Aromatic, flavourful, coconuty mixed veg saagu Karnataka style is one of my favourite gravies. It is a very popular side dish for chapathis/rotis, pooris or dosas especially set dosas.
Veg saagu has a rich taste rendered by the coconut masala along with a background of subtle spices like laung, dalchini. The hint of tanginess from lime/lemon makes it a very well balanced gravy. The mixed vegetables are cooked to perfection. They melt in the mouth but still with a little bite. The combination is exquisite!
Darshinis/hotels add a lot of masala and oil to veg saagu and can be very spicy for some people. Try making this gravy at home and get the hotel like feel. Goes really well with set dosas a very popular breakfast in South India.
More mixed vegetable recipes available on FOI. I have already posted a simple seemebadanekayi saagu/chayote squash curry. Now try this mixed veg version.
- 2 medium sized or 1½ Cups small diced carrots
- 1 potato or 1 Cup small diced
- 10-12 or ½ Cup finely chopped green beans
- ½ Cup shelled green peas
- ½ Cup freshly grated coconut
- 1 piece cinnamon/dalchini
- ¼ Cup huri gadale/kadale pappu/roasted gram/puthani
- 2 slit green chillies
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- 1" piece ginger
- 4-5 curry leaves
- ½ Tsp jeera (optional)
- 1 pinch hing
- Chopped coriander
- Juice of ½ lime
- ½ Tbsp oil
- ½ Tsp mustard
- 1 broken dry red chilli
- ¼ Tsp red chilli powder
- In a pan, add ½ Cup water and bring to a boil. Add diced carrots and potatoes
- Next add chopped beans. Cover and cook the vegetables
- Once they turn a bit soft tip in green peas, cover, cook till all vegetables are soft and tender
- To make the saagu masala, add grated coconut to a mixer jar and add cinnamon
- Add green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic
- Add curry leaves and a few sprigs of coriander
- Now add in the roasted gram, salt, hing, jeera and lime juice
- With little water, grind this masala into a chutney like paste
- Once the vegetables are tender pour in the masala paste into the pan. Mix well
- Add salt to taste. Remember we had added salt while grinding masala, add salt for vegetables only
- Pour in some water to adjust consistency, boil saagu till the masala gets cooked and mixes well with vegetables
- Make tadka with oil, mustard, red chillies, red chilli powder
- Pour tadka over saagu. Add chopped coriander
- Serve hot with set dosas or chapathis
Fresh coconut is preferred but dry coconut/kopra can also be substituted but the change in taste will be noticeable
Other vegetables like turnip, parsnip, knol kol can also be added
Garlic can be skipped to make it a no onion no garlic recipe
Mixed Veg Saagu Stepwise:
In a pan, add 1/2 Cup water and bring to a boil. Add diced carrots and potatoes
Next add chopped beans. Cover and cook the vegetables
Once they turn a bit soft tip in green peas, cover, cook till all vegetables are soft and tender
To make the saagu masala, add grated coconut to a mixer jar and add cinnamon
Add green chillies, chopped ginger and garlic
Add curry leaves and a few sprigs of coriander
Now add in the roasted gram, salt, hing, jeera and lime juice
With little water, grind this masala into a chutney like paste
Once the vegetables are tender, pour in the masala paste into the pan. Mix well
Add salt to taste. Remember we had added salt while grinding masala, add salt for vegetables only
Pour in some water to adjust consistency, boil saagu till the masala gets cooked and mixes well with vegetables
Make tadka with oil, mustard, red chillies, red chilli powder
Pour tadka over saagu. Add chopped coriander
Serve hot with set dosas or chapathis
