This vegetable platter is a spicy starter or appetiser adapted from Chinese cuisine and Indian seasonings giving it a unique taste that is mind-blowing. It is perhaps one of the most popular Indian street foods to be offered from the Indo-Chinese cuisine palette. This dish has two variants, dry and gravy.

Here is the dry version and it is an ideal party starter or can be served as a side dish. This recipe is simple but more on the spicier side with chillies and hot sauces and it takes time to prepare it. The taste is so delicious that your efforts would not go waste.

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Serves: 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Potato: 4 (large)

Cauliflower: 1 (medium)

Mushrooms: 12

Paneer: 250 grams

Baby corns: 8-10

Red bell pepper: 1 (large)

Yellow bell pepper: 1 (large)

Green capsicum: 1 (large)

Carrot: 1

Broccoli: 1 (medium)

Sweet corns: ½ cup (boiled)

Onion: 3 (big)

Garlic paste: 4 tbsp

Ginger paste: 4 tbsp

Green chilli paste: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Black pepper powder: 1 tsp

Chilli flakes: 1 tbsp

Ajinomoto: 1 tsp

Chilli sauce: 2 tbsp

Vinegar: 2 tbsp

Soya sauce: 2 tbsp

Tomato ketchup: 3 tbsp

Honey: 4 tbsp

Oil: 4 tbsp and for frying

Corn flour: 2 cups

Maida: 1 cup

Water as required

Sesame seeds to garnish

Method:

Cut cauliflower in small florets. Chop onion, bell peppers, capsicum and carrot finely. Make a thick batter as you make for pakodas mixing together maida, cornflour and water. Peel potatoes and cut them lengthwise like French fries. Cut paneer into 1’’ by 1’’ cubes. Sprinkle a little salt, red chilli powder and cornflour powder on the length-wise cut potatoes and paneer cubes. Toss them gently. Heat oil for frying and deep fry both of them separately in small batches until golden crisp. Keep aside.

Coat mushrooms, baby corns and cauliflower florets with maida-corn flour batter and deep fry until golden crisp. Keep aside. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a big pan. Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute for two minutes on low flame. Add chopped onion. Saute for two minutes on high flame. Add chopped bell peppers, capsicum and carrot. Saute mixing all vegetables for five minutes until slightly tender. Add chilli flakes, red chilli powder, Ajinomoto, salt, chilli sauce, soya sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup and honey. Give a good stir. Cook for three to four minutes.

Add all fried vegetables and paneer cubes. Add salt and mix well. Cook for ten minutes stirring occasionally until all spices and sauces coat on all the veggies.Transfer to the serving bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

If you are planning to prepare this dish for kids then make sure to reduce the spice level by using less chilli sauce, green chillies and chilli powder.