Gajbaje ( Mixed vegetables cooked in coconut based spicy sauce)

Gajbaje is a traditional Konkani recipe that makes use of a variety of vegetables ( usually fall vegetables such as the gourds and the root vegetables) and is cooked in a spicy coconut based sauce. The spice level can be adjusted based on individual taste. This dish is usually a part of the festive menu as onion are garlic is not used for this dish. This is a very easy to make dish and the best thing is that one can use any leftover vegetable for this dish. 

Let’s check the recipe below.

Serving size: 4-6

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15-25 mins Total time: 30-40 mins

Ingredients:

Rolo banana( cooking banana): 1

Potato: 1

Green beans: 4-6,

Carrot: 1, medium sized 

Zucchini: 1 medium 

Salt: to taste 

Water: for cooking and grinding as needed.

For grinding: 

Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup

Red chillies: 4-6

Tamarind: marble size 

For garnish:

Cooking oil: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp 

Curry leaves: 1 sprig.

Method: 

Peel and chop the veggies into 1-2 inch size pieces. Add them to a pot with 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt and cook until just tender. 

When the vegetables are cooking, grind together all the ingredients lists under “ for grinding” to a fine paste adding water as needed. 

Add the ground masala to the cooked vegetables and bring to a boil. Turn off the flame. 

Tempering: 

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a small pan. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds. Once they splutter, turn off the flame and add curry leaves. Add this to the above pot.

Serve hot with rice or dosas( Indian pancakes) or Roti ( flat bread).

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy: 

You can use any combination of vegetables for this dish. However, hardy vegetables such as gourds and root vegetables are preferred as they don’t get mushy due to the varied cooking times.