Veg Kadai Recipes, Kadhai Indian Recipes

As one already knows, India is a large country with an even larger variety of cuisines. As you go through these cuisines, there comes realization that the utensil you are using is as important as the recipe or any technique. Just like that you are introduced to one of the most principle yet humble items in the Indian kitchen: the Kadai

Kadai is an equipment which has a thick round bottomed pan, and resembles the Chinese wok, but is deeper and narrower. Typically made with cast iron, they are now also made with copper and stainless steel or with non-stick coatings. The ideal reason for using kadai is to obtain maximum medley of flavors by using dry spices and various diced or chopped vegetables.  

Kadais made of cast iron are used for deep frying which is needed for making Bread Pakoda, Aloo Cheese Croquettes or Dahi ke Kebab, while the ones made of copper are used in recipes like Peshawari Chole or Stir Fried Mushrooms for stir frying.  Kadhai Vegetables and Kadhai Paneer are amongst the most famous subzis at restaurants and they steal your heart with their spicy flavour and rich texture.

Ideally, this utensil is used for cooking with very little water like in Sweet and Sour Stir- Fry, so that ingredients are cooked in their own juices which make them mouth-watering and very enjoyable. This is because of the round bottom of the kadai, which makes the heat distribute evenly and cooks all vegetables perfectly. A lot of the time ground spices are used as well with a little bit of oil to get the vegetables a beautiful flavor as done in Paneer and Red Capsicum Sabzi.

Kadais come in different sizes, the smallest variant being used for tempering or tadka which is infusion of spices in hot oil to add to dals and curries. The bigger ones can be used to make a number of recipes, some of which are provided below.

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