Subji Side Dish –mixed vegetables

Subji Side Dish –mixed vegetables

When you’re serving a silly huge amount of lamb, you really need to balance it with something a little more healthy. 

I made this quick vegetable dish, and congratulated myself that it contained all sorts of nutritious gems:

1 tablelspoon mustard oil plus extra
½  teaspoon dark mustard seeds
½  teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch ginger, julienned
1 red onion, diced
1 Jalapeno chilli, slivered
1 large garlic, sliced
1 ½ tablespoons boxed masala (I used a standard one, nothing fancy)
5 mini potatoes, halved
3 large broccoli stalks and florets, separated with tough ends removed, everything chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
1 fresh tomato, diced
1 big handful methi leaves*, pulled from stems
1 big handful cilantro leaves and stalks
1 small lime, juiced

In a large, non-stick pan, heat the tablespoon of oil to medium high.  Toss in a few mustard seeds, and when they whiten and sizzle, add the rest.  Immediately add the cumin seed, then the onions, chilli and ginger.  Stir to cool the pan and turn heat to medium. 

Cook till onions are translucent with golden edges.  Add the garlic slices and cook another minute, then add the masala, and stir.  At this point, add the tiny potatoes, cut side down.  You may want to add a touch more oil around them, and slide them around a bit to take up that oil, because you want them to get golden and crispy.  Once they are golden and becoming tender, add the chopped broccoli stalks and cook till bright green.  Feel the potatoes, and if they are almost cooked, add the chopped florets along with the sweet red pepper and the fresh tomato. 

Cover and steam for about five minutes.  Add the methi leaves and let cook for another minute or two. Using scizzors, finely cut the cilantro over the ingredients.  Pour over the lime juice and stir to combine well, and remove from heat.  This makes a quick and easy sidedish that could easily become a main vegetarian course with a little paneer or a few raw cashews.  And it’s really healthy!

*Methi leaves are also known as fenugreek leaves.  I usually buy them in Indian grocery stores, but I found them at that famous Canadian really huge store, although a lady in a beautiful salwar told me they were a bit overpriced.

Methi leaves--I bought these but I've got them growing in my backyard.  Perhaps they'll need more heat.  It's been cool and rainy here for days on end, and the hot weather loving plants are grumbling and complaining.