puree 3 medium tomatoes (200 grams) in the same grinder if its big enough or in another blender or mixer. No need to blanch tomatoes before pureeing. Keep aside.
- In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil and add 1/3 cup sliced onions and 1/2 cup sliced bell pepper. Use any colored bell pepper.
- Stir very well and saute the onions and bell pepper on a low to medium flame.
- Saute till the bell peppers are half cooked. Some crunch is desirable.
- Remove the sauteed onions and bell peppers aside. Chop the potatoes and carrots in batons and keep aside too.
making veg kadai
- In the same pan, then heat 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Next add 1/4 cup finely chopped onions.
- Stir and saute the onions till they become light golden.
- Add the prepared tomato puree. If using ready tomato puree, then add 2/3 cup tomato puree.
- Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp red chili powder. Stir very well.
- Saute the masala till it thickens and you see oil releasing from the sides.
- Then add the potato, carrot batons along with 2/3 cup peas.
- Stir and saute for a minute.
- Add 1.5 to 2 cups water. Season with some salt. Stir.
- Cover the pan. On a medium flame simmer and cook the veggies. Check at intervals and if required, add more water.
- The veggies need to be cooked well yet still retain shape. They should not become too soft.
- Then add the ground kadai masala reserving 1 tsp of it for garnish. Stir very well.
- Add the sauteed bell peppers (capsicum) and onions.
- Mix and stir again very well.
- Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. If the kadai vegetable gravy looks dry, then do add some water.
- Then add 3 tbsp cream. Use low fat or whipping cream.
- Stir and mix the cream with the rest of the gravy. Switch off the flame.
- Lastly add 2 to 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir again very well.
- Serve veg kadai gravy hot garnished with some chopped coriander and sprinkled with the reserved kadai masala.
- Accompaniments for veg kadai are tandoori rotis, naan, chapati, paratha, bread. Also goes well with steamed rice, jeera rice or saffron rice.
Notes
2 tbsp cream - 1 tbsp milk powder or dairy whitener
Cashews - almonds or melon seeds/magaz
Kashmiri red chilies - any less to medium hot dry red chilies
Kasuri methi - a pinch of fenugreek seed powder Vegan substitutes:
Dairy cream - coconut cream
Paneer - tofu
Nutrition Info Approximate values
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Hi. Can we use milk in place of cream if not available?
yes, you can use milk.