Chettinad Style Mixed Vegetables

Chettinad is a place in South India and they are predominantly Chettiars from a prosperous banking and business community. Chettinad cuisine is perhaps the most renowned fare in the Tamil Nadu repertoire. It uses a variety of spices and the dishes are made with fresh ground masalas.

The Chettiars have traditionally been vegetarians. Their feasts at lifestyle ritual functions remain vegetarian. But trade once had them criss-crossing the southern reaches of peninsular India and absorbing non-vegetarian influences from the Malabar Coast, where Christians of the Orthodoxy of West Asia and Muslims lived in large numbers and Hindus too tended to non-vegetarianism.

This vegetable has a mix of freshly ground masala as well as coconut and coconut milk, giving the gravy a rich flavour.

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 cups Mixed veggies like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, beans, peas

• Salt, to taste

For the curry base

• 1 large Finely chopped onions

• 2 Finely chopped tomatoes

• 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

• 1 tsp Red chilli powder

• 10 Cashew nuts soaked in hot water

• 1 tbsp Coconut oil

• 1/4 cup Coconut milk

• 5-7 Curry leaves

For the masala paste

• 3 Cardamom

• 1 inch Cinnamon

• 1 tsp Methi seeds

• 2 and 1/2 tsps Coriander seeds

• 3 Cloves

• 1 tsp Cumin seeds

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 4 Black pepper

• 5 Red chillies

• 1/2 cup Fresh grated coconut

• 1 tsp Coconut oil

• Water, as required for paste

Instructions

1. Cube all the vegetables and wash them well

2. In a rice cooker steamer steam all the veggies with salt and turmeric powder. Once done, keep aside.

For the paste

1. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add all the ingredients except coconut and sauté till they get roasted and you get a nice aroma

2. Add coconut and roast till the coconut becomes light brown

3. Grind this into a paste adding little water and keep aside

For the curry

1. Make a paste of the soaked and drained cashew nuts adding very little water. Keep aside.

2. In the same pan heat 1 tbsp coconut oil

3. Toss the finely chopped onions and ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes away

4. Add the tomatoes and sauté till it becomes mushy

5. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and sauté for another minute

6. Add the steamed veggies and cook for another minute

7. Add the chettinad paste and water and cook till well blended, adjust salt

8. Now add the cashew paste and curry leaves and cook till the gravy is well blended

9. Finally add the coconut milk, mix well and switch off the gas immediately

10. Serve hot with rice