How to make Veg Kolhapuri- Veg Kolhapuri recipe restaurant style

Veg Kolhapuri is a popular Indian veg preparation that is pre-dominantly present on restaurant menus.

One of the quirkiest things about these average sized Indian restaurants/Dhabas is their menu cards. These menu cards could run into multiple pages, often 10-20 pages with numerous veg main course dishes- Veg Lahori, Veg Maratha, Veg Amritsari, Veg Kolhapuri etc. How would one dish differ from other in their taste is at times anybody’s guess with servers or restaurant manager’s adding to the confusion with their expert advices.

What has come to rescue of us confused mortals are online food delivery sites that have food rating and review section. These sections have assisted me on several times in deciding what I am ordering in my next order.  If you are a confused one like me then you could try this tip for your next online food order.

Another equally funny fact is the names that these dishes carry- case in point Veg Kolhapuri. Now that name could easily leave one confused about the place of origin of this dish. If you like numerous others are thinking that this dish has its origin in Kolhapur, then you are sadly mistaken.  In fact, this dish is neither prepared and served in hotels in Kolhapur nor in any household kitchen. How come this name then came into existence?

It’s very difficult to point out with authority what could have led to existence of Veg Kolhapuri, but my guess is as this dish has some spicy overtone to it, they would have found it apt to relate its spiciness to Kolhapur and it gained popularity.  Thanks to its soaring popularity, veg Kolhapuri began featuring in every eatery/Dhabas menu.

Sadly, as it has happened with numerous cuisines worldwide and in India- they are misinterpreted. Like a Gujarati Cuisine is often attributed to sweet and oily, Punjabi food to Paneer, Kolhapuri food is thought to be spicy which is not true.

Cuisine of a region is as nuanced as any artform and has several layers to it. Uncovering one layer after the other could result into several pleasant surprises unraveling in front of you. So, if next time, someone says Kolhapuri cuisine is just spicy please ask them to pay a visit to Kolhapur and experience its food for a week atleast before making such uninformed statements.

Coming back to Veg Kolhapuri that I am going to share, the spice quotient that I have preferred keeping in this recipe is on the lower side. I have prepared a fresh grounded masala powder with roasted spices which imparts an aroma and makes the dish full of flavors. In this spice powder I have used poppy seeds and white sesame seeds which gives the dish its Kolhapuri touch.

I have made this dish on quite a few occasions and have found it very close to restaurant flavor. With lockdown period getting increased and no sight of restaurants opening any time soon, you can make this Veg Kolhapuri in your own kitchen.

Make this delicious dish and serve it with Roti/Naan or some Jeera Rice.
Share your feedback with us in comment section below.

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How to make Veg Kolhapuri- Veg Kolhapuri recipe restaurant style

Rating  5.0 from 1 reviews

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  60 mins

Total time:  1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

Fresh Garam Masala:

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 bay leaf
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 3 green cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 4-5 cloves
• 2 tablespoon grated dry coconut

Vegetables:

• ½ cup cauliflower florets - 50 gms
• ½ cup potato cubes - 2 medium - 80 gms
• ½ cup carrots cubes - 50 gms
• ½ cup french beans cut into ½ inch pieces- 50 gms
• ½ cup green capsicum cut into cubes - 50 gms
• ½ cup fresh green peas - 50 gms
• 125 gms Paneer

Onion-Tomato Masala :

• 1 inch ginger pieces
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 3 medium onions cut into length - 150 gms
• 3 big tomatoes chopped - 200 gms
• 1 tabespoon cashew
• 1 tablespoon melon seeds

Kashmiri chilli paste:

• 6 kashmiri chillies soaked in hot water for 15 min

Dry spices:

• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• Dry Fenugreek Leaves

Other Ingredients :

• Oil
• salt
• 1 butter cube
• 2-3 red dry chillies
• 2 tablespoon fresh cream
• ½ lime juice
• ¼ cup fresh coriander chopped

Instructions

1. To start with, we will prepare a fresh powdered garam masala. Dry roast in a Pan- Coriander seeds, Sesame seeds, Poppy seeds, Cumin seeds, Fennel seeds, Bay leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Star Anise, Green Cardamom, Black peppercorns and Cloves. Dry roast these ingredients for couple of mins and then remove from pan.
2. In the same pan, dry roast Grated Dry Coconut for 3-4 mins- until it becomes crisp and brown in color. Remove from heat
3. In a large pan, heat 3-4 tbsp Cooking Oil. Fry all the vegetables in this Oil one by one. We will start with frying Cauliflower florets and Potato cubes. Fry on medium heat until florets and potatoes becomes light brown in color. Remove from Oil.
4. In same Oil, fry Carrots, French Beans, Green Capsicum, Green Peas. Fry all these vegetables on medium to high heat for about 2 mins. Remove from Pan.
5. Add Paneer cubes and fry for 3-4 mins on low heat.
6. In the same pan, heat 2-tbsp cooking oil. Add a butter cube. Now add ginger pieces and garlic. Add sliced Onions and fry until it becomes brown in color (8-10 mins). Now add chopped tomatoes, and pinch of salt. Cover and cook on low heat. We have cooked tomatoes for about 10 mins. Now, add Cashew nuts, Melon seeds and cook for 1-2 mins. Remove from heat and allow this mixture to cool down
7. Grind a) Onion-Tomato Masala paste, b) dry roasted spices and dry roasted coconut c) Soaked Kashmiri Red Chili paste
8. In a pan, heat 3-4 tbsp cooking oil. In the Oil, add Kashmiri red chili paste. Cook this paste in oil for 2-3 mins. Add Onion-Tomato paste. Also add turmeric powder, Red Chilli powder, Coriander powder and mix well. Add 2-3 tbsp water and mix well. Cover and cook this masala paste on low heat for 10 mins.
9. Now add fried vegetables in the pan and coat well with masala. Add dry roasted spice powder and mix well. Add Salt to taste and mix well. Add 1.5-cups water and mix well. Cover and cook all the veggies on low heat. We have cooked veggies for about 8 mins.
10. Now, add roasted and crushed fenugreek leaves. Mix 2-tbsp Cream+1-tbsp water and add this mixture to gravy. Mix well. Add chopped fresh Coriander leaves and mix well. Remove Veg Kolhapuri from heat.
11. For Tadka, heat 1½ tbsp Oil. Add 3 dry red chilies. Put this Tadka on Veg Kolhapuri. Finally finish off the preparation with some lemon juice on top. Mix well.
12. Veg Kolhapuri is ready to be served.

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