I just LOVE this curry. I found this recipe for Malabar vegetable curry on Cooking Love! but used this recipe on Smita Chandra for the Malabar masala since I didn’t have a box of pre-made masala. The spice blend is truly wonderful. The Malabar coast is in Kerala, South India.

This curry is a little different with the corn and paneer and I didn’t have any green beans so I threw in the zucchini instead!

For this recipe, I list the amounts of the ingredients in the instructions as well. I find that I’m always going back and forth when reading recipes so I thought it might be helpful to have both a recipe list and the amounts in the instructions too!

Malabar Masala Powder/Other Ground Spices

1. Toast lightly in a skillet until fragrant:

1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
4 cardamon pods skin removed
4 cloves
1/2 of a star anise
1/3 of a cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn
1/4 teasoon mustard seeds

2.  Add the following and toast until the coconut is lightly browned:

1/2 tablespoon kasuri methi
1/2 tablespoon desiccated coconut
8 curry leaves

3.  Add 1 tablespoon coriander powder and toast for a few seconds (it burns fast!).

4.  Add all the toasted spices above and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and grind in a spice/coffee grinder.

Malabar Paneer and Vegable Curry
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 onions chopped
1 tablespoon ginger minced
3 tablespoons Malabar masala powder
1 tablespoon kasmiri chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tomatoes
3 carrots chopped
1 zucchini diced (or green beans chopped)
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup corn (I used frozen)
5 ounces paneer cubed
Salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves
Pinch hing (asafoetida)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a saute pan and saute 2 chopped onions until translucent, adding 1 tablespoon of minced ginger part way through cooking.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of the Malabar masala powder, 1 tablespoon kasmiri chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.
3. Blend 2 tomatoes in a small food processor/mixer and add to pan.
4. Add 3 chopped carrots, 1 diced zucchini, 1/2 can coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups of water and cook until the carrots are tender.
5. Add 5 ounces cubed paneer and 1/2 cup corn and cook until the paneer is soft. Salt to taste.
6. In a tadka or other small pan, heat 1 more tablespoon coconut oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add 6-7 curry leaves and a pinch of hing. Throw into curry.