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Veg Kurma Recipe (Hotel Style Vegetable Korma)
4.9 from 158 votes

Veg Kurma Recipe (Hotel Style Vegetable Korma)

Veg Kurma is a richly spiced vegetable curry featuring mixed vegetables in a creamy, nutty coconut and cashew-based sauce. The paste includes toasted coconut, cashews, poppy seeds, and aromatic spices ground finely for a thick, flavorful gravy. This dish offers a balance of tender vegetables coated in a mildly spiced, aromatic sauce typical of hotel-style Indian kormas.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 155 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For kurma paste
  • 5 tablespoons desiccated coconut (unsweetened) or fresh/frozen coconut
  • 12 to 15 cashews - soaked
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus khus) - optional
  • ½ tablespoon chana dal roasted split & husked bengal gram, roasted
  • ½ tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 4 to 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 kapok bud (marathi moggu) - optional
  • 1 tiny piece stone flower (pathar phool) - optional
  • 1 teaspoon green chili or 2 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoons garlic or 4 to 5 small to medium-sized garlic, finely chopped
  • 1.5 teaspoons ginger or 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
  • ½ cup water for blending or add as required
Veggies
  • 1 to 1.25 cups cauliflower medium sized, florets
  • ¾ cup potato or 1 medium potato - diced, chopped
  • ⅓ cup green peas fresh or frozen
  • ¼ cup green beans or 7 to 8 french beans, French beans
  • ½ cup carrot or 1 medium carrot, chopped
Other ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil any neutral oil or coconut oil, generic cooking oil
  • ⅓ cup onion or 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup tomato or 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves (medium to large) or 12 to 15 small sized
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons curd (yogurt) - optional
  • 1.25 cups water - for slightly thin gravy, add 1.5 cups water
  • salt as required
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons Coriander leaves cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Preparation
    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later drain and set aside.
  2. Rinse and soak cauliflower florets in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. This step is optional and only to get rid of any insects or worms in the cauliflower. After blanching the cauliflower, drain them and set aside.
  3. Rinse, peel and chop the rest of the vegetables.
  4. Add the the ingredients mentioned under 'for kurma paste' in a in a blender or mixer-grinder.
  5. Pour ½ cup water or as required and grind to a smooth fine paste. Set aside.
Sautéing
  1. Heat oil in a 2-litre pressure cooker or a pan. Add the chopped onions.
  2. Stir and sauté until the onions turn translucent or light golden. Add curry leaves and mix.
  3. Next add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Add the ground kurma paste. Stir and mix well. Sauté stirring often for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium flame or until you see the oil releasing from the sides and the paste becoming glossy and thick.
  5. Then add fresh curd (yogurt). If you want, you can skip yogurt too.
  6. Mix the curd very well with the rest of the masala paste.
  7. Add the chopped mix vegetables. Stir and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Then add 1.25 cups water. For slightly thin gravy you can add 1.5 cups water. If cooking in a pan, then add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Mix well.
  9. Season with salt according to your taste preferences.
Making veg kurma
  1. Pressure cook for 2 whistles or for 8 to 9 minutes.
  2. When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid. If you find the gravy to be thin, then you can simmer for some more minutes. 
  3. If the gravy looks thick, then add some water and simmer for a few more minutes. The consistency should be medium - neither thin nor thick.
  4. Add chopped coriander leaves and give a stir.
Serving suggestions
  1. Indian flat breads: Korma tastes great with some soft roti or a chewy naan or a flaky paratha.
  2. Indian fry bread: Poori which is the most popular Indian fried bread is again a best choice to have korma.
  3. Rice: Plain steamed rice or flavored rice like ghee rice, biryani rice make easy and tasty sides with korma.
  4. Dosa: Soft dosa like neer dosa or poha dosa or a lacy, soft appam tastes nice with korma gravy.

Notes

  • Almonds can replace cashews if preferred.
  • Omit roasted chana dal or poppy seeds if unavailable; melon seeds may be used instead of poppy seeds.
  • Skip kapok bud and stone flower if not accessible; their omission won't drastically affect the dish.
  • Substitute curry leaves with Indian bay leaf (tej patta) if needed.
  • Keep spice and nut quantities as listed to preserve intended flavor balance.
  • Adjust gravy consistency by varying water amount; avoid overly thin or thick sauces.
  • When cooking in a pan, increase water to 1.5-2 cups and simmer covered until vegetables are tender.
  • For a vegan kurma, use dairy-free yogurt or omit it entirely.

Nutrition Information

Calories 155kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 271mg (11%) Potassium 256mg (5%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 2456IU (49%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 17mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin B12 1µg (42%) Vitamin C 46mg (51%) Vitamin E 3mg Vitamin K 11µg Calcium 62mg (6%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 192µg Iron 1mg (6%) Magnesium 36mg (9%) Phosphorus 83mg Zinc 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 155

% Daily Value*

Calories 155kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 271mg 11%
Potassium 256mg 5%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 2456IU 49%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 17mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin B12 1µg 42%
Vitamin C 46mg 51%
Vitamin E 3mg
Vitamin K 11µg
Calcium 62mg 6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 192µg
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 36mg 9%
Phosphorus 83mg
Zinc 1mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.