Going green - Mixed vegetable curry

Here is the vegetable curry I mentioned in my post on shrimp pulao a few days back. It uses the same green masala, give or take a few ingredients. This is one of the more uncommon dishes I know, because it uses fennel (a spice that is more popular as a mouth freshner in my kitchen!), is a refreshing green in color and doesn't have a tarka; nope, not even a tiny sizzle of cumin.

What it does have is an aromatic mix of cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. I call the powder semi garam masala because it has 3 of the 6 spices used in garam masala! It works really well in milder gravies (green as opposed to red) and pulaos.

This curry is actually called 'kurma' in our home but I hesitate to use that word because it is so synonymous with greasy, overly spiced restaurant dishes. This is more like an aromatic stew in comparison.

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY (Vegetable Kurma)
(serves 2-3)
about 3 cups of mixed vegetables , fresh or frozen (beans, peas, corn, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes etc.)
2 medium size onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of thin coconut milk (canned or freshly made from 1/3 cup of grated coconut)
salt to taste
1-2 tbsp oil
For the paste -
2 medium size onions, quartered
10-12 stalks of cilantro
3-4 green chillies
1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
For the powder -
2 sticks of cinnamon (about 1.5 - 2cms each)
2 black cardamoms (badi elaichi) or use green cardamom
3-4 cloves

Prepare the vegetables (thaw or cut them). Heat a griddle and lightly toast the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom on moderate heat until aromatic. Let cool then grind to a fine powder.

Blend onions, cilantro, chillies and fennel into a fine paste using a little water. Keep aside. Heat a pan with oil. When hot add sliced onions and saute till they turn golden brown. Next add cilantro paste. Stir for 2-3 minutes until it loses moisture.

Add vegetables and mix until they are well coated. Sprinkle spice powder and stir again. Season with salt then add 1 cup of water to get desired consistency.

Cover and let cook. When vegetables are done, add coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil. Serve hot with rotis.