Mixed Vegetable Salna

Salna (சால்னா)!!!! Yes, you heard it right. It sounds like a non-vegetarian curry, nope I tried to do a vegetarian version of it. Salna is a very famous curry, relished along with parotta, and is popular in the roadside hotels of TamilNadu. Parotta and Salna are made for each other. Though I have not tested them personally, I wanted to try them. I am not a fan of that parotta due to its tedious preparation and the amount of fat that goes into it. I bought a pack of frozen parotta to satisfy the hunger pranks of the H. With the amalgamation of mixed vegetables, potatoes, and spices, this salna is definitely a hit. Over to the recipe now.
Servings: 8 yield(s)
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 65 mins
Ingredients
    Main Ingredients
  • 2 cup Mixed Vegetables ((Carrot, Peas, Green Peas, potato and Corn) )
  • 0.5 cup Onion
  • 1 cup Tomato
  • 2 stick Green Chili
  • 0.25 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 0.25 cup Mint leaves
  • 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves
  • 0.25 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1 dash Salt
    • Sautee and Grind
  • 0.5 cup Onion
  • 0.5 cup Tomato
  • 2 tsp Grated Coconut
  • 0.25 tsp Poppy Seeds
  • 2 stick Cardamom Pods
  • 1 stick Cloves
  • 0.25 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 0.75 tsp Red Chili Powder
  • 0.25 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 4 stick Peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
Instructions
  1. Wash the potatoes and cut them into small block-sized pieces. Thaw the mixed veggies if using frozen ones.
  2. Heat a pan and add oil. Once heated up, add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, and fennel. Roast them until golden brown and set aside. Now add onions and tomatoes and saute' till they turn golden brown. Add the poppy seeds and coconut at the last followed by the spice powders. Fry for 3 mins and switch off the stove. Let them cool down.
  3. Grind the sauteed ingredients to a smooth paste. Heat the same pan and add oil to it. When it turns hot, add the fennel seeds and roast them. Add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn transparent. Now add tomatoes and saute' till they turn mushy.
  4. Add the grounded paste and fry for a minute. Now add the vegetables and add the required salt to taste.
  5. Add a cup of water and mix it well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 8 - 10 mins or until the vegetables are cooked.
  6. Open the lid and you can see the oil layer floating above. Garnish with coriander and mint leaves. Serve hot with parotta.
Recipe Notes

  • You can use fresh vegetables instead of frozen veggies. In that case, use a small pressure cooker and prepare the salna. You can add the grounded masala and fresh vegetables and pressure cook them instead.
  • Mint leaves can also be grounded along with the paste, instead of garnishing.