Mixed Vegetable (Summer - not exclusive) Curry – the Mesha-mishi Tarkari of my home

With summer I’ll be cooking more vegetarian recipes at home. On days it can be only dal, bhat, amer tak, aloo bhate and the crispy aloo bhaja...a very simple thali but satisfying. Pui saag combo with simple vegetables is another interesting dish I cook during summer; the secret, pui saag is available in plenty during the hot days. Add khucho chingri (tiny prawns) to the pui saag chorchori, tastes heavenly. Other leafy vegetables (saag) cooked with bodi is somewhat a must as many different kinds of fresh vegetables start disappearing in summer. With lots of green mangoes in the market, time to make some mango jelly, gur aam, aam diye masoor dal and of course regular amer ambol (with a running gravy).

It doesn’t mean non-vegetarian dishes get totally lost in our home. It will be more of fish, the smaller ones preferred for their typical taste and flavour.

Back to my mesha-mishi tarkari.

The vegetables in my list:

Potatoes: 2 medium size

Brinjal (egg plant): 1 (big)

Radish: 2 along with the shoot and leaves

Carrot: 2

Green papaya: ½ of a medium sized one

Green banana: 2

Cauliflower: 4-5 florets

Drumsticks: 4 sticks (cut into 1 ½ inch in length)

Tomatoes: 2

Green chilli: 3 (slit in the middle)

Cut the vegetables into the required size so that each vegetable is cooked, as it should be, with each other in the cooking pot. Wash and let the water drain out. Don’t throw away the radish shoot, cut them into 1 ½ inch in length. You may also add some of the radish greens to the curry.

For cooking:

Mustard oil 2 tbsp

Dry red chilli: 2

Haldi powder: I tsp

Jeera powder: 1tsp

Dhania powder: ½ tsp

Red chilli powder: 1 or even ½ tsp (as you like). I use deghi mirch as this adds more colour than the heat.

Salt

Sugar

Green coriander to garnish

Mix the jeera, dhania, lal mirch and haldi powder in a bowl with some water and keep it aside.

Once all the ingredients are ready at hand place a kadhai (wok) on the burning stove. Add oil and then break the dry red chillies into half and drop them into it once the steam starts rising. Then add all the vegetables except the drumsticks. Cover and cook for some time, stirring the vegetables from time to time.

After cooking for 6-7 minutes add the masala that had been mixed in a bowl. Stir so that the masala mixes well with the vegetables. Now add salt and sugar to your taste, reduce the flame and cover it. Remember to give the vegetables a stir now and then so that the vegetables don’t burnt. Once the oil starts appearing at the sides, it’s time to add the drum sticks and then enough water to cook the vegetables. Cover and cook on low flame for some time and then increase the flame and cook till all the vegetables are cooked leaving no watery gravy.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with rice and dal. Those who don’t like rice eat this curry with roti or paratha or even puri (loochi).

Great fun in cooking something so simple...enjoy the taste of all the vegetables.