Devour the sensation of "Veg Diwani Handi" which is prepared with all the goodness of a traditional clay handi. It would nourish both our body and as well as our soul with its earthy flavor. A simple yet elegant dish that would capture everyone's attention with its unique deliciousness of 'slow cooking.'
Table Of Contents:
1. Veg Diwani Handi
2. An Introduction Of Veg Diwani Handi
3. Its Origin
4. A Note On Handi
5. The Popularity Of Veg Diwani Handi
6. Ingredients Required To Make Veg Diwani Handi
7. Simple Steps To Make Veg Diwani Handi
8. Some Easy Tips That Are Tried
9. Faqs
10. Nutritional Value
11. Serving Ideas
12. Dishes That Could Be Paired With Veg Diwani Handi
13. Nature Of Veg Diwani Handi
Exemplary Indian cuisine:
When we explore the culinary science of India, we could infer that Indian emperors have been the greatest connoisseurs of rich, complex, sophisticated and scrumptious dishes that were invented out of Persian, Turkish and Mangolian influence which dates back five thousand years ago. The evolution was massive and the dishes found were innumerable that led to the beginning of A NEW ERA IN THE INDIAN CUISINE.
Origin Of Veg Diwani Handi:
It was only during this evolutionary period, authentic dishes like Veg Diwani Handi unfolded and occupied a prominent place in the imperial kitchen of the kings and famous merchants. As the name suggests, this dish is made of several vegetables in the traditional vessel handi and got its name as Veg Diwani Handi. It is one of the popular dishes in the dhabas as a much sought after accompaniment for roti, phulka, naan and paratha.
A Note On Handi:
Handi is nothing but an earthern pot made of clay which has been used for cooking since ages and it is one of the primitive kitchen utensils used in India. We all have read about Harappa and Mohanjadaro excavations in our history lessons which have mentioned about the reminisces of clay pots and utensils used in those days. The art of "slow cooking" attained its peak during the Mughlai period where slow and dum cooking in large and thick Handi gained prominence.
The Popularity Of Veg Diwani Handi In Dhabas:
Though dishes like Hydrabadi chicken handi and lamb Handi briyani come to our mind first when we hear the word Handi, this Veg Diwani Handi is nothing lesser than the meat based dishes. Soft, creamy and crunchy this Veg Diwani Handi is one of the popular dishes in India, and it is one of the indispensable recipes in the Dhabas which are famous for thier mud structures and coir cots with wooden planks to serve food. All the dishes are prepared authentically and sold at much affordable prices that draws the attention of truck drivers and travelers even at mid nights. Anyone would love the cozy ambience of a dhaba, and I would personally say that the whole set up simply elevates the quality of the food and customer's mood a notch higher.
Here comes the recipe of exotic dhaba style Veg Diwani Handi that can be made with simple ingredients at home.
Ingredients required To Make Veg Diwani Handi:
- Vegetables- french beans, carrots, cauliflowers, peas bell peppers and onion.
- Base gravy- onion,tomato, garlic and cashews.
- Tempering- regular condiments and spice powders
- final addition- garma masala, kasuri methi and sugar
- garnishing- fresh cream, coriander and lemon.
Five Simple Steps To Make Veg Diwani Handi:
1. Par boil the veggies
2. Make the base paste
3. Do the tempering
4. Add the veggies and spice powders
5. Garnish with regular ingredients
Heat a wok and pour in two cups of water and when it comes to a boil, just drop the chopped veggies one by one (except the onion) and turn of the stove. Let it remain for five minutes approximately. Strain the water and keep the blanched veggies aside. In the same wok tip in a little oil and roast the chopped onion till it becomes crispy and golden brown. Lower the flame and transfer the roasted onion to a bowl and keep it.
Take some ten or fifteen cashew nuts and soak it in hot water and mean while make the preparation ready for the base creamy paste. Tip in a little oil and add three sliced onions, and saute till it becomes translucent. Then slowly plop in the chopped tomatoes and and let it soften.
Sprinkle in a little salt and throw an inch of ginger along with some garlic cloves. Finally add one or two dried red chili and stir in. Let the whole mixture get cooked for a while and when it turns aromatic, splash in some hot water and turn up the heat. Just after a minute or two, take out the wok from the stove and let it cool for sometime. After it cools down, transfer it to a blender and add a little warm water and make a silky smooth paste out of it.
Place a skillet and add a little ghee to it. When it melts down, just drop in the bay leaf, clove, cinnamon and cardamom and when it turns fragrant, just add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Now add one or two slit green chilies and squirt in a spoon of ginger garlic paste and lower the flame.
When you get a nice aroma after a few seconds, strew in the measured quantities of red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Add a little water and mix altogether. Wait for the oil to collect at the sides and at this stage, add the blended onion tomato base paste with a nice stir. Set the flame in low medium flame and let it get cooked for a while.
Just after two or three minutes, plop in the blanched veggies and add the required salt. Just add a little hot water if you feel necessary. Mingle altogether and finally strw in a little sugar, kasuri methi and some garam masala. Lower the flame and pop the lid on. Aloow it to cook for abput eight to ten minutes and when the aroma starts wafting out from the skillet, just turn off the flame and squeeze in some fresh cream on top.
Now the Veg Diwani Handi is ready. Garnish with some lush green coriander leaves and serve with rumali roti and curd. Place some lemon wedges at by the side for added flavor.
Some Easy Tips That Are Tried:
- Use a broad handi with a lid to make Veg Diwani Handi as it favors slow cooking.
- You can also add some cottage cheese and mushroom along with the other veggies and it is optional.
- Soak the cashew nuts in hot water at least for about fifteen minutes to get soft creamy base for the dish. Half the work is done, if you get it right.
- See to it that the vegetables do not get over cooked because we need to get the veggies to be crunchy and little bit colorful at the final stage.
- Maintain the flame in low mode throughout (except the places when high or medium flame is mentioned) the process as slow cooking is the concept of Veg Diwani Handi.
- Handi retains heat for long hours and therefore you need not reheat the dish while serving.
- You may also add a little butter on top while serving if you don't bother about the calories.
- You can also add other colorful bell peppers and red carrots to make this Veg Diwani Handi.
- Adding a bunch of spinach is yet another version of veg diwani handi.
- Apart from roti varieties it also goes extremely well with rice like matar pulao, masala rice and briyani.
FAQs:
Can we make this Veg Diwani Handi in any other vessel other than clay pots?
Yes, we can make it in any heavy bottomed brass pot or copper pot if you would like to get an authentic touch, although it can be prepared in any thick bottomed vessel like a pressure pan or a skillet.
2. What is the one thing that makes this dish unique?
Apart from making it in a traditional handi, the vegetables remain to be firm and crunchy even after boiling.
One Or Two Serving Ideas That May Help You:
Always have something to sip in between whenever you eat a sumptuous meal and let it be a natural drink. For dishes like roti and veg diwani handi you can have mint lime juice, aam panna or chaas. Serve the dish from the same Handi in which you prepared it to get the authentic feel and flavor. Set up your table with coir mats and coasters that could go well with the handi. And see to it that the serving plates match with the handi, like brass or antique finish platter. Keep your entire set up rustic, so that it matches well with the dish.
Dishes That Could Be Paired With Veg Diwani Handi:
1. steamed rice
2. onion kulcha
3. garlic naan and keema naan
4. aloo paratha
5. tandoori roti
Dhaba Style Veg Diwani Handi Is Comprised Of:
1. rich creamy curry
2. multicolored crunchy vegetables
3. velvety soft onion cashew paste
4. luscious look with the shean of butter
5. flavored with aromatic spices
6. more than one or two garnishes
Ingredients
Directions
Heat a wok and pour in two cups of water and when it comes to a boil, just drop the chopped veggies one by one (except the onion) and turn of the stove. Let it remain for five minutes approximately. Strain the water and keep the blanched veggies aside. In the same wok tip in a little oil and roast the chopped onion till it becomes crispy and golden brown. Lower the flame and transfer the roasted onion to a bowl and keep it.
Take some ten or fifteen cashew nuts and soak it in hot water and mean while make the preparation ready for the base creamy paste. Tip in a little oil and add three sliced onions, and saute till it becomes translucent. Then slowly plop in the chopped tomatoes and and let it soften.
Sprinkle in a little salt and throw an inch of ginger along with some garlic cloves. Finally add one or two dried red chili and stir in. Let the whole mixture get cooked for a while and when it turns aromatic, splash in some hot water and turn up the heat. Just after a minute or two, take out the wok from the stove and let it cool for sometime. After it cools down, transfer it to a blender and add a little warm water and make a silky smooth paste out of it.
Place a skillet and add a little ghee to it. When it melts down, just drop in the bay leaf, clove, cinnamon and cardamom and when it turns fragrant, just add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Now add one or two slit green chilies and squirt in a spoon of ginger garlic paste and lower the flame.
When you get a nice aroma after a few seconds, strew in the measured quantities of red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Add a little water and mix altogether. Wait for the oil to collect at the sides and at this stage, add the blended onion tomato base paste with a nice stir. Set the flame in low medium flame and let it get cooked for a while.
Just after two or three minutes, plop in the blanched veggies and add the required salt. Just add a little hot water if you feel necessary. Mingle altogether and finally strw in a little sugar, kasuri methi and some garam masala. Lower the flame and pop the lid on. Aloow it to cook for abput eight to ten minutes and when the aroma starts wafting out from the skillet, just turn off the flame and squeeze in some fresh cream on top.
Now the Veg Diwani Handi is ready. Garnish with some lush green coriander leaves and serve with rumali roti and curd. Place some lemon wedges at by the side for added flavor.
