Last weekend, I was desperate to find something to make, but all ideas seemed to have dried up. So I started cooking, thinking inspiration will come along the way. I started making my gravy dish with zero idea of how it will turn out. This was literally my kitchen experiment. And I must say, this dish exceeded all expectations (which was fairly low to begin with, actually!). It was this mild but creamy dish which was at the same time, slightly tart with a hint of spiciness at the back of the throat. All in all, this recipe is a definte keeper. And the best part, it’s fairly easy (for an Indian dish) to put together.

Mixed Vegetables in a Creamy Tomato Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mixed vegetables, chopped into small bite-sized pieces (I used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and green peas, but you could play around with what you have in the fridge)
• 1/2 cup paneer, chopped to same size as the vegetables
• 2 medium sized onions
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• 10 pieces of cashewnuts
• 5-6 fresh red chillies
• 1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 bulb garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste
• 3 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped to garnish

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan and when warm, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds pop, add the turmeric powder and stir for a couple of seconds.
• Then add the chopped vegetables and cook covered, until almost cooked.
• In the meantime, blend the ginger, garlic, red chillies, onions, tomatoes, cashewnuts, sesame seeds, carom seeds and fennel seeds into a smooth paste.
• When the vegetables are almost cooked, add in the chopped paneer and stir to cover. Add salt to taste.
• Then add the blended paste and mix well.
• In the same blender, blend the yoghurt smoothly with water if needed and add this to the gravy.
• Add water if needed to thin the gravy to the consistency you want.
• Add the garam masala powder and stir well.
• Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and sprinkle in the gravy.
• Let it simmer on a medium-low flame for about five minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or any Indian flatbread of your choice
• You could also add fresh cream along with the beaten yoghurt to increase the creaminess and richness to this recipe, especially if you are planning to make this for a dinner party.