Mixed vegetable curry no onion garlic

This is a traditional method of making mixed vegetable curry for Bhogi festival .  This tradition has been there from time immemorial.  Probably , this idea was started to prepare a recipe from the freshly harvested vegetables that are available during Sankranti.

Usually we prepare this as a side dish for for pooris we make on Bhogi day.  Since we live in Tamil Nadu , pooris with Bhogichi bhaji and Venn Pongal ( the traditional and healthy breakfast of Tamil Nadu made with rice , moong dhal and lots of pepper ) is also part of our menu. For festivals onion and garlic are avoided in cooking in our family so this recipe is without onion and garlic.

The vegetables usually used are sweet potato, potato , carrot , cluster beans , flat beans , green beans seeds .  All the vegetables are cooked separately in water boiled in a vessel and not in a pressure cooker because they can become too soft and some of them will not be discrete also owing to the high temperature in the cooker.

A little turmeric powder is also used for cooking.  After the vegetables are cooked completely.  Take the vessel with vegetables with water and keep it aside.

In a vessel that we call vanali , take a little oil and saute with mustard , urad dhal , asafoetida and curry leaves.  Curry leaves are added last after other ingredients fry.

Soak a ball of tamarind , small and medium sized in water for an half an hour or so before  starting the cooking.  Add the tamarind extract and squeeze the tamarind to get more extract .

Add a little turmeric powder taking into consideration that we have already added a little while cooking the vegetables.

For this a home made masala is also needed.  The two table spoons dhania , one table spoon gram dhal , red chillies as required and a little fenugreek are roasted in a little  oil and ground in a mixer.  The masala in the mixie jar is shown in the picture below.

Add the vegetables cooked already and stir well

Add salt to the vegetables

Add the home made masala generously four or five spoons are sprinkled on the vegetables

We can add little jaggery also , it is optional .  Stir well and cook all the ingredients

After cooking remove the Bhogichi Bhaji or Goth Bhaji as it is called from the stove.  This recipe is usually prepared for Bhogi fesival  and so called Bhogichi Bhaji .  Goth in Marathi means kith and kin.

There was a tradition of all relatives coming to common house , usually the eldest member's house for the festival when this dish is prepared , hence the name.

The dish is ready to be served with poori or roti.

If we feel that the gravy is dilute , usually it is not with so many vegetables we can dissolve rice flour in the water used to cook the vegetables , initially and then add to the gravy to increase the concentration.

Happy Bhogi ! Happy Sankranti !