Here’s my easy Indian Mixed Veg Recipe that comes together effortlessly. This Indian-style curried mixed veg stir fry, also popularly known as "mixed veg sabzi," is made with cauliflower, carrots, and French beans. Serve with chapatis for a comforting, Indian-style dinner.
You may also love these two other dry sabzi recipes: Aloo Shimla Mirch (potato and capsicum curry) and Aloo Methi (potato and fenugreek leaves).
This Indian mixed vegetables recipe, whole masoor dal and rotis are staple on my weekly menu. I love how fresh and simple the flavors are, and you only need one pan! It’s all about cooking the vegetables with minimal spices—no heavy curry sauce base or sauce.
Thats why I don't call it a mixed vegetable curry. Try Vegetable Jalfrezi or Jackfruit curry instead!
The veggies steam in their own natural juices, creating a light, flavorful dry-style Indian dish, without the need for coconut milk or cream. At the max, I deglaze the pan with about ¼ cup of water, but you can adjust it to your liking. I often make extra because the leftovers are perfect for stuffing into rotis for a quick, delicious packed lunch. It’s a great way to enjoy homemade food, even on busy days!
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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.
Serving Suggestions
Since this is more like an Indian stir-fry vegetables, it pairs well with chapatis, plain parathas, ragi roti, or plain naan bread. I also love to serve it with cucumber raita, a chopped India salad, and nimbu achaar.
For a complete meal, pair it with plain brown basmati rice or Instant Pot white basmati rice, along with a dal like green lentils dal, whole masoor dal, or tarka dal, and an onion raita.
Love to turn the leftover mixed vegetable sabzi into a 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! Using a bag of frozen mixed vegetables is a great time-saver. Just be mindful of the extra moisture in frozen veggies. To avoid a watery curry, don’t add any water and cook the vegetables uncovered for the first five minutes.
For a flavorful curry 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.
More Indian Recipes
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 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.
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!