Here's my easy Indian Mixed Veg Recipe made with cauliflower, carrots and French beans. This simple mixed veg sabzi comes together in one pan with everyday spices and is perfect for serving with chapatis for a comforting, Indian-style dinner.
Quick Answer: This Indian Mixed Veg Recipe is a dry vegetable sabzi made with cauliflower, carrots, beans and peas cooked with everyday Indian spices. It is perfect with chapati, plain paratha or rice and can easily be adapted with whatever vegetables you have on hand.
This Indian mixed vegetables recipe, whole masoor dal and rotis are staple on my weekly menu. . I love it because it is simple, comforting and a great way to use up whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. And you only need 1 Pan.
The vegetables cook gently in their own juices with just a handful of everyday spices. There is no coconut milk, cream or elaborate curry sauce base to prepare, making it a light and flavourful dish that comes together easily on busy weeknights.
You may also love these two other dry sabzi recipes: Aloo Shimla Mirch (potato and capsicum curry) and Aloo Methi (potato and fenugreek leaves).
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Sandhya's Top Tips
- Cook Vegetables in Stages: Always start with harder vegetables (like carrots and French beans). Once they’re 70% cooked, add softer vegetables like cauliflower to make mixed vegetable curry recipe. This way, everything cooks evenly without turning mushy.
- Use a wide pan or a heavy bottomed pan. This helps in distributing heat evenly, preventing the veggies from burning while allowing them to cook in their own juices.
- No Extra Moisture Needed: This is a dry curry, so I don't add a lot of water as much as I add for gravies. But if you prefer a slightly saucy texture, go ahead and add them.
- Fresh Ingredients Are Key: While you can use frozen or pre chopped veggies, I recommend using fresh vegetables for the best flavor. Try it with fresh veggies and let me know what you think!
- If you are using frozen veggies, accordingly adjust the cooking time.
Why You'll Love This Recipe?
- All the ingredients are easily available in your local grocery stores or super stores in the UK like Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Sainsburys and ASDA.
- An easy way to get a few portions of your five-a-day into your meal.
- One-Pan Recipe: Fewer dishes to wash.
- This recipe naturally is suitable for Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten-Free
- Flexible: Add your favorite veggies like potatoes, green peas, peppers, baby corn or sweet corn. For added protein, add tofu or paneer tikka.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower: I cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets. Avoid cutting them too small florets, as they may turn mushy.
- Tomato Paste: For a bit of tomatoey flavor. You can always sub with 1 chopped tomato or tomato passata.
- Veggies: I use fresh carrots and green beans, but frozen veggies can work as a substitute.
- Spices: All the regular Indian spices from my masala dabba.
- Ginger & Garlic: Freshly minced ginger and garlic are best, but store-bought ginger garlic paste also works well in this recipe.
- Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek): Always toast the kasuri methi in a pan, crush it between your palms, and then add it to the sabzi for extra flavor.
Variations
- Without Onion & Garlic: You can skip onion and garlic entirely—just adjust the spice levels to your liking.
- Add Other Veggies: Potatoes, green peppers (capsicum), and peas work great. If adding potatoes, add them before cauliflower, as they take longer to cook. Green peppers and peas can be added with the cauliflower.
- Mixed Veg Masala (Gravy Style): For a gravy-style curry, make an onion-tomato masala base first. Add the veggies as per their cooking times and finish with lemon juice, kasuri methi, and garam masala.
How to Make Indian Mixed Veg Recipe?
Step 1: Heat oil and splutter cumin seeds in a pan. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté until onions turn translucent.
Step 2: Stir in tomato paste, then add carrots, French beans, spices, and salt. Cook covered for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add cauliflower, stir, and cook covered for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Step 4: Finish with garam masala, crushed kasuri methi and coriander leaves . Serve with chapatis.
Want a Gravy Version?
This recipe makes a dry mixed vegetable sabzi, but you can easily turn it into a mixed veg curry. Simply prepare an onion and tomato masala base, add the cooked vegetables and a splash of water, then simmer for a few minutes. If you enjoy restaurant-style mixed veg curry, you may also like my Vegetable Jalfrezi recipe.
Serving Suggestions
This dry mixed veg sabzi pairs well with chapatis, plain parathas, ragi roti, or plain naan bread.. I also like serving it with cucumber raita,, chopped Indian salad, and a little nimbu achaar on the side.
For a more substantial meal, serve it with plain brown basmati rice or Instant Pot white basmati rice and a simple dal such as red lentil dal, green lentils dal, whole masoor dal, or tarka dal. Leftovers are perfect for chapati wraps, lunchboxes or even a vegetable pot pie like my pav bhaji pot pie.
Storing
This mixed vegetable sabzi keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, but if you use frozen vegetables, I recommend consuming it within 2 days.
I don’t suggest freezing it, as the texture may change.
Recipe FAQ's
Canned vegetables are already cooked and often seasoned (sometimes a bit too much). The easiest method is to drain the vegetables and heat them until they're warmed through. Some people prefer to heat them in the canning liquid, then drain before serving.
Yes, you can! Cook uncovered for a few extra minutes if the vegetables release excess water.
For a flavorful gravy base, use onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, and garam masala. Popular veggies include potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, cauliflower, corn, and bell peppers. You can also try baby corn, sweet potato, or broccoli, but they will give the curry a slightly different flavor.
This version is a dry sabzi. See the variation above if you prefer a gravy-style curry.
Avoid adding too much water and cook uncovered for the last few minutes if needed.
Yes. It reheats well and is perfect for meal prep and lunchboxes.
More Indian Curry Recipes You'll Love
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon sunflower oil use any netural oil of choice
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion finely chopped about 120g
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup water optional
- 250 g French beans green beans, cut to 1" pieces
- 250 g carrots cut about ½ inch
- 450 g caulflower florets 1 medium head
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½-1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Garnishing:
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves kasuri methi
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add the onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until the onions turn translucent. If the onions start sticking to the pan, deglaze with a splash of water.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook until well combined.
- Add the carrots, French beans, spices, and salt. Stir to coat the vegetables with the spices. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the veggies are about 70% cooked.
- Add the cauliflower florets and stir well. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Finish with garam masala, crushed kasuri methi, and chopped coriander leaves. Stir well and serve with chapatis. Optionally, squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on top before serving.
Video
Notes
- Cook Vegetables in Stages: Always start with harder vegetables (like carrots and French beans). Once they’re 70% cooked, add softer vegetables like cauliflower to make mixed vegetable curry recipe. This way, everything cooks evenly without turning mushy.
- Use a wide pan or a heavy bottomed pan. This helps in distributing heat evenly, preventing the veggies from burning while allowing them to cook in their own juices.
- No Extra Moisture Needed: This is a dry curry, so I don't add a lot of water as much as I add for gravies. But if you prefer a slightly saucy texture, go ahead and add them.
- Fresh Ingredients Are Key: While you can use frozen or pre chopped veggies, I recommend using fresh vegetables for the best flavor. Try it with fresh veggies and let me know what you think!
- If you are using frozen veggies, accordingly adjust the cooking time.
Meena Thennaapan says
Awesome Recipe. Thank you
Sandhya Hariharan says
Glad you loved our easy Indian mixed vegetable side dish recipe Meena.
Ronald Jr. says
5 star
Sandhya Hariharan says
You are welcome, Ronald. So glad you loved the Mixed Veg Recipe. It's a delicious Indian side.
Samuel says
The mixed veg curry was a hit! Thank you.
Sandhya says
This Indian mixed veg sabzi recipe is on a repeat every week at our house. It’s so simple and delicious- Make it without onion and it’s still so good!