Easy Mixed Vegetable Curry: Dry North Indian Style Sabzi

Name: Easy Mixed Vegetable Curry (Dry, North Indian Style Sabzi)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp cooking oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 medium red onion, sliced fine; 1 tsp chopped ginger; 1 tsp chopped garlic; 2 small tomatoes, chopped; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1/2 to 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; salt, to taste; 1 cup sweet peas; 1 cup diced carrots; 2 cups cauliflower florets; 1 cup diced French beans; 1.5 cups diced potatoes

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This mixed vegetable curry recipe is PERFECT for weeknights. It is flexible enough so you can use the vegetables you have in your fridge and comes together with minimal effort. A simple and healthy dry vegetarian/vegan sabzi that tastes delicious with Indian breads like roti or chapati.

Have assorted veggies in your fridge and don't know what to do with them? Throw them together in a wok or pan with some onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, a few spices and voila! A tasty medley of Indian style curried vegetables is ready to eat with some bread. This kind of dry curry using vegetables is also called sabzi and is a common way to have vegetables in the subcontinent. It is also a pretty straightforward recipe that doesn't include fancy ingredients or spices and certainly no coconut milk, at least not the way it is made in north India and Pakistan. Take a look at the ingredients below in the picture.

Ingredient Notes

Exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down in the post.
You don't have to stick to these vegetables. You can also use bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, cabbage and even butternut squash. I wouldn't omit onions and tomatoes though as these form the base of the sabzi. But feel free to mix or sub the other veggies.

How to make mixed vegetable curry or sabzi

In a deep pan or karahi (wok), heat the oil and add cumin seeds and onions. Fry on medium heat until the onions start caramelizing and turning brown. (5-8 minutes)
Add the ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start breaking down, then add the rest of the spices and salt. (5 minutes)
Tip in the vegetables and mix well. Add a splash of water and cover the pan. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are cooked. (12-15 minutes)

mixed vegetable sabzi in a pan with wooden spoon.

Tips and Suggestions

The vegetables should be cooked through but not mushy.
Don't add too much water. A few tablespoons will do to prevent the veggies from getting scorched. In fact, if you cook the vegetables tightly covered and on low heat, you may not need to add any water at all. The sabzi will cook in its own juices and the moisture from the tomatoes.
Cut the potatoes into small cubes to make them cook faster. If the cubes are too big, they will take a long time to soften and the other vegetables will be over-cooked.
If you want the curry to be spicier, add a couple of slit green or red chillies and a pinch of garam masala. These two ingredients will add that extra zing to it.
You can use one teaspoon ginger-garlic paste too if you have it instead of chopping the ginger and garlic separately.
Sometimes, I also like to add a little paneer or cottage cheese to the vegetables. If you are fond of paneer, you will love it in this recipe. Throw in a few small cubes when the other vegetables are almost cooked. If you add it in the beginning, it will turn hard and rubbery. Also note that paneer will make the recipe non-vegan. If you are strictly vegan, you can add a little firm tofu instead of paneer. Neither of these is required but they make for an interesting variation.
Instead of a dry curry, if you want a mixed vegetable curry with lots of sauce, do check out this vegetable korma recipe. It's got coconut milk and ground cashews to make it extra creamy without any actual cream. Like the dry version, this one's vegan as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook mixed vegetable curry with frozen vegetables?

Yes, absolutely. In fact, you can buy a mixed bag of frozen vegetables and use that. It will cut down the prep time considerably. However, since the frozen vegetable will have more moisture, don't add any water to the vegetables and cook them uncovered for the first five minutes.

Can I use my pressure cooker for this recipe?

Yes! You can make this recipe in your instant pot if you have one. After following all the steps and adding the vegetables, pour a little water (¼ cup) and pressure cook for 2 minutes only. Release steam immediately (QPR) once the timer beeps. Do remember though that pressure cooking the vegetables will make them softer and there will be a little liquid in the curry. If you want to get rid of the liquid, cook the curry on sauté for a couple of minutes.

More Indian vegetable recipes

Bharwa Shimla Mirch - Small green bell peppers stuffed with a potato filling.
Paneer Jalfrezi - Stir-fried onions, peppers and tomatoes along with Indian cottage cheese.
Vegetable Pulao - Fragrant Basmati rice with mixed vegetables of your choice plus a few whole spices.
Lauki Chana Dal - Bottle gourd cooked with split chickpea lentils in a tasty, thick tomato gravy.
Bhindi Sabzi - Simple and quick okra stir fry.