In a pan, heat coconut oil. Add cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon. As they are roasted, add fresh curry leaves and slit green chillies. Add chopped onions and fry until translucent making sure it is not brown/burnt. Add chopped vegetables and stir fry on low heat for 3-4 mins.
As the vegetables are slightly cooked, add salt needed for the veggies. Add thin coconut milk and cook on low flame until the veggies are cooked half.
Add fresh green peas and continue boiling the gravy on low flame until the veggies are almost done. Add thick coconut milk and as the gravy heats up slightly, remove from heat.
Serve hot with Appam/Idiyappam or even rotis.
Notes
The choice of vegetables is as per preference. Cauliflower, potatoes, French beans, carrots and green peas can be used as per availability.
Onions can be skipped for this gravy to make an onion-free version too.
Adjust the amount of green chillies as per preference.
Additional to the whole spices, finely chopped ginger/garlic and black peppercorns can be added too.
The veggies should not be cooked mushy and should retain a bit of crunch.
To make coconut milk at home, add 1 cup of water to 2 cups of grated coconut. Blend until smooth – strain and that becomes thick coconut milk. Add 1.5 cups of water and blend again. Strain – that is the thin coconut milk.
After adding coconut milk, always cook the gravy on low flame to avoid curdling/splitting of coconut milk.