“Sabji” is one of my favorite types of Indian food.
It’s basically different vegetables cooked with spices and curry flavors, and when it’s made well, it can be a great way to get TONS of veggies into your diet. It’s low in calories, high in fiber, and you don’t even realize how much veggies you’re eating because it is so flavorful!
Keep in mind, this is the home-cooked version of Indian food – a far cry from the creamy, heavier dishes you’d see at most Indian restaurants.
The “Indian restaurant” dishes are good for once-in-a-while special occasions, but this is the perfect recipe for a hearty Indian dinner at home. Oh and it’s super easy to make – takes less than 30 minutes!
Just pair it with a whole wheat tortilla or brown rice, some lowfat greek yogurt or cooked lentils, and you have the perfect dinner ready to eat.
This recipe for Cauliflower “Sabji” comes straight from my dad’s kitchen – it is a classic.
The Ingredients
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp hing (aka Asafoetida)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 green chile (like a serrano chile, kept whole, not diced)
- 1 small potato, diced
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 1/2 cup frozen peas or 1/4 cup frozen peas + 1/4 cup frozen carrots
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- Cilantro, chopped (as a garnish)
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Step 3: Add the salt and cumin powder, cover and let cook on medium-low for 10-20 minutes (depending on how cooked through you like your veggies). Meanwhile, chop your cilantro.
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Step 4: Right before you’re ready to serve the sabji, add the cilantro.
I love the colors in this dish! So vibrant and beautiful.
There’s no way you won’t like veggies after preparing them this way.
The husband loves this sabji – it’s one of his favorites out of all my dad’s sabji recipes. I’m equal opportunity when it comes to vegetables cooked with Indian spices – I love them all.
Sometimes I like spreading a bit of yogurt on a whole wheat tortilla and using the sabji as filling for a wrap, other times I’ll eat it in the traditional way with rice and lentils and roti (basically freshly made tortillas), and quite often I’ll eat it straight – as a snack when I’m passing through my dad’s kitchen.
No matter how you eat it though, there’s no denying how tasty and flavorful this recipe is. And for those of you who are new to Indian cooking – this is so easy to make – once you have the spices that’s all you need to make this dish taste amazing.
I hope you love this recipe as much as me and my family do!
Hello! I'm Anjali. I'm a 20 something living in the SF Bay Area, with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty, and fun! Try some of 
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Love this! Is there a substitute to use for Asafoetida?
Thanks Kimberly! Unfortunately there isn’t a substitute for Asafoetida, but it’s pretty easy to find. You can buy it online here Asafoetida Hing Powder 1.75
, or you can find it at any Indian Grocery Store (just ask for Hing and the salesperson should be able to point you in the right direction!)
Do you have any recommendations as to where to purchase Asafoetida? Is it available online? Do you have a recommended brand? Thank you
You can buy it at any Indian Grocery Store (see my reply to Kimberly above), or you can totally buy it online! I buy mine from Amazon – here’s the brand I use: Asafoetida Hing Powder
Let me know how you like this recipe if you try it! 
This looks so wonderfully good. Will I be able to find the hing at my Indian spice market?
Thanks so much! And yes absolutely – any Indian spice market or grocery store will have it!
So vibrant in only the way fresh veggies can be! I’ll have to do some research on where to find asafoetida. Are those the black/dark spices or are those mustard seeds?
So glad you like it! For asafoetida – I’d recommend going to an Indian Grocery Store if there’s one near your house. If not, you can always buy it online! And those are mustard seeds (the black round spices). Enjoy!
Hi! I just found your blog looking for a red lentil recipe. This looks great! I am not a vegetarian, but love veggies and grow a lot of our own, and always looking for different ways to cook them. I also love Indian food. Another good place for spices is http://www.myspicesage.com That’s where I found hing and other Asian spices. Very reasonable prices, too, and you can buy small amounts if you just want to try something. Highly recommended!
Cheers,
GG
Thanks so much GG! And thanks for the tip about the spice site – super helpful! You’ll have to let me know how you like this recipe when you try it
Hey,
Just tried the recipe…it came pretty good taste-wise. But a bit of it stuck to the bottom of the pan. I kept it on medium heat for around 12-14 minutes lightly covered. Any suggestions on how to avoid this the next time?
Thanks much!
Hi Kiera! I’d recommend turning the heat down and stirring it more frequently. You might need a little extra water or a tiny bit of oil to keep it from sticking – but it should work if you cook it on a lower heat setting! Let me know how it goes the next time around!
I would probably add some veggie or chicken stock (or even water) to this dish to keep it from sticking. Or, you just have to keep stirring. I will probably make this tomorrow.
Thanks for helping to answer Kiera’s question GG! Totally agree with your tips
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