Receta Recipes | Three easy Indian Stir-Fry recipes aka Subzis – Simple food big flavors
“I am jealous of your husband and kids, they get to eat five-star cooking every day” was one of the questions in an online interview on Ganga’s blog here. And she is the nth person to have said the same to me.
The fact remains that most of days what comes out of my kitchen is a simple one-skillet meal with whatever spices or vegetables I have on hand. Yes, my personal favorite is simple Indian food which is quick to cook and is very near to its natural state.
Well…competing for the title of Master Chef is never in my mind, every time that I take a ladle in my hand
Indian Subzi (Indian vegetable stir-fry) or fresh vegetables cooked in minimal spices is an absolute favorite of mine. No matter what the occasion is, I always have a subzi or two on my thali (platter) to go with phulkas (Indian flat breads) or rice.
I do like the Indian spicy Channa masala, creamy Rajma (kidney beans) and paneer butter masala on my platter at times. But nothing makes me hungry faster, than a generous bowl of freshly cooked vegetables placed next to a Phulkas (Indian flat bread) on my plate.
I prefer the not-so-common indigenous or native vegetables such as Kantola or Kikoda, Parwal or pointed gourd, large chilies, bitter gourd, Karonda (a berry), Mogri fali (radish pods), some of which have a very peculiar taste but make a wonderful stir-fry.
These Indian Subzis are so versatile yet so simple to prepare. 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. One just need to master a few cooking tricks and get familiar with the aromatic Indian spices to dish out a mouth-watering Indian food in minutes.
Subzis are similar to Asian stir fry recipes where vegetable is the star ingredient. While the texture of vegetable in most of the Indian curries is lost and is overpowered by the spices, thick sauces and rich gravies.
But these easy- to-prepare, delicious and nutrient dense recipes are a wonderful way to please your taste buds without adding a calorie bomb to your diet.
1. Mixed Vegetable Stir-fry
Ingredients;
(serve 3)
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 large potato
- 1/2 cup fresh peas
- 2 large onions
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp. Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- Spices;
- 2 tsp. freshly ground coriander seeds
- 1 tsp. chilly powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. garam masala
- 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
- A pinch of asafetida powder
- Salt to taste
Method; Cut small florets of cauliflower and wash thoroughly with water.
Peel and chop potato.
Grate ginger, onions, tomatoes and garlic. Crush coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar.
Heat oil in a pan and crackle cumin seeds. Add grated onion, tomato, garlic and ginger into it and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add freshly ground coriander seeds, chilly, turmeric and asafetida powder in the pan and combine well.
Add chopped vegetables, fresh peas in the pan, cover and let it cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes.
Take the pan off the flame and add garam masala and crushed Kasuri methi in the mixed vegetable curry. Serve with flat breads or plain rice.
2. Kantola Stir-fry or Quick Kikoda Subzi
Ingredients;
(serve 2)
9-10 Kantolas or Kikodas
32 large onions
3 dry red chilies
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Method; Wash and thinly slice the Kikodas and onions. Break the red chillies into small pieces.
Heat oil in a kadai and splutter cumin seeds in it.
Add red chilly pieces, sliced onion, kikodas, salt and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium heat.
Do not overcook and let the vegetable become too soggy.
Serve this simple and delicious Kikoda curry with Indian flat breads.
3. Pointed Gourd Stir-fry or Parwal ki Sabzi
Ingredients;
(serve 2)
7-8 Pointed gourd or Parval
2 potatoes
2 tbsp yogurt
1 onion
1 tomato
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp. red chilly powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Method; Wash Parwal & potatoes and chop into small pieces.
Roughly chop tomato and onion.
Grind chopped onion and tomato with yogurt into fine paste.
Add red chilly, turmeric and coriander powder into the above paste.
Heat oil in a wok/kadai and splutter cumin seeds in it.
Add yogurt and spice paste in it and cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Add chopped Parwal and potato in the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes till the potatoes are done.
Most of these native vegetables have acquired taste which many may not like.
Check Glossary for English & Hindi names of various foods and ingredients used in Indian cooking.
Notes;
Do not over cook the vegetables, keep them slightly under-cooked to retain the crunch in them.
These Sabzis taste delicious when they are served and eaten immediately after they are cooked.
Keep the flame medium to high to while cooking these vegetables to seal the moisture of the veggies inside.
I prefer adding salt at the last as vegetables tend to release moisture when salt is added to them while cooking.
Check Glossary for English & Hindi names of various foods and ingredients.