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💡 What is a korma?
Vegetable korma is a creamy, coconut-based curry. My recipe is from South India and is made with an assortment of hearty vegetables like potatoes, peas, carrots, cauliflowers, and green beans. It has a spice base made of coconut, ginger, and garlic. In some cases, cashew nuts are also ground and added to the korma to give it a thicker, creamier consistency. FYI, korma is the North Indian way of saying it, and kurma is South Indian.
💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
The perfect comfort food to warm up a chilly night, perfect for weeknight dinners and special occasions. Easy to customize, whether you want to adjust the spice level, add more veggies, or serve it over rice or flatbread! Naturally vegan and gluten-free so that everyone can enjoy it!
Variations & substitutions
Vegetables. I used potatoes and peas for the korma base, but you can add many hearty veggies like carrots, cauliflower, bell peppers, and green beans. You can also use tomatoes, corn, chickpeas, and a wide variety of other vegetables in this dish. Tomatoes. Use any fresh or canned ripe tomatoes available. Shredded coconut. You can substitute this with coconut cream or coconut milk. Coconut cream. You can also use vegan yogurt, cashew cream, coconut milk. When using coconut milk, you can add cashews to make the sauce thicker. Thai green chili peppers. Serrano peppers work well too. To make it spicier, you can add an extra chili pepper or dried Indian red chili peppers. Turmeric powder. You can also use curry powder, a garam masala blend, or add ground cumin to the korma base. Add some sweetness. Add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavors. Garnish with cilantro or mint leaves!
🍲 How to make this creamy Indian vegetable korma recipe
Step 1: Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric to a medium pot with water. Peel the potatoes and quarter them into clean chunks. Add quartered potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil on medium heat for about 20 minutes until a fork is easily inserted into the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, mash, and set aside. Step 2:While potatoes are boiling, chop tomatoes, onions and chili peppers. Add shredded coconut, ginger paste, minced garlic, tomatoes, half the chopped onions, red chili powder, and Thai green chili peppers into a food processor or blender and pulse into a smooth paste. Step 3:Heat some oil in a medium pot on medium flame. Add the other half of the chopped onions and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Step 4:Add the pulsed sauce to the sautéed onions along with the mashed potatoes and a cup of coconut cream, 2 teaspoons of salt, half a cup of water, and bring to a simmer (bubbles will start forming along the edges). Simmer for 3-5 minutes covered. Add the frozen peas at the very end and stir into the korma. Step 5:Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot!
👩🏽🍳 Top tips to make the tastiest vegetable korma curry
⭐ Peeling potatoes before boiling them in the turmeric-infused water gives them a nice golden yellow color. But if you don’t have a peeler or want to make things quicker, just pop them in with the skin on and then remove the skin once boiled - they usually slide right off!
Add more hearty vegetables. I only used potatoes and peas in this recipe, but you’re welcome to add cauliflower, carrots, corn, and any other hearty vegetables of your choice to round it out. Add nuts like cashews, almonds, or poppy seeds to the korma sauce to give it a creamy consistency and a nutty flavor.
🍴 How to serve vegetable korma
The best way to serve this veg korma is with Indian flatbread - roti, naan, and poori all work deliciously. But it also tastes excellent with plain basmati rice or jeera rice. For a complete meal, you can also serve korma with a kachumber salad, which adds a great refreshing touch to the creaminess of this dish. It also goes well with this homemade raita as a side dip and air fryer samosas as an appetizer.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
To store leftovers, transfer vegetable korma to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. To reheat, you can heat it on a stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until it’s heated through. Stir occasionally and add a splash of water if needed. To freeze, transfer to a freezer bag and store for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
🍴 More delicious Indian recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other vegetarian Indian recipes: If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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