Kadai vegetable gravy recipe with step by step photos. Restaurant style kadai vegetable is a semi gravy side dish that is served with any Indian flat breads like chapthis or rotis. It is made using a freshly ground spice powder which makes it more aromatic and lip smacking good. Kadai means a ‘Wok” and traditionally this was made in an iron kadai to give the curry an enriched taste, color and aroma not to mention added health benefits.
The spice powder can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container upto 2-3 days. So its a breeze to make it in the morning times if you are going to pack for the lunch boxes. The vegetables can also be chopped and stored well in advance.
I earlier added the vegetables raw and let it cook in the gravy itself which took a long time and needed so much supervision. I was also worried about the nutrient loss. But after I bought microwave, I started to parboil the vegetables so that it not only takes lesser time but also the nutrient values of the vegetables are preserved.
You can also parboil the veggies in a steamer or even in a pressure cooker. Earlier I never used to get Byadgi or Kashmiri chillies in my neighbourhood. But now I get them both, so I started to replace half the quantity of dry chillies with any of them. Not only do they give a rich color but also as they are low in heat, the curry gets balanced well without tasting too spicy.
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I have made this side dish totally vegan by cooking it up entirely in oil. If you want it to be rich, use both ghee and oil to cook or you can also use ghee entirely.
You can also check out this Kadai Paneer, Baingan Bharta or Mixed Vegetable Kurma that goes so well with chapathis.
Kadai Vegetable gravy recipe with stepwise photos:
1. Heat a pan and add all the ingredients mentioned for grinding like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, both the red chilies, pepper corns, cumin and coriander seeds. Dry roast over low flame till you get the aroma and transfer to a plate to cool.
2. Transfer the roasted spices into a mixie jar and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.
3. Take the vegetables except onion in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it till they are parboiled. I microwaved at 50% power for 4 mins. You can also steam them in a steamer or pressure cooker for 6-7 mins. Keep aside.
4. Puree the tomatoes and keep it ready.
5. Heat a pan with oil. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Add cubed onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till it turns translucent.
6. Add tomato puree. Measure 1 tbsp from the spice powder and keep it aside (we will be adding this at last). Add the rest of the spice powder and mix well.
7. Close the pan with a lid and let it cook till the oil separates and the raw smell of the tomatoes have gone. This should take 3-4 mins.
8. Add the parboiled vegetables, turmeric powder, salt, 1/2 cup water and mix well. Close with a lid and cook for 2-3 mins. The vegetables will be fully cooked by now.
9. Add the reserved 1 tbsp spice powder, garam masala powder, sugar, crushed kasuri methi and mix well. Cook covered over low flame for 1 more minute.
10. Take off stove. Kadai vegetable gravy is ready. Garnish with coriander leaves, if desired and serve hot with chapathis or rotis along with wedges of lemon.
Kadai Vegetable Gravy recipe details below:

Kadai Vegetable Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
- Cauliflower Florets - 1/2 cup
- Capsicum - 1
- Carrots - 1
- French Beans - 6
- Peas - 1/4 cup
- Baby Corn - 3
- Mushroom - 10
- Onion - 1 big
- Tomato - 3 medium
- Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Kasuri Methi - 1/2 tbsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Salt - to taste
- Oil - 2 tbsp
To Roast & Powder:
- Cloves - 3
- Cardamom - 2
- Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
- Whole Red Chillies - 5
- Byadgi Chillies - 4
- Black Pepper Corns - 1/4 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Instructions
Preparation:
- Cube the capsicum and carrots. Cut french beans into 1 inch long pieces.
- Quarter the mushrooms. Cut the baby corns diagonally into 1 inch pieces.
- Puree the tomatoes and keep it ready.
- Cube the onions.
How to cook Kadai Vegetable Gravy:
- Take the vegetables except onion in a microwave safe bowl and microwave it till they are 3/4 th done or parboiled. I microwaved at 50% power for 4 mins. You can also steam them in a steamer or pressure cooker for 6-7 mins. Keep aside.
- Heat a pan and add all the ingredients mentioned for grinding like cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, both the red chilies, pepper corns, cumin and coriander seeds.
- Dry roast over low flame till you get the aroma and transfer to a plate to cool.
- Transfer the roasted spices into a mixie jar and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.
- Heat a pan with oil. Add cumin seeds and let it sizzle.
- Add cubed onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till it turns translucent.
- Add tomato puree. Measure 1 tbsp from the spice powder and keep it aside (we will be adding this at last).
- Add the rest of the spice powder and mix well.
- Close the pan with a lid and let it cook till the oil separates and the raw smell of the tomatoes have gone. This should take 3-4 mins.
- Add the parboiled vegetables, turmeric powder, salt, 1/2 cup water and mix well.
- Close with a lid and cook for 2-3 mins. The vegetables will be fully cooked by now.
- Add the reserved 1 tbsp spice powder, garam masala powder, sugar, crushed kasuri methi and mix well.
- Cook covered over low flame for 1 more minute.
- Take off stove. Kadai vegetable gravy is ready.
- Garnish with coriander leaves, if desired and serve hot with chapathis or rotis along with wedges of lemon.

good one radhika- nice dish to enjoy with rotis
Nice recipe for kadai vegetables,looks delicious!
Looks really delicious,it has everything what I like…looks yumm
One dish that we order each time when eating out..But now i can have them custom made in our very own kitchen..thx to u!!!! Home food is 100 time better than any hotel food…the former is less greasy, can adjust spice level to our liking..This ones bookmarked!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
Looks fabulous; simple, easy & flavorful vegetable curry 🙂
wow yummy version,luks delicious…
looks yummy!
this looks really delicious….cant wait to try it
Looks so inviting…love it!
That was Wonderful. I can imagine the aroma of it by the ingredients. 🙂 Best goes with roti.
Cheers,
Uma
perfect for roti…
Delicious and perfectly made.
Lipsmacking recipe.. Nice clicks..
Sper yum..perfect for rotis
Wat a flavourful and wonderl pair for rotis..yum!
Looks so spicy and perfect for chapathis.
Yumm Yumm… super inviting curry..
This looks so nice and yummy..Will surely try out…
Looks so delicious! Lovely with any rice!
Looking good dear. I recently made kadai paneer in a similar way and is in my drafts.
Vardhini
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This looks heavenly, can’t believe it’s just veggies. I’m seriously drooling!
The gravy looks so good…just loved it
Looks great Radhika ! Perfect with Rotis !! Meaning to send u some recipes for the event too– will do so soon !
This looks fab!!! I am going to make rotis. Just need to reach out for that bowl of subzi 🙂
Very tempting!!!!!perfect for Roti’s:)
good one to go with roti!
Wow wat a tempting clicks,makes me hungry now…
Awesome recipe Radhika…Kadai vegetable gravy looks yumm..
Nice recipe….looks absolutely yummy.
Wow.. it looks so yummy.. creamy gravy is my fav.. 😀
great post, I really like it. Thanks for posting. 🙂
Radhika, Made this dish at home. We all really enjoyed it. Check out my post if you get a chance. I have bookmarked quite a few of your dishes. Working my way thru them. Thanks for the wonderful recipes
http://arusuvai-kurippu.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/kadai-vegetable.html