Spicy Tava Fry Vegetables-with a twist!

“Spicy Tava Vegetables”- the name itself makes me drool!! But I am always looking to add my own healthy twist to recipes that call for deep-frying or that use a lot of oil. The original recipe is from a Sanjeev Kapoor book, but I modified it quite a bit so it is less time consuming, less labor intensive and of course so much more healthier.  Broiling the vegetables in the oven keeps the flavor intact and mixing them together with gravy cooked on stovetop finishes up the dish beautifully!

You can use any vegetables you have at hand, such as karela, parval, lotus stem, sweet potatoes etc and follow the same steps. The steps below seem really long because I have tried to capture every process detail. In reality, this recipe is done in 20-25 mins since your veggies are getting done in the oven while you are preparing the gravy on stovetop. Also, all my masala amounts are approximate so please adjust the amounts based on how much spice level your family enjoys. So try it out, enjoy it and let me know how it turns out for you!!

Ingredients:

·      Baby eggplants: 4-6 (slit into four making sure the stalk is still intact – see photos)

·      Baby Onions: 4-6 (peeled)

·      Ginger: 2 medium pieces (finely grate one and sliver the second for garnishing)

·      Bhindi (Okra): 8 (slit into halves or four if you like it thin)

·      Baby potatoes: 4-6 (peeled and slit into halves)

·      Onion: 2 medium (finely chopped for gravy)

·      Green Chillies: 3-4 (chopped)

·      Garam Masala: 2 tablespoons

·      Jeera: 1 teaspoon

·      Ajwain: ½ teaspoon

·      Haldi: 1 teaspoon

·      Salt to taste

·      Tomato Puree: 6-8 tablespoons

·      Fresh Coriander: ½ Cup Chopped

·      Crushed Kasuri Methi (Fenugreek Leaves) for garnishing

·      Oil: 2-3 tablespoons

Masala Mixture for Marinating:

·      Coriander powder: 1 tablespoon

·      Cumin Powder: 1 tablespoon

·      Chat Masala or Amchoor Powder: 1 tablespoon

·      Sonth: 1 teaspoon

·      Red Chilli Powder: ½ Tablespoon or to taste

·      Saunf (Fennel Seeds) Powder: 1 tablespoon

·      Crushed Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon

·      Cinnamon Powder: 1 teaspoon

·      Salt: 1 teaspoon

Process

1. Take all the masala mixture and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to it. You need to have just enough oil to coat all the vegetables so you can adjust the amount of oil accordingly. Now the marinade is ready.
2. In a bowl, take all your vegetables and pour the masala marinade. Make sure all the vegetables are coated well. Keep this aside for 15 mins or so.
3. Turn on the oven to broil the veggies. Place the marinated veggies flat on a baking tray (in a single layer). Broil them at a “high” setting for 20 minutes. Since each oven setting is different, I recommend that you check the vegetables in 15 minutes and increase time if needed. Basically your vegetables need to look roasted, browned and some (like bhindi) should even look a bit charred.
4.  In the meantime, while your veggies are in the oven, go ahead and start preparing the gravy.
5. Heat a big pan (enough to accommodate your veggies) and add about a tablespoon of oil for sautéing.  Once heated, add jeera, ajwain, haldi, and grated ginger.
6. Saute and then add the chopped onion.
7.  Once onion is golden brown, add the tomato puree and cover the lid to cook this mixture.
8. To this, add garam masala, chat masala/amchoor, dhaniya powder and salt according to taste. Once this gravy is ready, just move it to one side on the pan and reduce the flame.
9. By now your veggies should be done, take them out and start adding them in groups to the pan.
10. Cover the pan and let the veggies simmer for a few minutes.
11. Gently mix the veggies into the gravy, add chopped coriander and kasuri methi and simmer for few more minutes.
12. Garnish with slivered ginger.
13. Serve hot with rotis and enjoy!