Tawa Sabji

Chef: Aanal Kotak

• Recipe Servings: 4

• Prep Time: 20 Minutes

• Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients of Tawa Sabji

Mix vegetables

• 4 round small brinjals, slit halfway

• 2 medium sized bitter gourd (karele), slit in between and cut each into half

• 4 – 5 ladyfinger, slit in between and cut into half

• 2 – 3 potato, peeled and cut into wedges

• 2 tomato, cut from top and remove the pulp

Ingredients for the tawa masala

• 2 tsp coriander seeds

• 2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)

• 2 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 tsp methi seeds

• 2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji)

• 2 tsp pomegranate seeds (anardana)

• A pinch of asafoetida

• 2 dried red chilli

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 2 tsp mango powder

Ingredients for stuffing bitter gourd (karela)

• 2 onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

• salt, as per taste

• oil for cooking

• 2 tsp tawa masala (mentioned above)

Ingredients for stuffing tomato

• 1 small onion, chopped

• ¼ Cup grated cottage cheese (paneer)

• 1 tsp tawa masala (mentioned above)

• 1 cube processed cheese, grated

• salt, as per taste

Other ingredients

• Salt, as per taste

• Oil for pan frying

• 2 tbsp mustard oil

How to Make Tawa Sabji

1. To make tawa masala

2. Clean coriander, fennel, methi, cumin and put them on a hot Tawa (flat pan) to roast.

3. Add red chillies to the roasted spices and dry roast for 1 minutes. Allow the spices to cool off then grind them to fine powder along with other spices except turmeric powder.

4. Put turmeric powder to the grounded spices and mix. Salt, as per taste can also be mixed in this masala if you don’t want to add it later.

5. To stuff vegetables

6. Clean, wash and dry all the vegetables.

7. For stuffing ladyfinger and brinjal, slit them halfway and fill in each pieces with spoonful of tawa masala, coat exterior as well with tawa masala and sprinkle 2 tbsp mustard oil so that masala stick nicely to vegetables. Set aside meanwhile you prepare other vegetables.

8. Sprinkle tawa masala over potato wedges along with tbsp of mustard oil and set aside.

For preparing bitter gourd

1. Peel out the skin and remove seeds of bitter gourd, slit in between and cut into half.

2. Rub each piece with generous amount of salt and leave aside for atleast 6 hours.

3. Once all the water has drained out of bitter gourd, rinse it under cold water and dry with a kitchen towel. Set aside.

4. To prepare filling, saute onions in oil until golden, add ginger garlic paste and saute again for 5 minutes.

5. Add tawa masala and mix nicely. Fill in spoonful of filling in each piece and tie it with cotton thread/butcher’s string.

For preparing tomatoes

1. Cut a small disc on top and with the help of desert spoon scoop out pulp and seeds from inside.

2. To prepare filling, saute onion in oil, once translucent add grated paneer and tawa masala. Adjust salt, as per taste. Mix nicely. Fill inside hollow tomatoes, press filling with your fingers and add grated cheese on top. Set aside.

3. In a large heavy bottomed flat pan, heat oil for pan frying vegetables. Once oil is heated, arrange all the vegetables in it. Do not overcrowd the pan if pan is small you can do it in batches.

4. Keep on turning vegetables until golden and crisp on both sides. Keep gas flame to low.

5. Potato, ladyfinger and tomato will take less time whereas brinjal and bitter gourd requires more time to get cooked from deep inside.

6. Once all the vegetables done, serve hot in a platter with lemon wedges along with main dishes.