Ingredients

Scale

Onion- 200 gms or 3 medium size

Tomato – 150 gms or 2.5 medium size

Cashewnuts – 2 tsp

Ginger 1 inch

Garlic – 3-4 cloves

Cloves- 6

Cassia bark – 1, 2 inch piece

Green cardamom- 2

Bay leaves – 2

Black cardamom – 1

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Haldi – 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1.5 tsp

Kashmiri red chilly powder- 4 tsp

Oil – 6 Tbsp

Kasuri methi – 2 tsp

Kitchen king masala – 1.5 tsp

Finely chopped ginger – 1 tbsp

Finely chopped garlic – 1 Tbsp

Instructions

In a heavy bottom pan , heat some oil. Add in the whole spices like cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, black cardamom, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Let them sizzle till they release their fragrance.
Then add the tomatoes, onions, ginger , garlic and cashews along with some water.
Cover with lid and cook for 10 – 12 mins till the onions and tomatoes soften.
Let this cool down for sometime then remove all the whole spices and make a fine puree. If you crush the spices it will become too strong.
In a shallow frying pan, heat some oil.
Then add the finely chopped ginger and garlic. Also add the onions and capsicum. Fry them till they become transclucent.
Then add Kitchen king masala, Garam masala, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilly powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder. Roast the dry masala.
Add ½ cup of water and bring all this to a boil.
Then add the onion – tomato puree to this.
Add kasuri methi and sugar. Add boiled vegetables of choice to this gravy.
Cover and let this cook for 10-12 mins on low flame. Keep stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
To get the exact smokey taste of restaurant style food, take a small tempering vessel preferably with a long handle. Add oil to it. Heat this on the biggest burner in your gas range.
Once the oil has heated, reduce the flame and add red chilly powder, cumin powder and kasuri methi. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Then add ¼ cup of water and increase the flame to high. As soon as you increase the flame, give it a slight stir and u will see that the mix catches fire , like flambe. ( for more details, please watch the video.
Flambe it for 1 – 2 more times and then pour the tempering on the sabzi.
Mix it well and serve the veg handi hot with roti or naan.

Notes

I like to use Everest brand kitchen king masala.
While flambe-ing the final tempering keep your body and face away from the flame. Use a vessel with a long handle. Be very careful if you are new to cooking. Practice EXTREME caution while following this step.