Veg handi recipe with step by step pics. This veg diwani handi is a rich, creamy curry made with mixed vegetables. A restaurant-style vegetable handi that tastes damn good with roti, paratha, tandoori roti or naan.
Who doesn’t like restaurant food at home. We also do and are no exceptions. This recipe of veg handi is inspired by the rich heavy food that is served in restaurants. Once in a while, its alright to be indulgent. After all we don’t eat every day from the restaurants.
For this veg diwani handi, the gravy or base is made from cashew paste, onion-tomatoes and cream. A bit sweet, mild and creamy gravy. Generally, the veggies are fried or sauteed. I have steamed the vegetables.
The recipe is called veg handi as the dish is made in handi. Handi is a kind of cooking pot used in Indian cooking with a shallow depth and a wide bottom. here I have used clay handi.
You can use a steel handi or even a regular kadai or pot or pan. kadai is often used in Indian cooking to make dishes like Kadai Paneer and Kadai veg recipe. Recipes made in a handi are named such – like Paneer handi, handi pulao or handi biryani etc.
Veg handi recipe is easy and simple and has been inspired from the cookbook – “On the butter chicken trail: a moti mahal cookbook”.
Just a bit prep work is required to prepare the cashew paste and steaming the veggies. After that its a breeze. I have also cooked the veggies in the gravy, but I prefer to steam the veggies separately and do the remaining prep work, when the veggies are steaming.
Paneer cubes can also be added along with the veggies. You can also add tinned fruit cocktail towards the end in the recipe.
Veg handi is best served hot or warm with tandoori rotis or naan or parathas or rotis.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Veg Handi
Preparation
1. Soak cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. After 20 to 30 minutes, drain the water and add them to a grinder or blender.
3. Add water and grind or blend to a very smooth paste.
4. Meanwhile when the cashews are soaking, rinse, peel and chop the veggies. You can add vegetables of your choice like potatoes, green peas, carrots, capsicum, baby corn, cauliflower, french beans and broccoli etc.
5. Steam the veggies in a stovetop pressure cooker, steamer or electric cooker, till they are cooked completely. You can also fry or saute the veggies.
Making veg handi
6. Melt butter in a handi or pan. Keep the heat on the lowest, so that the butter does not brown or burn.
7. Add whole spices – cinnamon, green cardamoms, mace, cloves and tej patta (Indian bay leaf). Saute the spices till fragrant.
8. Add finely chopped onions.
9. Stir and saute the onions on a low heat stirring often.
10. The onions need to become golden.
11. Then add ginger-garlic paste, chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) and mint leaves. Stir and saute for a minute.
12. Add finely chopped tomatoes.
13. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see fat leaving the sides of the mixture.
14. Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
15. Add the prepared cashew paste and yogurt/curd. Curd is optional and does give a faint sour taste in the gravy. You can easily skip, if you do not prefer curd.
16. Stir often and saute till you see fat releasing from the sides.
17. Add water and stir.
18. Then add slit green chilies.
19. Stir again and let the gravy begin to simmer. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.
20. Season with salt according to taste. You can also add sugar for a light sweet taste. Stir and mix again.
20. Add the steamed veggies.
21. Stir very well and simmer the veggies in the gravy for 2 to 3 minutes. The gravy would begin to thicken by now.
22. Grate a bit of nutmeg directly in the gravy. About a pinch of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
23. Then add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and garam masala powder. Stir.
24. Lastly add cream. I added amul cream. Use a low fat cream.
25. After adding cream, stir the veg handi gravy well and then switch off the heat.
26. Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and Serve veg diwani handi hot or warm with tandoori rotis, naan, parathas or chapati or rumali roti or poori.
It will also go well with saffron rice or cumin rice or steamed basmati rice.
More Tasty Curry recipes
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Veg Handi
This veg diwani handi recipe is a rich, creamy curry made with mixed vegetables.
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
for the cashew paste
other ingredients for veg handi
whole spices
preparation
First heat water in a pan, microwave or electric heater.
Then soak cashews in the hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
After 20 to 30 minutes, drain all the water and add the soaked cashews to a grinder or blender.
Add water and grind or blend to a very smooth paste.
Meanwhile when the cashews are soaking, rinse, peel and chop the veggies.
Steam the veggies in a pressure cooker, steamer or electric cooker till they are cooked completely. You can also fry or saute the veggies till they are cooked.
making veg handi gravy
Heat butter in a handi or pan.
Add whole spices – cinnamon, green cardamoms, mace, cloves and tej patta. Saute the spices till fragrant.
Add finely chopped onions.
Stir and saute the onions on a low flame till they become golden stirring often.
Then add ginger-garlic paste, chopped coriander and mint leaves. Stir and saute for a minute.
Add finely chopped tomatoes.
Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften, become pulpy and you see fat leaving the sides of the mixture.
Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
Add the prepared cashew paste and yogurt/curd. Curd is optional and does give a slight sour taste in the gravy. You can easily skip, if you do not prefer curd.
Stir often and saute till you see fat releasing from the sides.
Add water. Stir.
Then add slit green chilies. Stir again and let the gravy begin to simmer. Takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a low to medium flame.
Season with salt. You can also add sugar for a light sweet taste. Stir again.
Add the steamed veggies.
Stir very well and simmer the veggies in the gravy for 2 to 3 minutes. The veg handi gravy would begun to thicken by now.
Grate a bit of nutmeg directly in the gravy. About a pinch of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder.
Then add crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and garam masala powder. Stir.
Lastly add cream. I added amul cream. Use a low fat cream.
After adding cream, stir & switch off the flame.
Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve veg handi hot or warm with tandoori rotis, naan, parathas or chapatis.
- * mushrooms have to be sauteed. So once the tomatoes have softened and become pulpy, add mushrooms and saute till they are cooked.
You can use a steel handi or even a regular kadai or pot or pan to make this dish. - You can add veggies of your choice like green peas, cauliflower, baby corn, potatoes, cauliflower, baby corn, french beans, bell pepper, carrots and corn.
- If you like paneer and mushrooms then you can add them as well.
Nutrition Facts
Veg Handi
Amount Per Serving
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 509mg22%
Potassium 500mg14%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 2859IU57%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 2mg10%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 25mg30%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 16µg15%
Calcium 157mg16%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 45µg11%
Iron 2mg11%
Magnesium 62mg16%
Phosphorus 151mg15%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Veg Handi post from the archives first published in November 2014 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
Source: Dassana’s Veg Recipes
