Vegetable Korma is a very mild yet flavorful Mughlai dish. Korma is traditionally meat or vegetables cooked with onions in a creamy yogurt sauce. Try this recipe for a healthy version of the well known favorite.
Prep Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Cook Time: approx 30 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Broken Cashew Pieces – 2 Tbsp
Golden Raisins – 1 Tbsp
Bay Leaf – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece
Green Cardamom – 3
Whole Cloves – 7
White (or Black) Peppercorns – 1/4 tsp
Broken Cashews – 1/4 cup
Onions – 2 medium, finely chopped
Salt – to taste
Garlic – 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Ginger – 2 Tbsp, finely chopped
Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped
Cumin Powder – 1/2 Tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 Tbsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Evaporated Milk – 5 oz can
Yogurt – 1/2 cup, well beaten
Paneer – approx 7 oz, cubed
Tomato – 1 large, cubed
Carrots – 2 (approx 1 cup), cubed
Cauliflower – 2 cups, cut to bite size florets
Potatoes – 2 medium, cubed
Frozen Green Peas – 1 cup
Green Beans – 1 cup, cut to 1 inch pieces
Cilantro Leaves – 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Water – approx 2 cups
Method:
1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat.
2. Fry Cashews (2 Tbsp) and Raisins until golden brown. Remove onto a plate draining as much Oil as possible back into the pan.
3. In the same Oil, add Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Green Cardamom, Whole Cloves and Peppercorns. Roast for few seconds.
4. Add 1/4 cup Cashew pieces and roast until golden.
5. Add Onions, Turmeric Powder and a little Salt. Mix, cover and cook for 3 minutes, stirring in between.
6. While Onions are cooking…
Add Cauliflower, Green Peas, Carrots, a little Salt, 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, stir and an additional 2 minutes. Remove veggies and water into a separate bowl.
7. Add Ginger, Green Chilies and Garlic to the Onions and cook for 2-3 additional minutes or until golden brown. Turn off stove and allow mixture to cool.
8. In the same microwave safe bowl as above, add Potatoes and a little salt and mix well. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave for 3 minutes, stir and an additional 2 minutes. Remove potatoes and water and add to the other cooked veggies.
9. In the same microwave safe bowl, add Green Beans and a little salt and mix. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook for 3 minutes, stir and an additional 2 minutes.
10. Grind cooled Onion mixture into a fine paste with approx 1/4 cup water (or more if necessary).
11. Return onion paste back to pan and cook until the Oil separates. Stir continuously.
12. Add in Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder and Red Chili Powder. Add 1/4 cup water to help the dry spices mix well.
13. Add cubed Paneer and mix.
14. Add Tomatoes, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
15. Add Evaporated Milk and mix.
16. Reduce heat to low and add beaten yogurt slowly while mixing. Allow mixture to come to a boil.
17. Add cooked vegetables with the water from cooking. Mix well. Add additional water to get to your desired consistency. Cook for 5 minutes.
18. Add in Cilantro and mix well.
19. Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins from before.
20. Serve hot with chapati, naan, or rice.
Hi Guys,
Tried this out last night, was really really awesum. my Husband loved it.. but i dint put any chilly while grinding it, coz my husband cant stand spice, even a lil bit.. can u suggest any way i can jst add some chilli only to my food while eating.. :D..
Hi Pree,
You can make the dish and then pull out some for your husband before adding some green chili or red chili powder to your portion.
Hello,
Is the ‘Red Chili powder’, not-spicy ‘Chili Powder’, or are you referring to the spicier cayenne ‘red pepper’ powder? I ask, because you mentioned ‘to taste’, which is typical with ingredients that add heat.
Thanks!
Hi Avery,
When we say “Red Chili Powder”, we do mean the spicy one. We do not say “Cayenne” because many times, different varieties of chilies are used to make the powder. When we want color without the heat, we use Paprika.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I tried the veg korma today and it came out veryyy well. We all loved it and thankyou for coming out with healthier options of making curries 🙂 I made this curry with just yogurt, eliminated the evaporated milk and still it tastes delicious.
Thanks again and have a good summer!!!
Sowmya
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
I tried veg Korma for a sunday feast-and it came out fantastically well…The efforts and time put in were worth!! Thanks a lot for sharing 🙂
Cheers
Hi,
is it o.k. to replace cashews with almonds?
Thank you
Hi Emma,
Cashews and Almonds have a very different flavor. Having said that, you can replace but the flavors will be different but good. We suggest that you soak the almonds overnight so they get really soft and are easier to bite into and incorporate well with the dish.
Hi Anuja,
Thank you!
i have made this so many ties for many parties and just with poori for sunday breakfast and its so yum everytime—thanks to both of u—keep rocking!!!!!!
cheers
Thank you, Divya!
Hi ladies,
sorry to keep bugging you with questions on so many different recipes – but is it possible (in a time crunch) to sub in frozen vegetables, namely frozen carrots, cauliflower, and green beans? And if that’s ok, about how much would I need to adjust the added water and cooking time in the microwave? Thanks!
Hi Malavika,
In a time crunch, you can sub frozen veggies, but just keep in mind that they will be a little mushy compared to the fresh ones. If you’re ok with that, it usually takes a little less time to cook frozen veggies. You can reduce the time by a minute and check on them. If needed, you can always cook them further. Also, since they already have quite a bit of moisture, you can reduce the water by 1/2 also.
Thanks Hetal! made this yday with the frozen veggies and it was a big hit :).
Hi there,
You guys are rocking !!! Thanks for this yummy kurma recipe!!!!
Just wanted to let you know that the jeera rice turned out perfect and it was a hit! Thanks for your help Hetal.
This may be a silly question, but what kind of onions do you use? Are they sweet onions, or the regular white cooking onions? Thanks!
Hi Samantha,
We use red, white or yellow onions intermittently. We do not use sweet onions (like Vadalia) because they make the entire dish sweet. Sweet onions are great for salads or eating raw.
I do not have a microwave. How do you suggest I cook the vegetables for this recipe? Should I steam or boil them? Thanks!
Hi Holly, We suggest steaming as the best option!
Cheers!
Hi,
I like this recipe. I tried many recipes from yr site & we like each of them. I just want to know that I can use evaporated milk in every recipe for creamy test instead of using whipping cream? It can be used with tomato gravy also? & one more thing with evaporated milk I have to use yogurt all the time?
Hi Avani,
Yes, you can use evaporated milk in most of the recipes that call for heavy whipping cream (with the exception of certain desserts like ice cream). It will not provide the really rich texture of cream, but it is a very good lower fat option for everyday cooking/eating. It can be used with tomato based gravies as well. No, you do not have to mix yogurt every time you use evaporated milk.
Thank u very much. Because the main reason is my husband & me both like different curries & all but i don’t want to use more fat in it. So after yr guidance now i m happy to make different curries & all.
Thanks once again.
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
You girls are doing a wonderful job. I love your recipes, especially your Palak Paneer. Yummmmmmmm…… I have watched a lot of your videos and they are awesome and it inspires me to try different dishes.
I have invited my friends for lunch tomorrow and I’m planning to serve Vegetable Kurma with roti but I also want to know if this will go with any rice dish other than just plain steamed rice. Pleeeease helpppppppppp!
Hi Sowmya,
Jeera Rice will be perfect with your menu. It doesn’t have a lot of overpowering spices that will clash with the veg korma, yet it is colorful and flavorful. Here is the link: https://34.233.61.50/rice-dishes/jeera-rice.html
It’s one of our older videos, so please bear with the quality.
You know what! That’s just what I did. But I do not have a rice cooker and I’m using a pressure cooker. I’m making 3 cups of rice and using 5 cups of water hoping that it’ll be right. Please reply if you see this post now, it’s not too late, I’m still in the process of making it. Thanks 🙂
Hi Sowmya,
You can make the jeera rice in a pot without using a pressure cooker. Sometimes, the rice becomes a little too soft in a pressure cooker, but since you’re using less water than the normal 2 to 1 ratio, it may work.
Good one! Thanks a lot! Another delicious variation to this recipe would be to replace yogurt with a paste made from fresh coconut…And I add some pineapple to my korma as well…Yum!! :))
Hi,
You gals are doing a fantastic job…i always try your recipies for any special occasions,dinner parties or potluck .they are gr8 help…can you please add in you list recipie for mix vegetables in curry style…
Thanks Hetal, for your prompt reply as usual!
Neha
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Thanks for the above recipe!
If I am using the frozen paneer, can I use the paneer directly from the freezer into the gravy or it needs to be defrosted first? And for how long?
Thanks in advance!
Neha
Hi Neha,
You can soak frozen paneer in a bowl of warm water for about 15-20 minutes before adding it to the gravy. Be sure to gently squeeze out the excess water before adding it.
Hetal and Anuja.. You both are doing a great job !! This is my favourite site !! Anytime I have a party at home, I am looking for recipes on your site !! I love your site because of different options available..
You both not only show us the recipe and preparation, but also give tips which are very helpful to get the dish right. I have learnt several things watching your videos.
Thanks a lot. 🙂
Do continue your great work.. Love u both..
-Anju
Hi Anju,
Thanks so much for the kind words!
I have another question, it says to add green chilies and red pepper to taste….which would you add more of? Wouldn’t it change the taste of the dish depending on what type of heat is added to a dish?
Thanks in advance.
Hello,
I want to make this dish for only 2-3 people first before I try it on my guests. when cooking the veggies in the microwave, do I add less water or still the same amount? And when I double up the ingredients to feed 10-12 people, do I double up the water as well?
Thanks
Also…
What is the difference between white peppercorns and black peppercorns, besides the color?
Hi Pinal,
A black peppercorn is picked when still green and dried in the sun until it turns black. A white peppercorn is ripened fully on the vine before it is picked. Black pepper has a slightly hotter flavor and aroma. Many times, white peppercorn is used for aesthetic reasons, when the final color of the dish is light and black pepper would stand out.
You can double up the water or cut it in half, but you cannot double up the time cooked in the microwave. Sometimes, even if the amount is doubled, it may take less than double to time to cook. Cook the minimum time and then keep cooking in 1-2 minute increments until it is how you want it.
Hello,
Which green chili do you use for your dishes? I notice no matter what Indian cooking site that I visit it is never clear which green chili pepper is being used so I am wondering which to buy so that I can make this dish. Is it serrano chili? Jalepeno? Thanks for your help in advance!!
Hi Rhoda,
You can really use any green chili (serrano, jalapeno, thai chili). Most of the time, we use thai chili — only because we like it hot! The difference amongst the chilies is the level of heat, jalapeno being the mildest and thai chili, the most spicy of the three. There is also a flavor difference that people with keen taste buds are able to detect.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I just noticed your comment about not removing bay leaves before grinding. I came across an interesting fact the other day. The bay leaves that you get in India is not the same that you get in UK/US.The ones from india can be eaten, where as the other ones have to be dicarded and cannot be ground/eaten. Hence do check your bay leaves box to check the kind. I did check mine and it says “Be sure to remove leaves before eating”.
Regards,
Preethi
Interesting! Will look into it. Thanks for bringing it to our notice!
I think this might answer your question:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_bay_leaves_poisionus_to_eat
Loved your vegetable korma.Gifted to a American friend.And he loved it too.Thanks a lot for the amazing recipe.Just want to ask you how to search for a recipe in your website ?
Thanks for the great feedback!
Our search bar on the right sidebar…just scroll down a bit. It looks like a web search, but it’s been filtered to show the search term from our website.
hi guys!!!!
i tried this recipi yesterday n it came out well ….we served this with fried rice but it ws delicious……………….thanx a lot…..u ve a grt no of people here in this dubai to watch ur shows!!!!!nice work
excellent job guys!
now a physician is one of your fans and is boasting that he can cook!
-sridhar
tip: try coconut milk instead of evaporated milk, same quantity! that’s how my mom does it and omg does it taste good 🙂
We are sure it does…thanks for the tip!
I love navratan korma, I steam all the veggies to make it extra healthy.
Thank you, Anjali and Hetal. This dish was delicious and being a vegetarian, I love that you have so many recipes catering to us vegetarians. Keep it up. I browsed the kitchen store and saw the list. I am wondering if some of these pans will work on an electric stove, especially one with a flat stove up? Thank you again.
Sue.
Hi Sue,
Thanks and we’re glad you’re enjoying our recipes. Yes, the cookware on the kitchen store will work just fine on electric stoves too.
Hi Hetal,
I had prepared this dish according to your suggestion and guess what? Everyone in the family were full of praises and I had no words to say. Thank you very much for your help in answering my query.
Sudha
Hi Sudha,
You can just omit the cashews. It will reduce some of the creaminess in the dish but you can compensate with a little more evaporated milk.
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
This is a great dish no doubt about it! Can you please let me know as to what can be used in the place of cashews for grinding the masala to make this dish really light? (this I am requesting because there are aged people in my house to cater to so that they too can have this dish).
Thank you both for such wonderful recipes and please keep up your good work!
Sudha
hi anuja and hetal,
the dish is really mouth watering……….
a new way of making korma…
i have always learnt that kurma means its coconut based, thats the way my mom says and makes in chennai,india.
i have a doubt… which of these either the amount of onions or tomato makes the gravy thick?
i dont use coconut due to high cholestrol and whenever i make a kurma(w/o coconut)with just onions and tomatoes and beans(chickpea)its not thick base and my husband always comments ” its chickpea sambar” 🙁
for him kurma must be thick…
give me suggestions pa… where am i going wrong
thank you,
saveetha
Hi Hetal,
Thank you very much for your advice I think I will buy the coffee grinder.
Thank u,
Purva
Hi Purva,
For the korma, you can use a blender. You may have to add a little water to get the mixture moving (try to use as little as possible).
Unfortunately, neither a blender nor a food processor work well for grinding dry spices into a fine powder. If you plan on making more recipes that require spice grinding, you can invest in a coffee grinder. One with a removable jar will let you grind the dry spices as well as things like the onion mixture from above.
Hi hetal n anuja,
Thank you for the amazing recipes.
I plan to cook this dish . I have a food processor and a blender .I dot have a grinder.What should I use to grind the onion mixture.Also I plan to cook veg biryani. What can I use to grind the dry biryani masala.
Thank you,
Purva
Hi Mary Ann,
If you would like to make double the quantity, just double all the ingredients but not the cooking times (espically the microwave part).
Regarding making it ahead for a party, we would suggest that you make the gravy a day or two ahead but the vegetables would hold up best if you add them the day of the party.
The heating and reheating of the vegatables may over-cook the vegetables and they may not hold their shape.
Enjoy!
Hi Shilpa,
Sorry for the late response- Rose Syrup (aka Rooh Afza) is available at Indian/ Pakistani grocery stores.
when doubling the recipe do you double all the ingredients? i would like to make this receipe ahead of time will that affect the texture of the gravy and flavor of the dish? thanks for sharing such a delicious receipe.
Hi,
Excellent recipe. I tried it and believe me my hubby loved this recipe a lot.
I have one query, in your video you have shown grinder, may i please ask what is the name of the grinder? where to buy it? You may be aware that in US, mixers really don’t work for Indian recipe. Till the gravy is not really grinded well the food doesn’t turn out tasty.
Thanks
Swati
hi! the ‘grinder’ they used is a Magic Bullet, i have one at home and it’s awesome! not sure if it’s available in stores, but you can easily order it online
Hi Lavi,
We are so sorry, we must have missed your question. We get hundreds of questions each day and sometimes they get lost in the shuffle. We apologize.
To answer your question, you can definitely use heavy cream. We chose to use evaporated milk to save on some calories and fat. Heavy cream will actually give it more richness. Some people say you cannot boil cream, but we have had no issues with the separation.
If you use regular milk, your texture may not be as rich. And also, too much yogurt will alter the taste and become too tangy.
u don’t reply to all questions…..
Hi Kanya,
So glad you enjoyed the korma! You can definitely use cream or milk. Of course, the cream will get you a richer texture than the milk. We use evaporated milk because it is a happy medium. It provides a little more umph than plain milk but doesn’t have as much fat and calories as milk.
Hi,
Awesome recipe, I tried it yesterday and turned out so good, exactly like we get in the restaurant, though this is more healthier and obviously home made fresh.
Thank you very much to both of you.
I have one question, can we use cream/milk instead of Evaporated Milk?
thanks again.
Hi,
In vegetable Korma recipe, is it fine to use cream instead of evaporated milk? i heard, one cannot cook after adding cream as it separates out and spoils everything. Or rather it’s good to use normal milk? a bit of it and adding more of yoghurt?
Hi,
I tried this veg korma yesterday and it turned out really really good.Thanks a lot for the recipe.Can u tell me where do i find rose syrup which u used in making Falooda.I tried in american store,but i couldn’t find that.
You can get rose syrup from the Indian store .. I got some there ..
Anuja and Hetal,
Wow… wow… wow!
What an excellent flavor! The gravy is just fantastic; it has a very full, complex and rich taste, and it is very, very tasty! The mix of veggies/cashew/raisins provide a great variety of textures too.
There were a ton of subtle nuisances and techniques in your presentation that I’m grateful to have learned. In particular, the steps in making the gravy have confounded me for years. Also, the use of whole spices was a nice insight.
I’m a soy freak, so I used _pressed_ firm tofu in place of the paneer. It looks identical to the paneer, and the tofu doesn’t introduce any odd flavors. Also, I used unsweetened soy milk in place of the condensed milk. However, I did use regular dairy yogurt. Also, when blending the onion mixture (for the gravy), I had to use about 3/4 C water to get my blender to blend the mixture. I figure this extra amount of water wouldn’t matter since it’ll get cooked out later anyway.
I love the video format. I have struggled with Indian recipes as long as I can remember. Being able to _see_ how something is prepared answers so many of the little questions that usually pop up while cooking solely from written recipes.
Thanks again. I look forward to trying many of your other dishes, and I wish you great success with your website.
Eric P.
Hi Pramila,
Thanks! No, you should not remove any of the whole spices while grinding. Since there is no garam masala in this recipe, the whole spices are needed for the flavor. They will give a fresh flavor to the dish.
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
Both of you are doing a great job !!!
Step 10 states that the onion mixture must be ground. Please let me know if the bay leaves and any of the other roasted spices need to be removed before being ground.
Pramila
Hi Adam,
This recipe is very similar to Navratan Korma but definitely a lot healthier. Please let us know how it comes out!
Would this happen to be similar/the same to Navratan (sp?) Korma? I had some at an Indian restaurant last week and loved it and wanted to try it at home. The ingredients look similar as well as your picture to what I had. Either way looks delicious and I will surely try it. Have tried many of your recipes with great results so I am hoping this is the end of my search! 😉
-Adam