Rajasthani Panchmel Sabzi Five Vegetable

Ingredients

• 1 medium potato — cubed
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 medium carrot — cubed
• 1 cup cauliflower — cut into small florets
• 1/2 cup pumpkin — cubed
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 2 onions — finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tomatoes — finely chopped
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
• salt to taste
• coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Cut all vegetables: Peel and cut all vegetables into similarly sized pieces — about 1.5 cm cubes. Uniform size ensures even cooking. Keep them in separate bowls.
2. Heat oil and temper: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan on medium. Add cumin seeds — wait for them to crackle. Add asafoetida. Stir 5 seconds.
3. Cook the onion: Add finely chopped onion. Cook on medium heat stirring every 2 minutes for 8 minutes until golden.
4. Add ginger and garlic: Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir 1 minute until raw smell disappears.
5. Add tomatoes and cook down: Add chopped tomatoes. Cook stirring for 6 minutes until completely broken down and oil separates.
6. Add spice powders on low heat: Turn to low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Stir 2 minutes on low heat.
7. Add hard vegetables first: Add potato and carrot. Stir to coat with the masala. Cook on medium heat stirring for 3 minutes.
8. Add remaining vegetables and cook covered: Add cauliflower, peas and pumpkin. Add 1/4 cup water and salt. Stir gently. Cover the pan. Cook on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
9. Finish with amchur and garam masala: Open the lid. Add amchur and garam masala. Stir gently. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes. The sabzi should be nearly dry.
10. Garnish and serve: Add coriander leaves. Serve with bajra roti or wheat chapati.
11. Note: Panchmel (panch = five, mel = mix) appears in multiple Rajasthani preparations — the five-lentil dal, this five-vegetable sabzi, and others. The concept reflects the Rajasthani approach of combining available ingredients to create complete nutrition in a single preparation. Amchur (dry mango powder) as a souring agent instead of fresh lemon is characteristic of Rajasthani cooking — fresh lemon was not always available in the desert region.