This is a popular spicy mixed vegetable Kolhapuri preparation which is a semi- dry vegetable dish cooked with spices as the base for the gravy.
1. Wash the vegetables and cut into half inch sized cubes. Boil in sufficient quantity of boiling salted water till nearly done. Drain the water, cool and fry them in little oil and keep aside. 2. Boil the cashew nuts and water melon seeds until soft and then grind to smooth paste. Keep aside. 3. Add some oil in a hot pan, add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, black cardamom and bay leaves. Sauté well till they infuse their flavours well in the oil. 4. Add curry leaves, onion paste, salt to taste and sauté well till the onions paste is nicely browned. Add freshly crushed ginger, garlic, green chillies and mix. 5. Add hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder and tomato paste and mix all the spices well. Add little water and allow it to cook. 6. Add 1 cup green peas (boiled), 2 tbsp of cashew nut and water melon seeds paste. Stir and cook on a slow flame for 15 minutes until the sauce is smooth and spluttering out. 7. Add the boiled and fried vegetables, paneer and mix well. Add little water to dilute the consistency if thickened and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes and add kasuri methi and mix well. Switch off the flame. 8. Add little ghee in a pan and fry whole red chillies. Pour this tadka onto the Vegetable Kolhapuri mixture and top it off with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
