Similar to curry, this fragrant dish can be served as a side, main entrée or a gravy over steamed rice. What makes korma slightly different is that the ingredients are braised with yogurt to provide a thicker, creamier sauce. Serve it with soft and airy naan or ghee-laden roti. Scroll to the “Notes” section below for a few tasty variations to try.
Creamy Vegetarian Korma
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 256 kcal
Ingredients
Gravy
- 2 Tbsp. avocado oil or any neutral cooking oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1- in. ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Indian or Thai green chili
- ¼ cup unsalted cashews
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ cup water
Vegetables
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium potato diced
- ½ cup beans
- ½ cup green peas
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped cauliflower florets
- ½ tsp. salt
Yogurt base for gravy
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- ½ tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder or any mild chili powder
- ½ tsp. garam masala
- 2 tsp. sugar optional
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil or any neutral cooking oil
- 1 black cardamom optional
- 1 green cardamom slightly crushed
- 3-4 black peppercorns
- 1- in. piece cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
Gravy
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Prepare stir fry pan over medium heat with oil. Once hot, add onions, ginger, garlic, chopped chilies, cashews and salt.
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Fry until onions are translucent and soft, around 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 5 minutes.
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Transfer mixture to food processor, add water and puree into a fine paste.
Vegetables
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In saucepan, boil water over medium heat. Add potatoes, beans, peas, carrots and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
-
Drain vegetables (reserve water for later) and set aside.
Yogurt base for gravy
-
In bowl, whisk yogurt, coriander, cumin, chili powder, garam masala and sugar. Set aside.
-
Heat oil in stir fry pan over medium heat. Cook cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and bay leaf for about 10-15 seconds.
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Add yogurt mixture and onion-cashew puree (from gravy prep). Mix well. Cook for about 6-8 minutes on medium-low heat until mixture starts to bubble.
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Add cooked vegetables and mix well. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Note: If you’re serving this dish with rice, you might want this gravy to be a little runny. Add the reserved liquid from cooking the vegetables, a few tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
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Taste and add salt as needed. Serve hot with naan, roti or steamed rice.
Recipe Notes
- Vegetable korma is extremely versatile. Here are a few variations to try:
- Tomato-based vegetable korma gravy: After onions turn translucent in step 2, add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes and cook until soft. Puree with onions and continue to follow recipe through.
- Vegan vegetable korma: Replace yogurt with coconut milk for a dairy-free option.
- For a richer taste, cook with ghee instead of oil. Or, to make this curry even more fragrant, add saffron. Simply soak a pinch of saffron in 2 tablespoons warm water for about 10 minutes. Add saffron water to korma mixture once veggies have been cooked in the sauce.
- The korma thickens as it cools down. If cooking this dish a day in advance, do not discard the reserved water used to cook the veggies. You can use it to dilute the korma the next day
- Order the ingredients you need to make this dish at Vitacost.com!
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegetarian Korma
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 256
Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 4g20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 844mg35%
Potassium 457mg13%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 3502IU70%
Vitamin C 24mg29%
Calcium 150mg15%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.