Veg Kolhapuri

• 1 cup chopped assorted vegetables - carrot, beans, peas, cabbage, cauliflower etc
• 1 onion - cut into cubes
• 1 capsicum cut into cubes
• 8-10 button mushroom - halved - optional
• 100 grams paneer/cottage cheese - cubed - optional
• 3 tomatoes - finely chopped or pureed
• 1/4 cup beaten yogurt
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed/saunf powder
• 1/2 tsp crushed kasuri methi/dry feneugreek leaves
• Salt to taste
• 5 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

List A

• 1/4 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 part of a small onion - roughly chopped
• 2 green chillies - roughly chopped
• 4-5 flakes of garlic - roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger - roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4-5 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp pepper corns
• 1 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi
• 1 tsp poppy seeds/khus khus
• 1 tsp sesame seeds/til
• 3-4 cloves/laung
• 3 green cardamom
• 1 inch piece cinnamon

• Boil the chopped veggies in enough water with little salt till they are almost cooked through. Take care not to overcook them. Strain and keep aside. Keep the stock too.
• Heat around 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add all the ingredients from list A and fry it well on low heat for 3-4 minutes. When cool, add little water and grind it to a very smooth paste. Remove and keep aside.
• To the same pan add a little oil, add cubed onion, capsicum, paneer and mushrooms ( if using) and saute it well for around 2 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
• Now heat remaining oil in it, add the ground paste and saute it well for 4-5 minutes or till the raw smell disappears and it get cooked properly.
• Add finely chopped or pureed tomatoes and salt and cook it for another 3-4 minutes.
• Now mix in it boiled veggies and sauteed veggies (onions, capsicum, paneer and mushrooms). Stir well, add yogurt and cream and cook it for 3-4 minutes. Add a little stock(left from the boiled veggies) to adjust the consistency of the gravy.
• Heat ghee/clarified butter in a small tarka pan to smoking point and pour it on the prepared veggies. Sprinkle saunf powder and a little crushed kasuri methi. Stir well and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.
• Serve hot garnsihed with fresh coriander leaves.
• Veg kolhapuri tastes good with rice as well as naans and parathas.