Korma is just what you want for curry nights. And if it’s plant based and full of veggie power, you’ve got yourself one delicious and nutritious meal for meatless nights.
This is a creamy cashew based curry with a medley of veggies that would pair perfectly with rice or your favorite naan bread.
Try one of the most popular comfort foods out of India and you will be amazed with all the subtle flavors that goes in the making of this vegetable curry.
Not all the curries that come out of India are spicy. Some of them are mild, yet jam packed with flavors. Korma is such a thing. You will love Vegetable Korma, cos…
- It’s decidedly creamy and blends so many flavors from different veggies, without overpowering the usual flavor profile of Indian curries. So it would be loved by kiddies and all.
- It’s easy and quick compared to other Indian dishes.
- It’s very easily customizable with whatever veggies you have on hand.
- You can make it vegan with a few simple alterations.
What is Korma?
Chances are you already know what korma is if you frequent Indian restaurants. It’s one of the most popular Indian dishes, where meat or vegetables are braised in cream or yogurt along with some usual common Indian spices.
Korma is believed to have originated in the lavish Moghul cuisine. The Moghuls, who ruled the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to 19th century, were originally from Turkish Persia. They brought many cooking techniques and dishes from their native land and then incorporated Indian ingredients.
Korma is a dish where meat or veggies are braised in velvety, spiced sauces enhanced with ground nuts like almonds or cashews, cream and butter.
Check out our collection of favorite Curry Recipes!
End result? Kormas are rich and they are also mild, yet finger licking delicious. Vegetable korma is a fine example of an aristocratic masterpiece where common vegetables like cauliflower, green beans, peas and carrots are cooked to perfection in a creamy sauce made with ground paste with nuts, onion and tomatoes with a few earthy spices.
Sometimes, usually in Southern India, the cream or yogurt is replaced by the creaminess of coconut milk. Many times, it is garnished with more nuts and dried fruits to make it more lavish and rich.
Ingredients needed for Vegetable Korma
- Vegetables – Today I used cauliflower, potatoes, peas, carrots and green beans.
- For korma paste – Cashews, onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder (use paprika in its absence), coriander powder, garam masala powder and cumin powder.
- Cream
- Honey
- Ghee or oil
- Salt
- Red chili flakes (optional)
How to make Vegetable Korma
This is a super easy Indian recipe. All you are doing is blending a korma sauce in your blender, cooking the sauce a bit, and then adding the veggies and cooking them with a few other flavor enhancers. Then you make it creamy with cream or coconut milk.
You will see exact measurements and amounts in the recipe card below, we will quickly go through the recipe here.
Soak the cashews in water for 30 minutes to an hour so they make a smooth paste. If hard pressed for time, you can microwave them in water for a minute and have the same result.
Blend the cashews along with garlic, ginger, chopped onion, tomatoes, and spices like turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, cumin and salt in a blender. Make a smooth paste.
Heat ghee in a curry pot (you can use oil in its absence, but ghee lends great flavor to korma). Add in the above korma paste and cook it for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. I love to cook it for a longer time, as this really develops the curry flavors, as all the onion and tomatoes get to cook along with all the flavors. That’s the base of the korma.
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Add in the chopped chunks of veggies like cauliflower, potatoes and carrots along with a cup and a half of water and cook for 10 minutes. Then add in the veggies that cook faster like peas and green beans, along with the cream and honey and cook the korma till all the veggies are cooked to perfection.
I like to add in a little red chili flakes to give it a mild kick, but it’s totally up to you. Taste and adjust the seasonings like salt and that’s it. One of the easiest restaurant worthy Indian curries on table with a minimum of effort!
How do I make this Vegetable Korma vegan?
Easy! Instead of ghee, use any of your regular cooking oils.
Replace cream with coconut cream. Chill a can of coconut milk in the fridge. Then, without shaking the can, open it and skim the cream from the top of the can and use that coconut cream instead of regular cream.
Use sugar or brown sugar to add sweetness instead of honey.
How to make Vegetable Korma in an Instant Pot?
Make the korma paste in a blender as stated above. Turn the Instant Pot to Saute mode and heat the ghee. Add in blended korma paste and cook it for 10- 15 minutes.
Turn off the Saute mode. Add in vegetables along with water. Stir and close the lid. Select pressure cook or Manual and cook on high pressure for 1 minute. When the cooking time is done, release the pressure manually.
Open the lid after the pin drops. Add cream along with honey and stir the curry. If the vegetables are not tender enough to your liking, put on Saute mode and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Check out our collection of favorite Instant Pot Recipes!
Some Korma Variations
- Try other veggies like broccoli, corn, mushrooms or bell peppers.
- Paneer is a great addition to any korma, if you have that handy.
- Add in garbanzo beans, or even sauté chicken in some oil before adding in the korma paste to boost it with more protein.
What to serve Vegetable Korma with
- Our first choice is, of course, piping hot basmati rice.
- One has to have some hot buttery naan bread, rotis or parathas for this beautifully flavored vegetable curry.
- Have some Indian accompaniments like raita or salad and you have one well rounded, nutritious meal.
How to store leftover Indian Korma
It’s great refrigerated for the next 2-3 days, stored in an air tight container. It tastes even better, as all the flavors have time to mingle with each other. Since it has cream, we don’t recommend freezing it for a long time.
So, here is something I grew up on all my life, eating my heart out on this delicious creamy korma in restaurants from the north to the south of India. There are hundreds of variations, though the basic creamy rich sauce of korma is a constant.
If you’re looking for something Indian, yet simple and totally delicious, try this Korma for your whole family. They will all fall in love with Indian cuisine.
Creamy Vegetable Korma, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great Indian recipes!
Paneer Jalfrezi
Chicken Masala
Pork Vindaloo
Gobi Matar
Beef Kheema
Aloo Palak
Dal Tadka
Creamy Vegetable Korma
This Korma is a creamy cashew based curry with a medley of veggies that would pair perfectly with rice or your favorite naan bread.
Ingredients
For Korma Paste
- 1/2 cup cashew
- 5-6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1.5 inch ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp salt
For Korma
- 1 small cauliflower head, cut into chunks
- 1 large potato, cut into chunks
- 10-12 mini carrots or 1 large carrot, cut into chunks
- 1.5 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup cream (see note 1)
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- 2 Tbsp ghee or oil
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in water for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Blend the cashews along with garlic, ginger, chopped onion, tomatoes and spices like turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, cumin and salt. Make a smooth paste.
- Heat ghee or oil in a curry pot on medium high heat. Add in the above korma paste and cook it for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the chopped chunks of veggies (cauliflower, potatoes and carrots) along with a cup and a half of water and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add peas and green beans, cream and honey and cook korma till all veggies are cooked to your desired tenderness. Stir in red chili flakes (optional).
- Serve immediately with hot rice or warm naan bread.
Notes
1. You can substitute cream with coconut cream or coconut milk.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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