Vegetable Korma with Coconut Milk

I adore Indian food, and my favorite dish is Vegetable Korma, a warming, stick-to-your-ribs stew with a creamy cashew, coconut milk and yogurt base. Vegetable Korma is an excellent showcase for fresh produce including eggplant, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. It is especially delicious served over Basmati rice, and extra nice if you flavor the rice with saffron. We like to scoop it up with bread; Indian naan is a perfect choice; pita is good, too.

As much as I enjoy Vegetable Korma, I’m a spicy food wuss, so ordering in restaurants is always a gamble because judging if a dish is “hot” is subjective. So, over a decade ago, I set my sights on developing my own recipe that had the wonderful flavors without the heat. After numerous experiments, I perfected the recipe that has since become one of my most requested dishes at home, and is one of the most popular cooking classes I teach. It is my go-to comfort food; I always make a big batch so there’s enough for leftovers the next day. I cook it in a 3.75 quart Le Creuset braiser, and as shown in the photos, I frequently serve it in my Le Creuset Tarte Tatin pan.  It is designed for pastry, but I have a small kitchen so my cookware has to serve multiple purposes. The recipe yields approximately 3 quarts (12 cups), and I have this recipe set at six 2 cup servings.

Selecting Ingredients:

For this Vegetable Korma recipe, any aubergine variety will work. I prefer Thai or Lao Green Stripe eggplant because they hold their shape and texture through simmering and reheating. Grow your own, or look for Thai eggplant in Asian markets – it is a small, round, green striped fruit. (It is the smallest of the three eggplants I am holding in my round profile photo).  Note that I did not include yellow squash, zucchini, etc. in this recipe. It is a wonderful addition if you’re eating this korma all at once, but it goes mushy in reheated leftovers.

There are things that rarely appear in my recipes: one is a long ingredient list, another is canned goods. For my Vegetable Korma recipe the ingredient list IS long, but it’s still an easy, reasonably quick dish to prepare. This recipe also calls for two cans of coconut milk, a staple in Asian cooking and a staple in our cupboard. It’s excellent in curries, of course, but also in cakes, dairy-free ice cream and puddings, soups, etc. You can make coconut milk from scratch, and sometimes I do, but for this recipe, cans it is. I usually cook my own dry chickpeas, you can use cans for that, too (look for canned organic chickpeas). I prefer to use ghee (a clarified butter that originated in India) in this recipe, but olive oil works, too.

Vegetable Korma Variations:

If you haven’t had Vegetable Korma before, I suggest making the recipe as written at least once to get the taste and feel of it. Then the next time you make it, put your own spin on it. Change the cashews to almonds, switch up the vegetables, adjust the spices, etc.  Substitute Romanesco or Brocco-flower for the cauliflower. For those following dairy-free or vegan diets, use non-dairy yogurt or omit it completely – it will still be a most outstanding korma.

If you enjoy this Vegetable Korma, you may also like this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower Soup.

Print Recipe

Vegetable Korma with Coconut, Cashew, Yogurt Sauce

Vegetable Korma with coconut, cashew and yogurt sauce is a warming, stick-to-your-ribs Indian stew. It is comfort food at its finest, and an excellent showcase for fresh produce.

Recipe by~ Reese Amorosi

Votes: 26
Rating: 4.5
You:

Rate this recipe!

Course

Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine

Indian, Vegetarian

Keyword

Nuts and Seeds, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 2 cups eggplant cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cauliflower small, cut or broken into florets
• 2 potatoes medium, cubed
• 4 carrots medium, cut into 1/4 coins
• 1/2 pound string beans cut into bite size pieces
• 2 cups chickpeas cooked
• 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk unsweetened, organic
• 8 oz yogurt plain
• 1 cup cashews unsalted
• 1 tomato large, skin removed (or 1 tbsp tomato paste)
• 1 onion medium, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp curry powder or garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (omit if it's in the curry powder or garam masala)
• 1 tbsp ginger fresh, grated (or 1/4 tsp ground powder)
• 2 tbsp ghee or extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt

Course Main Dish, Soup Cuisine Indian, Vegetarian Keyword Nuts and Seeds, Soups and Stews, Vegetarian Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 2 cups eggplant cut into bite size pieces 1 cauliflower small, cut or broken into florets 2 potatoes medium, cubed 4 carrots medium, cut into 1/4 coins 1/2 pound string beans cut into bite size pieces 2 cups chickpeas cooked 2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk unsweetened, organic 8 oz yogurt plain 1 cup cashews unsalted 1 tomato large, skin removed (or 1 tbsp tomato paste) 1 onion medium, chopped 1/4 cup raisins 4 cloves garlic minced 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp curry powder or garam masala 1/2 tsp turmeric (omit if it's in the curry powder or garam masala) 1 tbsp ginger fresh, grated (or 1/4 tsp ground powder) 2 tbsp ghee or extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt

Votes: 26 Rating: 4.5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Sauté onion and garlic on medium heat in olive oil or ghee for 5 minutes, then add carrots, cauliflower, eggplant and potatoes, stirring to mix the vegetables and distribute the oil. Reduce heat to low and the let the vegetables cook, stirring occasionally, while you move on to the sauce.
2. To make the sauce, place the cashews in food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground. Add coconut milk, yogurt and tomato, pulse until blended, then add sauce to vegetables and stir well. *If you don't have a food processor or blender, see the "Recipe Notes" section below.
3. Add chickpeas, string beans, raisins, ginger and all spices, stir until well mixed. Add salt to taste, reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Test the vegetables to see if they've reached the desired tenderness, then serve Vegetable Korma over rice, preferably Basmati (which is extra delicious with added saffron). If you like, add a basket of bread - I recommend naan or pita.

Recipe Notes

~ If you don't have a food processor or blender, it's not an issue for this recipe. Crush the cashews with a mortar and pestle, or crush them with the back of a spoon, or place them between two pieces of waxed paper and crush them with a rolling pin or can. For the tomato, once the skin is removed, smoosh it with a fork or masher, or press it through a strainer or ricer, then add to the other sauce ingredients.

~ To remove the skin from a tomato, make a small cross in the bottom, submerge in boiling water until the skin starts to peel, remove and cool. The skin will then easily peel off.

~ Be sure to cut your vegetables to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly.