Mixed Vegetable curry is a simple North Indian curry dish made with a variety of fresh vegetables in an onion tomato gravy flavored with spices and herbs. This delicious curry is healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian, and can be easily made vegan. This mixed veg recipe makes an excellent one-pot side dish and pairs perfectly with Poori, Naan, paratha, and even rice.
I am sharing how to make a Punjabi-style Mixed Vegetable Curry recipe with veggies and paneer in the Instant Pot, and in a regular pot on the stovetop.
Mixed vegetable curry is an easy and delicious way to incorporate more veggies into your diet. It's creamy, gluten-free, and can be easily made vegan.
This mix veg curry is my go-to recipe when I want to use up little portions of vegetables left in the fridge and it makes a great family-friendly meal.
Veg Pulao, Vegetable Sambar, and Paneer Vegetable Jalfrezi are a few of the other favorites with mixed vegetables that make delicious and healthy meals.
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About Mixed Veg Recipe
Mixed Vegetable Curry is an easy Indian vegetable curry made with lots of veggies in an onion tomato ginger garlic base flavored with Indian spices.
These Indian-style curried vegetables, also known as sabji, is a famous side dish in Indian restaurants as well as a staple in most Indian homes.
Every family has its own recipe for the mixed veg recipe, where the combination of veggies, spices, and consistency (gravy or dry) can vary but the process remains the same.
This Indian mixed vegetable curry is very adaptable. You can make it using assorted veggies in your fridge, in gravy form, or as a dry curry, and creamy (like I have shared in this recipe) or without cream.
Today I am sharing my version of the Punjabi Mixed Vegetable recipe with veggies and paneer in a creamy tomato gravy in the Instant Pot and stovetop.
It is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian but can easily be made vegan.
This flavorful, delicious Indian vegetable curry is an excellent way to get more vegetables into your diet and pairs well with rice, paratha, and roti.
Recipe Ingredients
Vegetables - I have used potatoes, cauliflower, colorful bell pepper, carrots, corn, beans, and green peas for this recipe. But you can use veggies of your choice like broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini are a few examples. Fresh and frozen veggies both work for this recipe.
Whole spices - Just the basic spices like bay leaf, cumin seeds, cloves, and green cardamom.
Aromatics - The trio - ginger, garlic, and green chili. Use fresh for the best flavor. In addition, you will also need onions (yellow or red).
Tomatoes - I have used store-bought tomato puree but you can also use fresh tomatoes chopped or pureed. With fresh tomatoes, I like to add a tablespoon of tomato paste to boost tomato flavor and color.
Spices - I use basic Indian spices like turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Highly recommend adding the Kashmiri red chili powder instead of the regular one, since it adds tons of flavor without too much heat.
Cashews - I have used cashew paste to give this curry a rich restaurant-style taste but you can skip cashews to keep the curry nut free. Alternatively, you can use cashew powder too.
Herbs - I've used dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) often used in Punjabi recipes for their unique flavor and taste, and last but not least cilantro for garnish.
Cream - This is the creamy mixed veg recipe so I add heavy cream towards the end. For a vegan alternative, you can skip cream or replace it with coconut milk
Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients.
How To Make Mixed Vegetable Curry on Stovetop (Stepwise Photos)
Prep work: For the stove-top version, I prefer to pre-cook the veggies prior to adding them to the gravy as it fastens the cooking process. I boil certain veggies (cauliflower, potato, green peas, beans, carrots, corn). Alternatively, you can also microwave them or stir-fry them in 2 tablespoons of oil.
In a big pot, boil 2-3 cups water and season it with 1 teaspoon salt. Blanch the veggies i.e. boil them till ¾ cooked, drain and then plunge them in ice-cold water. This process helps to retain the color as well as halt the cooking process.
In addition, Soak cashews in ¼ cup of hot water for 10-15 mins and then blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
1 - Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds.
2 - Once the cumin seeds sizzle and splutter, add the onions and saute until lightly golden.
3 - Now add the ginger garlic and green chili. Saute till the raw garlic smell goes away.
4 - Stir in the tomato puree followed by spices (turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt).
5 - Add tomato paste (skip if using store-bought tomato puree) and simmer for 4-5 mins on medium-low heat stirring intermittently until it thickens.
6 and 7 - Stir in the cream and cashew paste and simmer for another 2-3 mins stirring intermittently. Adjust consistency by adding water ¼ cup at a time as needed.
8 - Crush kasuri methi between your palms and add it to the curry. Mix well.
9 and 10 - Drain the blanched veggies from ice-cold water & add them to the curry. Mix well. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
11 and 12 - Last but not least, add garam masala and cilantro and mix everything. Mixed Veg Curry is ready to serve!
Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Curry
Prep work: Soak cashews in ¼ cup of hot water for 10-15 mins and then blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
1 - Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds.
2 - Once the cumin seeds sizzle and splutter, add the onions and saute until lightly golden.
3 - Now add the ginger garlic and green chili. Saute till the raw garlic smell goes away. Deglaze with 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed.
4 - Add the spices - Turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix well and saute for a few seconds. Deglaze with 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed.
5 - Stir in the tomato puree and cashew paste. Mix well and saute for 2 mins.
6 - Add in the vegetables, potato, cauliflower, french beans, bell pepper, carrots, green peas, corn
7 - Add paneer and water and deglaze the bottom.
8 - Mix well and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
9 - Close the lid, move the vent to the sealing position, and press the manual (pressure cook) high for 2 minutes.
10 - Once the pressure cooking is complete, wait for 5 minutes and then release the steam manually (quick release). Give the curry a quick stir.
11 - Add crushed Kasuri methi, cream, and cilantro leaves. Mix well.
12 - Taste test for salt and adjust if needed. You can also adjust the water consistency as required. Mixed vegetable curry is ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Mixed Vegetable Curry hot drizzled with more cream and sprinkle of cilantro for garnish. It pairs well with roti, naan, or rice.
My kids love this mixed veg with jeera rice along with a side Boondi Raita, or kachumber(salad). Simple, delicious and so satisfying!!
Rajma masala, Dal Makhani, or Dal Fry are some other favorite sides to serve with mixed veg for that Punjabi meal experience.
Recipe Tips
For a restaurant-style mixed veg recipe, you can saute the veggies in oil or butter before adding them. I skipped this step and directly cooked them the gravy.
Cut the cauliflower into big florets so they don’t turn mushy while pressure cooking. On the other hand cut potatoes, and carrots into smaller cubes so all veggies cook evenly at the same time.
For stovetop cooking, pre-cook the veggies (boil, pressure cook, or microwave) like cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, beans, corn, and peas before adding them to curry to fasten the cooking process.
I prefer using store-bought tomato puree for this recipe as it lends a beautiful color and rich tomato flavor. You can use fresh pureed tomatoes too along with a tablespoon of tomato paste to boost tomato flavor and color.
I have this recipe as mixed veg gravy but you can also make it dry. Just replace tomato puree with chopped tomatoes and reduce the amount of water. For an Instant pot, add just ¼ cup of water, and then once cooking completes, cook the remaining liquid on saute.
We love this curry creamy but you can skip it or replace cream with coconut milk for a vegan alternative.
Variations - you can use other veggies too like broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini are a few examples. You can also replace tofu with paneer for a vegan alternative. I sometimes like to add cooked chickpeas too for added protein.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, to make mixed veg dry, replace tomato puree with chopped tomatoes and reduce the amount of water. For an Instant pot, add just ¼ cup of water, and then once cooking is complete, cook the remaining liquid on saute. The rest of the recipe and process remains the same.
To make this curry vegan, simply replace cream with coconut cream or skip it and replace paneer with tofu or skip it too.
Absolutely yes, frozen veggies can be used and they will cut down on prep time considerably.
Allow the leftover curry to cool completely then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop until completely heated through before serving. The curry thickens when refrigerated and loosens up on heating. Adjust consistency with water as needed.
Yes, you can skip the onion garlic in this recipe. The rest of the recipe remains the same.
More Punjabi Curry Recipes
I hope you enjoy this Mixed Vegetable Curry !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Mixed Vegetable Curry
Equipment
- Instant Pot for Instant Pot cooking
- Heavy bottomed Pot for stovetop cooking
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamoms
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 green chili slit vertically (optional)
- 1 cup tomato puree store-bought (canned) or 2-3 large tomatoes pureed
- 10 cashews
- 1.5 cups water
- ¼ cup cream
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves
- 2-3 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
Spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mixed Vegetables and paneer
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 cup bell pepper chopped, (used ½ each of red and green bell pepper)
- ½ cup carrots peeled and chopped (~2 carrots)
- 1 cup potato peeled and chopped (1 large potato)
- ½ cup green peas using frozen
- ½ cup corn kernels using frozen
- ½ cup french beans chopped
- ½ cup paneer
Instructions
Prep work
- Soak cashews in ¼ cup of hot water for 10-15 mins and then blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Making Mixed Veg Curry (Stove top)
- In a big pot, boil 2-3 cups water and season it with 1 teaspoon salt. Blanch the veggies (cauliflower, potato, green peas, beans, carrots, corn) i.e. boil them till ¾ cooked, drain and then plunge them in ice-cold water. Alternatively, you can also microwave them or stir-fry them in 2 tablespoons of oil or butter.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds.
- Once the cumin seeds sizzle and splutter, add the onions and saute until lightly golden.
- Now add the ginger garlic and green chili. Saute till the raw garlic smell goes away.
- Stir in the tomato puree followed by spices (turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt).
- Add tomato paste (skip if using store-bought tomato puree) and simmer for 4-5 mins on medium-low heat stirring intermittently until it thickens.
- Stir in the cream and cashew paste and simmer for another 2-3 mins stirring intermittently. Adjust consistency by adding water ¼ cup at a time as needed.
- Crush kasuri methi between your palms and add it to the curry. Mix well.
- Drain the blanched veggies from ice-cold water and add them to the curry along with paneer pieces. Mix well. Simmer for 2 -3 mins.
- Last but not least, add garam masala and cilantro and mix. Mixed Veg Curry is ready to serve! Enjoy with roti or rice.
Instant Pot Mixed Vegetable Curry
- Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot add the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and cumin seeds.
- Once the cumin seeds sizzle and splutter, add the onions and saute until lightly golden.
- Now add the ginger garlic and green chili. Saute till the raw garlic smell goes away. Deglaze with 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed.
- Add the spices - Turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix well and saute for a few seconds. Deglaze with 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed.
- Stir in the tomato puree and cashew paste. Mix well and saute for 2 mins.
- Add in the vegetables, potato, cauliflower, french beans, bell pepper, carrots, green peas, corn, paneer, and water. Deglaze the bottom. Mix well and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Close the lid, move the vent to the sealing position, and press manual (pressure cook) high for 2 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking is complete, wait for 5 minutes and then release the steam manually (quick release). Give the curry a quick stir.
- Add crushed Kasuri methi, cream, and cilantro leaves. Mix well. Taste test for salt and adjust if needed. You can also adjust the water consistency as required.
- Mixed vegetable curry is ready to serve! Enjoy with roti or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Aug 24, 2012, but was republished with, step-by-step instructions, new photos, tips, and a video in Mar of 2023.
Its really great. you nice keep doing .
Thank you so much!
If I’m using my instant pot and use frozen veg do I need to adjust the cooking time please?
Hi Emma, thanks for checking, the cooking time remains the same with frozen veggies too! I hope this helps!
Thanks Lindsobrown for trying this recipe. Glad you liked it. Would love to hear how the butter chicken turned out 🙂
This is sooo good! I can't wait to try your butter chicken recipe next 😉
Ah, low-fat cream. I do love the creamy Indian dishes, but worry about the creams. Low-fat would make it acceptable in my mind, he-he! Love this recipe.
Keep writing...
delectable and inviting recipe.. Love the colors, combo and flavor... Perfectly done ! Nice clicks...
Inviting you to join Onam Sadhya~Grand Feast
Cheers,
Sharanya
Sharans Samayalarai
jus found your blog shwetha! following u now! lovely recipes:)
Looks yum!
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Ohh my goshhhhhhhh looks very delicioussssssssssss
Mixed vegetable curry looks delicious Shweta, Love with rotis.