Veg kadai or kadai vegetable sabzi is a delicious Indian vegetarian dish comprising of a mixture of veggies in cooked in a spicy gravy flavored with a special kadai masala.
Vegetable Kadai is a popular vegetarian dish found in almost all Indian restaurants across the world. This colourful medley of crunchy veggies in spiced gravy not only has an appetizing appearance but also a delicious taste.
Why is this dish called Veg Kadai?
Veg kadai or kadai vegetable is traditionally prepared in a ‘Kadai’, a type of thick, circular, and deep cooking utensil formed from mild steel or wrought iron.
Nowadays kadai can be made of stainless steel, copper or other material and can have non-stick surface as well. They can have a traditional round bottom or even flat bottom. They are actually quite similar to Chinese woks.
Dishes specially prepared in this utensil are often named kadahi or kadai dishes. The vegetables and spices used in these dishes are cooked at high temperatures in the kadai giving such dishes a delicious smoky flavor.
The veg kadai recipe can be thought of as an extension to the more popular and well known kadai paneer recipe, but substitutes paneer (Indian soft cottage cheese) with an assortment of vegetables.
Veg kadai takes somewhat more time than preparing kadai paneer as the veggies need to be cooked. However, veg kadai sabzi is more healthy as it includes many vegetables.
Main ingredients
A wide variety of vegetables like capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peas, beans, potatoes etc. can go into this recipe. Additionally you can add paneer to make it even more rich and palatable.
Kadai vegetable subzi generally has a thick, semi dry curry made of onions & tomatoes along with the mixed vegetables and spices. But the consistency of the gravy can be varied according to personal preferences.
The colourful veg kadai dish looks and tastes great when garnished with kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and fresh coriander leaves.
Serving Suggestions
This dish goes quite well with rotis, chapatis, naan, puris or parathas. It is also a great option for serving with rice, but in that case you can make the gravy sightly thinner.
This healthy & nutritious dish is a great option for small gatherings and parties and also a great change for everyday lunch and dinner.
To make Veg Kadai at home follow the detailed step by step recipe with photos posted below.
See more related recipes like:
Suggested recipe collections
- Gajar Recipes | List of 11 Indian Carrot Recipes
- Potato Recipes | 37 Veg Indian Potato Dishes | Aloo Recipes
- Indian Curry Recipes | List of 40 Indian Vegetarian Gravies
- Indian Sabzi Recipes | 21 Dry Vegetables | Sookhi Sabji
Veg Kadai Recipe | Kadai Vegetable Sabzi
Recipe Info
Nutrition
Ingredients For Veg Kadai Recipe | Kadai Vegetable Sabzi
For the gravy
- 1 Medium Sized Potato
- 1 Carrot (Gajar)
- 1/2 Cup Cauliflower Florets
- 6-7 Green Beans
- 1 Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper / Shimla Mirch)
- 1 Medium Sized Onion
- 2 Large Tomato
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Inch Piece of Ginger
- 1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
- 1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
Spices for kadai masala
- 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds (Sabut Dhaniya)
- 1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds (Til)
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- 2 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi)
- 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick)
- 6 Whole Dried Red Chillies
Step By Step Instructions for Veg Kadai Recipe | Kadai Vegetable Sabzi
- To prepare the kadai masala add coriander seeds (dhania), sesame seeds (til), cumin seeds (jeera), cardamom (elaichi), cinnamon stick (dalchini) and dried red chillies to a pan.1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds (Sabut Dhaniya), 1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds (Til), 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 2 Green Cardamom (Hari Elaichi), 1 Inch Dalchini (Cinnamon Stick), 6 Whole Dried Red Chillies
- Roast the whole spices at low-medium heat for 5 mins. The coriander seeds will start to change color slightly and give off a strong aroma.
- Transfer the roasted spices to a grinder or mortar & pestle and grind them into powder. Set this spice powder aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai or wok and add diced potatoes and carrots to the it. Fry them for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.1 Medium Sized Potato, 1 Carrot (Gajar)
- Then add chopped green beans and cauliflower florets to the kadai. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.6-7 Green Beans, 1/2 Cup Cauliflower Florets
- Add chopped capsicum. Capsicum takes the least amount of time to cook so it’s added in the end.1 Green Capsicum (Bell Pepper / Shimla Mirch)
- Add the dry spice powder prepared earlier to the vegetables.
- Roast the vegetables along with the spices for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the vegetables from the heat and set them aside on a plate.
- Next to prepare the gravy, heat some more oil in the same kadai. Add finely chopped or pureed onions along with ginger garlic paste.1 Medium Sized Onion, 4 Garlic Cloves, 1 Inch Piece of Ginger, 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
- Roast the onions for 6-7 minutes on medium heat till they start turning golden brown.
- Then add pureed tomatoes to the kadai.2 Large Tomato
- Also add some salt and turmeric powder (haldi) to the gravy.1 Teaspoon Salt, 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
- Fry till the tomatoes are completely cooked and the gravy starts leaving oil on the sides.
- Add 1 cup of water to the gravy.
- Then add some sugar and mix well. This balances out the flavor of the gravy, but you can skip it if you want.1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
- Bring the gravy to a boil. You can also add some cream or milk if you want at this stage.
- Then add the fried vegetables to the gravy and cook for 4-5 minutes as the gravy starts to thicken.
- Add some crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) to the gravy. Mix and cook for a minute.1/2 Teaspoon Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)
- Add some chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves (Cilantro or Dhaniya)
- Veg Kadai is ready. Serve it hot with roti, naan or rice.
Before You Go...
Don't forget to Pin this post to save it for later. You can also Subscribe to our mailing list or follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter to see more delicious food recipes.
We'd love to know your thoughts about this dish! Please leave a comment or share a picture on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #vegecravings.