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    Home » Recipes » Indian Cuisine » Tawa Sabzi

    Tawa Sabzi

    Published On:October 26, 2022 By:Ruchi

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    Are you a die-hard veggie fan? If your answer is yes, we have a fantastic dish for you! Now, you can enjoy a potpourri of your favorite vegetables on a single platter. An intriguing Tawa Sabzi recipe will astound you with its distinctive presentation and flavor.

    This dish is a wonderful twist to the usually mixed-vegetable recipe, with the choice of picking up the veggies you like and ignoring the ones that do not fascinate you.

    Tawa Sabzi spread on a skillet

    The Tawa Sabzi recipe is an exciting assortment of vegetables cooked on a tawa in combination with the most flavorsome and aromatic spices and served as an appetizer or gravy dish at a weekend get-together or upcoming festival celebrations and potluck parties!

    This mouth-watering recipe of Tawa Bhaji is a popular dish on the Indian wedding buffet menu that captivates the attention of every food lover.

    It is a blend of vegetables that is either stuffed or coated in a spicy masala, which makes it a superbly delicious dish.

    Now, doesn’t this recipe look interesting? Oh, sure it is!

    The best part is that your choice of vegetables for this recipe entirely depends on you. Preparing this recipe at home makes it a convenient task because you are at liberty to use any vegetable from your refrigerator.

    What is Tawa Sabzi

    Tawa is the Hindi name for a heavy iron griddle that is slightly bigger than the chapati tawa. Sabzi is the Hindi name for vegetables. Together this means ‘vegetables cooked on a griddle.’ 

    Tawa Sabzi is an array of seasonal veggies spread separately around a hot tawa/skillet, with the onion-tomato masala placed at the center of the skillet.

    When requested, the particular vegetable is brought to the center and tossed into the masala. It is then served to the guests right off the hot tawa with a generous sprinkle of chaat masala and garnishing. 

    It is a perfect party dish that can be customized according to individual preferences when mixing it with spices and masala.

    Reasons You’ll ♡ Tawa Sabzi Recipe

    This Tawa Sabzi Masala is a fantastic dish that reminds one of wedding food. Usually served at marriages and parties, this recipe is also great for delighting your family and friends during get-togethers and house parties.

    The reasons to love this recipe are many —

    • Easy to prepare
    • Assorted veggies make it healthy
    • Customized to suit vegan diets
    • Can be turned into a no-onion-no-garlic recipe, and
    • Leftovers can be easily stored for later use.

    As a bonus, this party’s favorite tawa subzi dish can also be prepared with air-fried vegetables, making it a healthier option than deep-fried ones.

    Assorted Vegetables

    Tawa Sabzi Ingredient List

    Vegetables — A blend of assorted vegetables makes this recipe a fantastic dish. You can add any vegetables of your preference. I have added bitter gourd (karela), pearl onions, Okra (bhindi), brinjal (baingan), and Potato (aloo) to make my delicious tawa vegetable platter.

    Spice mix — Coriander powder, roasted cumin seeds powder, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, and nutmeg powder make a splendid mix of spices that render superior flavors and genuinely make this recipe an irresistible dish. 

    Red chili — Red chili powder brings the required heat to the Tawa sabzi.

    Turmeric powder — A beautiful yellow color delivered by turmeric adds charm to the tawa sabzi recipe making it super tempting.

    Ingredient list

    Blend of Spices — When sprinkled over the prepared dish, a subtle tanginess is contributed by the amchur powder, chaat masala, and pomegranate powder.

    Garam masala powder — Intensifies the spiciness and renders more spicy flavors to the recipe.

    Asafoetida/ hing — Added to the recipe as it has digestive properties and helps better digestion.

    Onions — Make the base for the masala and lend this tawa sabzi recipe a depth of sweet, savory, and intense flavors.

    Ginger/ garlic paste — Adding ginger-garlic paste is essential for enhancing the recipe’s taste, as it is one of the key ingredients of any savory dish. 

    Curd/ yogurt (beaten) — Used for marinating karelas.

    Tomatoes — Pureed tomatoes lend creaminess and a subtle tangy flavor to the recipe. 

    Cream — Optional, but it brings creaminess and richness to the recipe.

    Kasuri methi — Fenugreek leaves (dried) are crushed and added to the masala by the end of the preparation. It delivers a mouth-watering flavor to the dish, taking it to another level.

    Ghee — Homemade desi ghee or any neutral oil can be used for cooking the masala and frying the veggies.

    Sautéed bhaji

    Recipe Tips and Variations

    Bitterness from a bitter gourd — Marinating bitter gourd in curd ensures that the bitterness is eliminated. Rub the bitter gourd with curd and set it aside for 30-40 minutes to let the curd work on it. The salt-curd mixture helps draw out the bitter juices from the bitter gourd.

    Vegan marination — Skip using the curd for marinating karela if you want it vegan. Instead, apply salt, rub it all over and keep them aside for 20- 30 minutes. But before this, scrape off the peel, slit the karela and deseed them. The karelas are ready for vegan marination.

    Veggie options — This recipe is completely customizable, and you can use any veggies of your choice, keeping the masala the same. You can use veggies like big green chillis (Mirchi), Arbi, tinda, etc., besides the ones I have used in this recipe. 

    Making a healthier recipe — Traditionally, all the veggies used in this recipe are deep-fried, but you can air-fry them if you want a more nutritious recipe. Air-frying them will reduce the added fats and cooking time while delivering the desired crispy texture. Another option using less oil is to shallow-fry the veggies on medium-high flame till they crisp up and attain the crunch we are looking for. 

    Steaming the veggies, a healthy option — Another excellent option for turning this recipe healthier is to steam the veggies. However, you have to compromise on the crispiness of the veggies. If you prefer making crispy veggies, shallow-fry or air-fry them to get the desired result.

    Frying duration varies — Some veggies get tender sooner than others; therefore, be careful about the time while frying them. Overfrying them may spoil their texture and taste.

    Preparing the right consistency masala — When prepared, the consistency of the masala is thick, so it may not be able to coat the veggies properly. Diluting the masala with water will ease the process. While assembling the partially cooked veggies on the tawa, sprinkle some water to dilute the masala so that the veggies can get smeared with masala easily and the coating is perfectly done. 

    Cooking options — Traditionally, this Tawa Sabzi is cooked over a large iron tawa/ griddle. But, if you don’t have a tawa of that size, you can also cook the veggies in a pan. They will turn out to be great this way too. 

    Tawa sabzis on a griddle

    Working smart to save time — The cooking time for karela and baby potatoes will be longer than the other veggies. To speed up the cooking process, you can parboil the baby potatoes until tender and then shallow-fry them until they are crispy as desired. You can toss them into the masala and cook them till perfectly soft.

    Onions for extra crunch — I have opted for pearl onions for my tawa sabzi recipe, but if they are unavailable in your area, you can go for the regular ones. Just quarter the regular onions and add them to the Tawa Sabzi for some extra crunch.

    Make the recipe kids-friendly — To make this recipe perfect for picky eaters, you may add fried paneer chunks. I can assure you your kids will love to dig into this savory.

    To speed up the cooking — Homemade tawa fry masala tastes just amazing, but if you are on a time crunch, try considering the store-bought tawa fry masala. 

    No-onion, no-garlic recipe — You can simply skip the onions and garlic from the recipe while keeping the rest of the ingredients the same. You will still have a delicious tawa fry sabzi to devour.

    Tawa Sabzi Masala on a platter with roti

    Let me know what you think!

    If you are wondering what to serve your guests this weekend, I suggest you try this recipe. It is easy, can be made in advance, and will be loved by your guests.

    So, don’t contemplate any further and give this delicious tawa fry sabzi a try! Carve a perfect Tawa Sabzi Masala to entice your loved ones.

    Should you make this Tawa Sabzi masala recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

    HUNGRY FOR MORE FAMILY-FAVORITE RECIPES? TRY THESE-

    • Methi Paneer
    • Paneer Butter Masala
    • Tawa Paneer
    • Shahi Veg Biryani
    • Paneer Burfi

    Follow the step-by-step instructions to make the best Tawa Sabzi Masala

    Have you tried this recipe?
    Leave a star rating by clicking on the ⭐ below!
    Sautéed tawa Vegetables

    Tawa Sabzi or Tava Fry Veggies

    Author : Ruchi
    Are you a die-hard veggie fan? If your answer is yes, we have a fantastic dish for you! Now, you can enjoy a potpourri of your favorite vegetables on a single platter. An intriguing Tawa Sabzi recipe will astound you with its distinctive presentation and flavor.
    4.52 from 35 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Egg-free, Nut-free, Vegetarian
    Servings 6 SERVINGS
    Calories 247 kcal

    EQUIPMENT

    • Cooking pan

    INGREDIENTS
     

    VEGETABLES

    • 5 pieces of Bitter gourd (karela)
    • 10-15 pieces of Pearl Onions
    • 5 pieces of Small eggplant
    • ½ kg Okra (bhindi) (500 gms.)
    • 6-8 – Baby potatoes
    • ½ cup Yogurt (to marinade Karela)
    • 1 cup Cauliflower florets
    • ¼ cup Oil to cook vegetables

    TAWA MASALA SPICE MIX – MAKES ½ CUP DRY SPICE BLEND

    • 3 teaspoons Coriander powder (sukha dhaniya)
    • 1¼ teaspoons Roasted cumin seeds powdered
    • 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Pomegranate seeds powder
    • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
    • 1 teaspoon Amchur Powder (Mango Powder)
    • ½ teaspoon Elaichi Powder (Cardamon Powder)
    • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
    • A pinch of Nutmeg powder (Jaiphel)
    • 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
    • A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida

    MASALA PREPARATION

    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • 2 small Onions minced
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic paste
    • ¼ cup Beaten Curd (yogurt)
    • 3 large Tomatoes pureed
    • ¼ cup Cream
    • 1 tablespoon Kastoori methi/ dried fenugreek leaves
    • – – Salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoons Oil

    INSTRUCTIONS

    VEGETABLE PREPARATION

    • Soak all the vegetables in lukewarm water for at least 30 seconds, then place them in a colander. Now, rub the veggies with your hands while rinsing them with cold water.
      Tawa Sabzi in water
    • Set them on a paper towel and let them air-dry.
      Assorted Vegetables
    • Using a knife, scrape off the peel of the karela (bitter gourd).
    • Slit them lengthwise; if the seeds are white and tightly embedded in the karela, leave them inside but if the seeds are hard and big, deseed them.
    • Take curd in a bowl, add salt, and mix. Toss karela in this mixture and coat it well.
    • Marinate the karela for 30 minutes in the curd mixture. After the marinating time is over, rinse it properly with water and use the bitter gourd as mentioned in the recipe.
      Tip – Marinating bitter gourd in curd ensures that the bitterness is eliminated. 
    • Meanwhile, let's prep up the rest of our vegetables. Using a sharp knife, make a deep lengthwise slit in the bhindi/okra while ensuring that you don’t accidentally cut through them.
      Slit Bhindi lengthwise
    • Likewise, slice the eggplants. Make one vertical and one horizontal slit in the eggplants ( like a + sign), so it opens like a flower but is still attached to their stem. Keep the stem intact for picking up the eggplant while sauteeing.
      Tip – For this recipe, I have used small round eggplants. These fresh eggplants are young and do not have a bitter taste. Also, the seeds in these baingan/eggplants are soft and barely visible.
    • Heat oil in a pan. Add pearl onions and cook over medium heat.
    • Since pearl onions take longer time to cook, cover them with a lid and allow the onions to cook for 4-5 minutes over medium-low heat.
    • Once they are fork-tender, transfer the onions to a plate.
    • To the same pan, add okra ( bhindi). Sauté and cook okra for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
    • Once cooked, transfer them to a plate and set them aside.
    • Repeat the process with the rest of the vegetables. Once the veggies are ready, sprinkle them with dry tawa masala powder and set them aside.
      Tip – Some veggies get tender sooner than others; therefore, be careful about the time while cooking them.

    PREPARE MASALA

    • Heat oil on a large tawa. add ginger-garlic paste to it.
    • Cook until the raw smell is gone.
    • Add the minced onions to this mixture.
    • Cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring in between to avoid burning.
    • Stir in tomato purée.
    • Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until the oil separates.
    • Add whisked yogurt and mix until everything is well blended. 
    • Stir in red chili powder, salt, kasoori methi, and 2 tablespoons of dry tawa masala powder.
    • Mix until everything is well blended.
    • Stir in cream.
    • Mix again until the oil separates.
    • Your tawa sabzi masala is ready.
      The prepared tawa sabzi masala

    ASSEMBLE TAWA SABZI

    • When preparing this delicacy, the pre-cooked assorted vegetables, upon the guests' request; are tossed in the prepared masala gravy and topped with amchur powder and chopped cilantro leaves.
      So to serve it the same way, arrange the pre-cooked vegetables in a circle over a large skillet or tawa.
    • Add the masala to the center of the tawa. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to dilute it.
    • Season it with salt, a sprinkle of amchur powder, and chopped cilantro leaves.
    • When your guest demands a particular vegetable, bring it to the center of the tawa. Toss and coat each veggie in this masala.
    • Cook them on the tawa until soft and tender.
    • Remove from heat and serve.
    • Serve it immediately with warm roti or Naan.

    RECIPE NOTES

     

    Frequently Asked Questions

     
    Can I store this Tawa Fry Sabzi?
    Storing the assembled tawa fry sabzi is easy. You can place it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container, which stays well for a week. Transfer it into a skillet or a microwaveable bowl when ready to serve again, and sprinkle some water over the veggies. Now, reheat the sabzi and serve it with garnishes.
    If you plan to store the leftover masala, transfer it into an air-tight container and slide it into the fridge. It stays fresh for 2 to 3 days.
    Also, transfer the fried crisp veggies into a separate air-tight container and slide it into the fridge.
    Heat the masala and the veggies, and serve hot when required!
     
    How can I best serve these tawa-fried vegetables?
    This recipe is served as an appetizer or a main course dish. If you plan to serve it for the main course, tawa roti, tandoori roti, garlic naan, or rumali roti will be the best options.
     
    Can I make some gravy for tawa sabzi?
    You sure can! You may want thinner consistency gravy to serve with jeera rice. To make the gravy slightly thin in consistency, add a little extra water to the masala while cooking. Add the veggies you like and create the tawa sabzi recipe exactly the way you want.
     

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1622IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 2mg
    Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.

    Are you Going to make this recipe? Take a picture and mention @ruchiskitchen! I would LOVE to see how it turned out for you!
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    Hi, I am Ruchi!

    Welcome to my incredible food paradise! If you are passionate about food, this is the right place to explore exquisite recipes. From tasty starters, delicious meals, and blissful sweet delights, here you will find everything to please the gourmet in you. ❤ More About Me
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