A Subzi or vegetable stir-fry is an integral part of an Indian Thali (platter). If Subzi is one of the important components alongside a flat bread in a North Indian thali then it takes the form of an accompaniment to rice dishes in South India.

Subzi also refers to any vegetable in Hindi. I like these quick subzis made with fresh vegetables more than the slow-cooked curries wherein the vegetables are completely lost in the flavors of spices and gravies they are cooked in. Whether it is a rich Peas and paneer butter masala or a creamy malai kofta, to me they all taste same.

I prefer the not-so-common indigenous or native vegetables some of which have a very peculiar taste for these stir-fry recipes.  Kantola or Kikoda, Parwal or pointed gourd, large chilies, bitter gourd, Karonda (a berry), Mogri fali (radish pods) make a wonderful stir-fry.

I don’t think one need to follow any particular recipe to get the best results when trying to cook a Subzi, they are so versatile. Just a few basic tricks, spices and fresh vegetables and you can make some of the most satisfying  meals ever.

I had some of the recipes for Indian Sabzis sitting in my draft for long and thought of making a combined post for the same.

1. Large Chilly-chickpea flour Sabzi

Ingredients;

(serve 2)

• 1 cup chopped large chilies
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. dry mango powder
• 1/2 tsp. Fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. Nigella seeds
• 1/2 tsp. aniseeds
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powde
• 1/4 tsp. red chilly powder
• A pinch of asafetida powder
• Salt to taste

Method; Wash and make slits in each chilly and remove the seeds from the chilies.

Chop all the chilies into small pieces.

Dry roast chickpea flour in a pan for 5-6 minutes on medium heat.

Heat oil in a nonstick pan and splutter aniseeds (saunf), fenugreek seeds (methi dana) and Nigella (kalonji) seeds in it.

Add chopped chilies, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, asafetida powder (hing) and cook on high heat for 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat, add roasted chickpea flour and dry mango powder in it and combine all the ingredients well.

Put off the flame and serve the spicy chilly stir-fry with Indian flat breads or as an accompaniment for rice dishes.

2. Quick Green Eggplant Mash or Baingan  Bharta 

Ingredients;

(serve 2)

• 7-8 long green Brinjals
• 1 large onion
• 1 large tomato
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. garlic-ginger paste
• 1 tbsp roasted and crushed peanuts
• Chopped coriander leaves to garnish
• Salt to taste

Spices;

• 1 tsp. Dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. Garam masala
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• A pinch of asafetida powder

Method; Roast the green brinjals on direct flame till their skin turn charred or black in colour. This gives a wonderful smoky flavour to the curry. Avoid roasting if you don’t like the smoky flavour and cut roundels of green brinjals instead.

Remove the charred skin and take out the pulp of each brijal in a bowl.

Finely chop onion and tomato.

Heat oil in a wok or kadai and splutter cumin seeds in it. Add chopped onion and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, cover the kadai and cook for another 2 minutes.

Remove the lid and slightly mash the tomato.

Add chopped brinjal or brinjal pulp, coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

Put off the flame and add crushed Kasuri methi, garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves and serve spicy Eggplant curry with flat breads or with plain rice.

3. Long Bean-Potato Stir-fry or Chawla Fali Sabzi

Ingredients;

(serve 2)

• 2 cups chopped Long beans
• 2 potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

Method; Wash and remove strings (remove hard thread or fiber) from the Long beans or chawla phalli from both the sides. These beans are also called Long beans/Yardlong beans/snake beans in English.

Peel and dice potatoes in small cubes and finely chop the onion.

Heat oil in a pan and crackle carom seeds or ajwain in it. Add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, asafetida powder, grated ginger and chopped onion in it and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add chopped beans and potatoes in the pan and cook for 10 minutes stirring in between, and put off the flame.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with Indian flat breads.

Notes;

1. Do not over cook the vegetables, keep them slightly under-cooked to retain the crunch in them.
2. These Sabzis taste delicious when they are served and eaten immediately after they are cooked.
3. Keep the flame medium to high to while cooking these vegetables to seal the moisture of the veggies inside.
4. I prefer adding salt at the last as vegetables tend to release moisture when salt is added to them while cooking.
5. Use Capsicum instead of Bhavnagari mirch to make the spicy chilly stir-fry recipe.
6. A little extra oil added to the chilly recipe would help make it stay for longer time.

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