Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Click the above picture to have an enlarged version

Well first off I would like to say that the above picture is not the best photograph I have ever taken but I can assure the taste is 100% real and no joking about it.

This is one of my creations which turned out real good for the very first time.Well there is always more room for growth.May be the next time I can add a few or subtract a few.We had this side dish with bread yesterday and it was a real good combination. And today Iam gonna make chappathis to go with it.And tomorrow may be dosa if there is any left over from today. Sometimes its really hard to come up with a dish for dinner. I have to think real hard to squeeze something out of my brain. I open the fridge and stare at it twice, once when there are veggies and the once when there are no veggies AT ALL.The latter stare is an angry one and the former being a very happy one knowing that there are tonnes of veggies and I can come up with something new.

I somehow like the idea of vegetable and coconut milk together.It gives a total new definition to the otherwise plain and boring raw vegetables.So I thought why not make something interesting, something creative and something healthy and Wallah!!!!! I came up with this simple and unsophisticated dish.



Ingredients

Vegetables- potatoes(2 med),carrots(1 big),beans(12),
cauliflower(7 med florets), butter beans(1/2 cup), peas-1/2 cup
onion - 1 big(finely cut)
tomato - 3 med(blanched and pureed)
coconut milk - 1 tin(any brand from the Indian grocery stores)
seasonings- mustard,cumin,cardamom(1),cinnamon(1/2 inch)
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
salt & pepper - to taste
oil or ghee- enough for frying

Method

1. Boil veggies in a separate vessel and keep ready.
2. In a kadai heat some oil add mustard seeds and once they pop add crushed cumin seeds and let them crackle.Now add cardamom and cinnamon and fry just about a min.
3. Now add onions and fry till dark brown.
4. Add turmeric powder and dhania powder and fry again for 2 to 3 min.
5. Now add the blanched tomatoes and fry nicely till all the oil separates and comes out.
6. Now add the boiled veggies and give a stir.
7. Reduce the flame to medium.
8. Add the coconut milk and mix properly.
9. Add salt and lots of pepper as there is no heat at all.
10. Let the veggies and the milk simmer for 15 to 20 min until it forms a thick and bubbly stew.Stir in between so that the milk does not burn.
11. Finally garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Serve with dosa/chappathis/puris/bread.

Note: This is a mild version which I ended up with but the next time I may add some g.chillies to enhance the heat and add few cloves of garlic too.

I would like to contribute this recipe to ARF/5 a day Tuesday.