1,000 Indian Recipes (177 page)

Variation:
As a shortcut, use mixed frozen vegetables. The tomatoes and bell peppers (if included) should still be added after the other vegetables.

North Indian–Style Mixed Cauliflower, Carrots, and Green Beans

Uttar ki Jhalfrezi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Many of my family's lunches were made with this dish—lots of mildly spiced vegetables supported with fresh tomatoes that just melted in your mouth, along with
tandoori
chicken and
naan
breads.

Like
kadhai
dishes (described in
Mixed Cauliflower, Carrots, and Green Beans in a Wok
),
jhalfrezi
dishes are about flavors. Whether you make them with vegetables, chicken, meat, seafood, or
paneer
cheese, they all have lots of vegetables, tomatoes, and vinegar (or lemon juice), and are mostly served in Indian restaurants but are easy enough to be made at home. Variation of this dish are made all over India, with coriander and turmeric in the north, curry leaves and coconut in the south.

2 tablespoons
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds

2 small onions, cut into
³
⁄
₄
-inch pieces

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

3 to 4 cups mixed vegetables, such as cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, green beans, green bell peppers, and peas, cut into
³
⁄
₄
- to 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 small tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each

1 to 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Then, heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin and ajwain seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onions and ginger, and cook about 1 minute. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook another minute.

2.
Mix in the coriander, cayenne pepper, and turmeric, then add the vegetables and salt and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the tomato wedges, stir 1 minute, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and cilantro, stir 1 minute, then transfer to a serving dish, mix in the garam masala, and serve.

South Indian–Style Mixed Vegetables

Dakshini Jhalfraezi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

As we go southward, vegetable
jhalfraezi
takes on a new shape and flavor. This one is not quite as saucy and is flavored with curry leaves and garam masala—which is a blend of cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and cardamom, all locally grown spices.

3 small white potatoes

4 small carrots

12 to 15 green beans

2 small green bell peppers

2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil

2 small onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves

2 tablespoons grated fresh or frozen coconut or shredded unsweetened dried

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1.
Cut all the vegetables into 3-inch matchsticks. Then heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onion and curry leaves, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the coconut, garlic, and asafoetida and stir 30 seconds, then add the vegetables, garam masala, and salt and cook about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the tomatoes and cook until all the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the lemon juice, garnish with the cilantro, and serve.

Mixed Pumpkin, Squash, and Eggplant with Bengali 5-Spices

Bengali Milli-Julli Sabzian

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Bengali 5-Spices—a mixture of mustard, cumin, kalonji, fenugreek, and fennel seeds—adds a remarkable pickle-like fragrance and taste to these vegetables. Serve them with a similar flavored
dal
(legume) dish, such as
Red Lentils with Bengali 5-Spices
, and steamed rice, or with any fish curry.

1 tablespoon coarsely ground
Bengali 5-Spices (Panch-Phoran)
or store-bought

2 tablespoons mustard or peanut oil

2 dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol, broken

2 tablespoons minced fresh curry leaves

4 to 6 cups mixed vegetables, such as pumpkin, opo or any other squash, eggplants, potatoes, yams, and peas (fresh or frozen), cut into
³
⁄
₄
-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground paprika

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the 5-spices powder. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the red chile peppers until golden, 30 seconds. Add the 5-spices powder; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the curry leaves and vegetables and cook until golden, about 7 minutes.

2.
Add the paprika, salt, and sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 10 to 12 minutes. (If all the juices evaporate before the vegetables are done, add
¹
⁄
₄
cup water and finish cooking them.) Transfer to a serving dish, mix in the cilantro, and serve.

Marinated Mixed Vegetables in Tomato Butter-Cream Sauce

Makhani Sabzian

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Makhani
means made in butter, and in Indian cuisine, this term is also almost synonymous with a creamy tomato sauce that is popularly served with
tandoori
chicken or
paneer
cheese. It is also delicious with a harvest of vegetables.

This dish is rich in calories, so I reserve it for special occasions. Pair it with
Smoked Black Urad Beans
, or
Basic Grilled Lamb Tikka Kabaabs
, and
tandoori naan
breads.