Veg Kolhapuri is a spicy and tasty mixed vegetable-based dish that has its origin in Kolhapur, a historical city in south Maharashtra. Kolhapuri cuisine is known for its hot, spicy, and pungent flavors. however, not all the food from the Kolhapuri cuisine is spicy & robust.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
½ teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
2 tablespoon desiccated coconut
4 to 5 whole black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1-inch cinnamon (dalchini)
2 cloves
2 single strands of mace (javitri)
4 to 5 fenugreek seeds
1 pinch grated nutmeg
1 small stone flower
1 green cardamom seeds of 1 black cardamom
3 byadagi or bedgi red chilies or Kashmiri red chilies
1 medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
Other Ingredients For Veg Kolhapuri
½ cup potato sticks or batons or 1 medium-sized potato
¼ cup french beans batons or 8 to 10 french beans
⅓ cup chopped cauliflower florets
⅓ cup green peas
⅓ cup carrot sticks or batons - about 2 small carrots or 1 medium carrot
⅓ cup sliced bell pepper (capsicum) - about 1 medium bell pepper (green or yellow or red)
1 medium tomato or ¼ cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 large onion or ½ cup finely chopped onions
5 garlic + 1-inch ginger - crushed to paste in a mortar-pestle, about ¾ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
½ teaspoon red chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 to 1.25 cups water or about 250 ml to 275 ml of water
2 to 2.5 tablespoon oil
some coriander leaves for garnishing
salt as required
Instructions
First rinse, peel and cut the veggies in thick strips or batons. Place them in a steamer pan.
Then steam the vegetables in an electric cooker, steamer or pressure cooker.
The veggies have to be completely cooked and yet retain their shape.
When the veggies are steaming, gather all the ingredients required for making kolhapuri masala.
Making Kolhapuri Masala
Heat a pan and on a low flame dry roast the spices - cinnamon, cloves, black peppers, coriander, cumin, stone flower, a pinch of nutmeg powder, tej patta, nagkesar (cobra's saffron), red chilies, green cardamom, and black cardamom seeds. Skip stone flower, nagkesar, and poppy seeds, if you don't have these.
Once the spices become fragrant, then add poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and desiccated coconut.
Stir continuously and dry roast till the desiccated coconut gets golden.
Once the spice mixture cools, then take them in a dry grinder or coffee grinder.
Grind to a fine powder. A slight semi-fine powder is also fine. The sesame seeds & coconut will release oil while grinding. So you have to scrape the sides of the masala and grind. If difficult to grind, then add some water and make a fine paste.
Making Veg Kolhapuri
Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions.
Saute the onions till they are light golden or golden.
Add ginger and garlic paste.
Stir and then add chopped coriander leaves. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
Next, add chopped tomatoes.
Saute till the tomatoes soften and you see oil leaving the sides.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and asafoetida.
Stir and then add chopped bell pepper/capsicum. You can also skip capsicum if you prefer.
Stir and saute till the capsicum is half cooked and yet having a slight crunch. About 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame.
Add the ground kolhapuri masala.
Stir and saute for some seconds.
Then add water. Season with salt.
Bring the curry to a simmer.
When you see some oil floating on top, add the steamed veggies.
Stir and simmer the gravy for about 2 minutes.
Lastly, add chopped coriander leaves and give a final stir. You can also garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve veg kolhapuri with soft chapatis, phulkas or parathas. You can also serve this spicy curry with bread and steamed rice.
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