Veg chilli milli

Ingredients

2 cups shredded or grated cabbage
1large carrot, cut in thin strips
1 large capsicum, thinly sliced
⅓ cup fresh or frozen peas
3 tbsp oil
1 small bay leaf
2 green cardamoms
1 black cardamom
2 to 3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 single strand of mace
1 large onion chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
5 to 6 green chilies, slit
1 cup water
1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves
a pinch or two of garam masala
1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 to 3 tbsp low fat cream (optional)
salt as required
for paste:
2 large tomatoes or 1 cup chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp cashews

How to make

soak 3 tbsp cashews in 1/2 cup hot water for 30 minutes. Drain the cashews and
grind along with 2 large chopped tomatoes without adding any water to a smooth paste. keep the tomato-cashew paste aside.

preparing chilli milli gravy:

Heat 3 tbsp oil and add 1 small to bay leaf, 2 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, 2 to 3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 mace. saute till the spices splutter.

Then add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. stir and saute the paste till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. Now add chopped onion and saute the onions become golden brown.

Then add the ground tomato+cashew paste. stir very well.

Now add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder and 1 tsp coriander powder saute the masala paste till you see the oil leaving sides of the masala and add 5 to 6 slit green chilies. stir and mix.

Next add the shredded cabbage, carrots, capsicum and green peas, mix all the veggies with the rest of the masala. saute for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups water. you can also use veg stock season with salt and mix very well.
cover the pan and simmer the curry till the veggies are done.

Once the veggies are cooked, add a pinch or two of garam masala powder, 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi
mix very well.
Now you can also add 2 to 3 tbsp of low fat cream.
switch off the flame and serve the spicy veg chilli milli hot with chapatis, naan or steamed rice. you can garnish with some coriander leaves while serving.