This vegetable karahi curry is my take on a classic Pakistani curry, loaded with mixed vegetables in a thick, generously spiced tomato gravy.
This recipe is easy to make, cooks in a shade over 30 minutes and uses ingredients that are common in Indian cookery.
Indian Inspired Mixed Vegetable Curry
Hailing from Northern India and Pakistan a Karahi curry is named after the bowl it is traditionally cooked and served in.
This curry is commonly associated with chicken and a mix of vegetables cooked in a spiced tomato sauce.
This version is vegan and uses vegetables that are very “British”. But the sauce is very much modelled on the sort of sauces I associate with British Indian restaurants.
Just like the classic saag aloo, vegetable bhuna and aloo gobi curries this uses vegetables found in most supermarkets.
I like to keep my vegetables larger and cooked in a way that they are a little less “mushy” than you often find in vegetable curries.
You can of course cut your vegetables into smaller pieces!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a specific pan?
In short, No. A Karahi is a cooking and serving bowl similar to the bowl that I serve recipe like my chicken tikka masala in.
It is also known as a kadai or korai and it is used because of its versatility.
It can deep fry, stew shallow fry and stir fry all in one pan and as a result, it is a fine workhorse.
I recommend using a wok because it allows the sauce to sit a little deeper than in a frying pan. But you can use any old pot, just make sure the potatoes are covered in sauce.
Can I use different vegetables?
Absolutely! You most definitely should feel free to use whatever vegetables you have to hand. This vegetable karahi is a great way to empty that vegetable drawer.
Everything from cauliflower to sweet potatoes and swede to pumpkin would work a treat.
It is very similar to my mixed vegetable tagine in that sense.
Do the type of potatoes matter?
No, but your choice of potato will impact the texture of the dish. If you use floury potatoes your sauce will be thicker as they will break down a little.
I personally prefer waxy new potatoes as I love the texture of them in this dish.
Serving Suggestions.
As with so many curry recipes, I love this mixed vegetable karai with some form of bread.
I would recommend a chapati personally or some other form of roti. I usually do this when the curry features a thick sauce, but naan would work too.
This recipe is great with rice and either some simply cooked basmati rice or a nice pilau works really well.
Mixed vegetable curry was almost always served with Biryani and in a nod to that, I usually serve this with my chicken tikka biryani.
Adding a pickle on the side is always a good option, my favourite would be a lime pickle.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
- 8″ or 20cm saucepan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
- Siev or colander.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
Vegetable Karahi Curry Recipe
This Pakistani influenced vegan karahi curry is loaded with mixed vegetables cooked in a thick well-spiced tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion
- 200g (1-1½ Cups) New Potatoes
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Carrots, I use baby carrots
- 75g (⅔ Cup) Green Beans
- 150g (1 Cup) Courgette or Zucchini
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 6 Dried Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- 8 Curry Leaves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Tsp Gram Flour
- 1 Tsp Onion Seeds
- ½ Tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ Tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ Tsp Ground Coriander
- ¼ Tsp Ground Turmeric
- ½ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 225g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
- 175ml (¾ Cup) Water
- 1 Tsp Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
Instructions
- Bring a 20cm or 8" saucepan of well salted (1-2 teaspoons in a pan this size) water to the boil.
- If your potatoes are larger than bite-size cut them in half or quarters.
- Throw in the potatoes and parboil for 10-12 minutes.
- Cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces and throw them in with the potatoes for the final 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the carrots and potatoes and set them aside.
- Top and tail the onion and cut it into 8 wedges.
- Mash the garlic into a paste.
- Heat a wok over a high heat and when it is hot add the oil.
- Throw in the curry leaves, dried chilli peppers and cinnamon stick and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.
- Add the potato, carrot, onion to the pan and then cook for 5 minutes stirring every minute or two.
- Throw in the onion seeds, gram flour, chilli powder, cumin, coriander turmeric, black pepper and salt and cook stirring continuously for 1 minute.
- Pour in the tinned tomatoes and water, add the brown sugar and season with salt to taste.
- Sprinkle in the dried fenugreek, stir, reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cut the green beans into 3-4cm lengths.
- Cut the courgette into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the green beans and courgette to the curry and cook for 3-4 final minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 354mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 12gSugar: 14gProtein: 9g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.
John B
Wednesday 13th of May 2020
Just tried it. Very good for flavour, a little hot but was surprised that it is a lot darker than in any of the photos
Brian Jones
Wednesday 20th of May 2020
Glad you like it John, I've just reviewed the recipe and can only thing that I can think of is that you used as dark brown sugar and I used a light brown sugar, I have updated my recipe to be more specific.