Sabzi!

Sabzi literally means vegetables and is one of my mom's favorite things in the world to eat! You might have seen different types of sabzis at Pakistan/Indian restaurants, such as Aloo Palak, Aloo Mattar Gajar, and Bengan Bharta. See quick translation below! Aloo Palak = Potato Spinach Aloo Mattar Gajar = Potato Peas Carrots Bengan = Eggplant Sabzi is one of the simplest and healthiest Pakistani dishes full of fragrance and taste. The idea behind sabzi is to enhance the natural flavors of different types of vegetables by pairing them with simple spices. See 5 Pillars of Taste to learn more about the types of spices we will be using. One of my favorite sabzi of all time is the Aloo, Mattar, Gajar Sabzi. My husband loves Bengan Bharta and we will definitely cover that in a future post! In this post, I will share a simple and quick sabzi recipe that can be enjoyed during lunch or dinner with basmati rice or roti! After learning the basics today, you can simply replace the vegetables in this dish with whatever you have at home and you would have created a different and equally delicious type of sabzi!

Ingredients: 1 cup potato 2 cup carrots 1/2 cup thawed peas 1/2 onion 1 tomato 1 tsp red chili powder 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1/8 tsp turmeric powder 1/4 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp Amchur (Dry Mango Powder) 1/4 bunch of fresh cilantro 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1 green chili pepper 1 tbsp oil 1/2 tsp ginger paste 1/2 tsp garlic paste Salt (to taste) 1/4 cup water Directions:

1. Finely chop the onion and cut the tomatoes into small cubes.

2. Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes and set them aside in cold water. Soaking potatoes in cold water prevents peeled potatoes from turning brown.

3. Heat the oil in a pot and sauté cumin seeds with ginger and garlic paste for 30 seconds.

4. Add sliced onions and sauté until the onions are translucent.

5. Add tomatoes and sprinkle salt on top. The salt will help the tomatoes sweat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

6. Next, add diced potatoes and carrots into the pot. Proceed to add red chili, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and turmeric powder at this time and mix with a spatula.

7. Add 1/4 cup of water at this point and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes on low to medium heat. If you want more gravy, feel free to add more water.

8. Remove the lid and add peas and chopped green chili peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

9. Add Amchur (Dry Mango Powder) at this point and mix well. This step is optional.

10. Squeeze lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

11. Sabzi is ready! Remove from heat and enjoy with roti or basmati rice!

Serving Size = 2

Notes and Suggestions:

• Amchur is a dry mango powder and is optional in this recipe.

• You can replace the vegetables here with pretty much anything you have at home(exception bitter melons, okra) and this recipe should still apply. Feel free to leave a comment below with any specific vegetables you have in mind and I can confirm for you!

• I don't generally use a lot of oil and butter in my cooking, but if you want an extra set of flavor, feel free to add 1tsp of butter after Step 8 above!

• You can make this recipe in Instant Pot in half the time. Follow step 3-7 on Sauté Mode and then cook with all the vegetables on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
  

Hope you enjoy this simple sabzi at home! Feel free to leave questions, comments, and feedback below!