This delicious and aromatic vegetable korma is an Indian curry made with mixed vegetables, including carrots, green peas, bell peppers, green beans and potatoes. The mild and creamy coconut sauce is spiced with cumin, coriander and curry leaves.
If you love coconut-based Indian curries like this creamy vegetable curry, this vegetable korma recipe is for you!
Table of Contents
What is vegetable korma?
A korma (or kurma) is a creamy Indian curry with mixed vegetables in a mildly spiced sauce. In north Indian cuisine, the korma sauce is made with yoghurt and nuts. In south India, where it is called a "kurma," the sauce is made with coconut milk.
A more festive version of this recipe from north India, called Navratan Korma, has a pristine white sauce with dry fruits added to it.
Ingredients
- Vegetables. You will need onions, tomatoes, and eight cups of chopped veggies, including carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, green peas and green beans. You can switch out the recipes with any you have on hand. Sweet potatoes are great here and so are zucchinis, mushrooms and cauliflower florets.
- Herbs: garlic, ginger and curry leaves.
- Spices: cayenne pepper or any red chilli powder, turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, poppy seeds, mustard seeds and garam masala (optional).
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk ties all of the ingredients together and creates that amazing, silky mouth feel.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil works nicely with the south Indian flavors of vegetable korma. You can use another neutral oil.
Expert tips
- Cook some of the vegetables first. The potatoes, carrots and green beans take longer to cook than the bell peppers, so cook them first by placing them in a saucepan with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the veggies are almost tender. You can also do this in the microwave. Reserve the cooking water for thinning out the sauce later.
- Cook the tomatoes and onions well. Make sure the onions and tomatoes cook together until the sauce is darker. This will ensure a strong flavor base for the veg korma.
- Make the korma gravy creamy and thick but saucy. The vegetable korma sauce should be thick and creamy enough to scoop up with a roti or naan, but it should also be saucy enough to mix with rice. If the curry is too thick, add some water or the reserved stock from cooking the veggies to thin it out.
- Don't let the coconut milk boil. Doing so could cause it to separate. After you add the coconut milk to the pot, warm it through but turn off the heat because it comes to a boil.
- Add the tempering for more flavor! The final tempering or tadka, with cumin seeds and curry leaves in oil, adds a delicious finish. Be watchful and don't stir-fry for more than a minute or the cumin could burn. Pour the tempering over the vegetable korma with the heat turned off.
- Garnish the korma. Use a simple garnish of chopped, fresh cilantro or mint leaves. Or swirl on some vegan yogurt before serving.
Serving suggestions
- With an Indian flatbread like roti, vegan naan or paratha.
- With poori, a fried Indian bread.
- With basmati rice or jeera rice.
This was so delicious, I'm going to bed dreaming about the leftovers I'm having for lunch tomorrow. I made your naan recipe to eat along with it and-oh my goodness, absolute heaven.
-Sara
Storage tips
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers of this vegetable korma curry in the refrigerator for up to three days. The korma tastes great the next day so this is also a good recipe to make a day or two ahead.
- Freeze: For longer storage freeze the korma in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
More creamy Indian curry recipes
Vegetable Korma Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot with lid.
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots (cut into ¼-inch rounds or semi-circles, or dice)
- 1 cup green beans (cut into ½-inch pieces)
- 2 yellow or red potatoes, (cut into ½-inch dice)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (crushed into a paste or grated)
- 4 large cloves garlic (crushed into a paste or minced)
- 2 medium tomatoes (pureed. Or use 1 cup canned pureed tomato)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne (use less if you prefer)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup green peas (I use frozen but fresh is fine)
- 1 large bell pepper (cut into a ½-inch dice)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the beans, carrots and potatoes in a saucepan or pot with lid or in a covered microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ cup water, and cook until vegetables are tender but not falling apart. Drain the vegetables before adding to the korma and reserve the cooking water.
- Place the coconut milk and poppy seeds in a blender with ½ cup water and blend into a very smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add one chopped onion and saute until it starts to turn translucent. Add ginger and garlic continue to saute another 30 seconds.
- Add tomato puree with cayenne or red chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric and garam masala, if using. Mix, cover, and let the tomatoes and onions cook over low heat about 10 minutes until they are darker. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the pan.
- Add the chopped bell peppers, green peas, and the cooked veggies. Add some water or vegetable stock from cooking the veggies to thin out the gravy to your liking.
- Mix well and let the gravy come to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover, and let the vegetable korma cook another five minutes.
- Stir in the blended coconut-poppy-seed paste and the garam masala, if using. Add salt to taste. Heat through but turn off the stove before the coconut milk comes to a boil.
- In a small saucepan or skillet, prepare the tempering. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add cumin seeds and when they turn a couple of shades darker, add the curry leaves and stir-fry for a minute longer.
- Turn off the heat and pour the tempering over the korma. Serve.
Recipe notes
- You can add other veggies to this korma. Zucchini, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, any winter squash and baby corn are all great choices.
- Stir in ½ cup vegan yogurt into the korma at the end of cooking for a slight tang and more complexity to your korma sauce.
- Garnish with coriander or fresh green mint leaves or even chopped scallions.
- Serve the vegetable korma with roti or naan or with basmati rice.
- Store any leftovers of this vegetable korma curry in the refrigerator for up to three days. The korma tastes great the next day so this is also a good recipe to make a day or two ahead.
- For longer storage freeze the korma in an airtight container for up to three months.
Diane M
This Veggie Korma was wonderful, so full of flavor, rich and creamy!! My family loved it too. I added half a cup of cashew cream and added sautéed tofu as well. This will be a favorite recipe in the future!!
Vaishali
Awesome!