This vegetarian korma is rich, creamy and deliciously comforting! Made with vegetables in a spicy cashew-coconut sauce, it tastes like it’s from your favorite Indian restaurant – but is actually really easy to make at home.
Korma has always been one of my favorite Indian restaurant dishes to order at meal times. It was so creamy! So decadent!
Making a vegan version would be absolutely impossible, right? Wrong!
When I finally got brave enough to start researching korma and entertain the possibility of going vegan, I was delighted to discover that although traditional versions contain dairy, they don’t contain nearly as much dairy as I’d always like. Call for most recipes something Heavy cream or yogurt. But they also call for super creamy ingredients that I already use in my vegan cooking, like coconut milk and cashews.
Eliminating dairy from this curry was not difficult at all! In fact, the dish, on the whole, is pretty easy to throw together. I have included a few shortcuts in my recipe, such as using ground spices where traditional korma can get whole. The result was a rich and creamy vegan curry that was absolutely delicious!
Jump:
Ingredients you will need
- raw cashews Raw cashews have a rich flavor and blend smooth and creamy, so they are a key ingredient in this recipe. I don’t recommend substituting roasted cashews.
- Square tomatoes. We are keeping life simple and using canned tomatoes for our vegan korma.
- garlic
- ginger
- Vegetable oil. You can use any neutral high-heat oil you have on hand here. Coconut oil, peanut oil, canola oil, and avocado oil are all fine options.
- onion
- spices. You will need garam masala, cumin, whole cumin, cardamom, coriander and turmeric. Most of these can be found in the spice aisle of your regular supermarket. Whole cumin may be the only exception. If you can substitute with more ground cumin absolutely Of course.
- Coconut milk. Use the full-fat variety from a can. Light coconut milk will probably work if you need to reduce fat and calorie content. I don’t recommend using coconut milk sold in cartons, which are too watered down.
- Water.
- Cauliflower.
- Potatoes. The recipe calls for a russet potato, but red or golden potatoes should work just fine. You can really change things up and use a sweet potato if you want.
- the carrot
- Salt pepper.
- Frozen pulses.
- Fresh coriander leaves. If you can’t find cilantro, leave it out.
- Basmati rice.
How is it made?
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. If you want to skip the recipe, scroll all the way down!
First make the paste. Blend your raw cashews, tomatoes, garlic and ginger until smooth. This may take a few minutes, especially if you’re not using a high-powered blending device, so be patient.
Suggestion: If you are using a very large mixing device, you may find it challenging to smooth the mixture. If this is the case, add half a cup of water to help things along. You’ll be adding some water to the curry later anyway, so subtract what you added to the paste when you get to that step.
Heat your oil in a pot, add the onion and cook it for a few minutes, until it starts to soften. Now add the spices and saute it with onion little by little.
Add the paste to the pot and cook it with the onions and spices for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Continue until it thickens and darkens slightly.
Suggestion: Be careful not to burn the spices or paste during this initial cooking stage. It’s easy to do! Stir constantly and keep an eye on the heat level.
Add coconut milk, water, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots and salt to the pot. Stir it up, raise the heat and bring to a simmer.
Now reduce the heat and let the curry simmer with a lid. Remove the lid and be sure to stir well by scraping the bottom of the pot every few minutes.
Uncover the pot and let your vegetarian korma simmer for a few more minutes. This will give the sauce a chance to thicken.
Stir in the peas and cook for another minute.
Remove the pot from the heat and season the mixture with more salt, and black pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your taste.
Serve your vegetable korma with some basmati rice and a fresh coriander leaf. Vegan naan would be another delicious accompaniment. Dig in!
Remaining and storage
Leftover vegan vegetable korma should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is very mild. If you like your curry hot, feel free to add cayenne!
This is it!
More Indian-style vegan curries
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Creamy Vegan Vegetable Korma
This vegetarian korma is rich, creamy and deliciously comforting! Made with vegetables in a spicy cashew-coconut sauce, it tastes like it’s from your favorite Indian restaurant – but is actually really easy to make at home.
Materials
For the paste
-
½
the cup
raw cashews,
Soak in water for 4-8 hours and wash off -
1
the cup
Canned tomatoes -
4
cloves of garlic -
1
table spoon
Freshly grated ginger
for curry
-
2
table spoon
vegetable oil -
1
medium onion,
to cut -
2
teaspoon
garam masala -
1
teaspoon
cumin -
1
teaspoon
Whole cumin seeds -
½
teaspoon
cardamom -
½
teaspoon
ground coriander -
½
teaspoon
The soil is yellow -
1
(14 oz/400 ml) can
Full fat coconut milk -
½
the cup
the water -
1
small heads of cauliflower,
broken into florets (about 1 ½ pounds) -
1
medium potatoes,
Scrub and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 10 ounces) -
3
medium carrot,
chopped (about 8 ounces total) -
1
teaspoon
salt,
Plus more flavor if desired -
1
the cup
frozen pulses,
to melt -
bell pepper,
to test
to serve
- Cooked basmati rice
- Chopped fresh coriander leaves
instructions
-
Place all paste ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. (Note 1)
-
Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add onions.
-
Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until it begins to soften and become translucent, stirring frequently.
-
Add garam masala, cumin, cumin, cardamom, coriander and turmeric to the pot. Cook the spices with the onion, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
-
Add the paste to the pot. Stir well and continue stirring until it begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.
-
Stir in coconut milk, water, potatoes, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
-
Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers. Cover the pot and let the curry simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Be sure to uncover the pot and stir it every few minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to prevent the sauce from burning.
-
Uncover the pot and let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the vegetables are very tender.
-
Stir in the peas and continue to simmer the curry for about 1 minute to heat the peas through.
-
Remove the pot from the heat and season the korma with additional salt to taste, as well as black pepper.
-
Serve with basmati rice and a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves.
Recipe notes
- If you are using a large blending device and have trouble getting the mixture smooth, add ½ cup water, then subtract the amount of water used when adding water to the curry in step 6.
- Make this recipe a light curry. For some heat, add some cayenne pepper in step 4. For a more intense taste, increase the amount of garam masala.
- Nutritional information does not include rice.
nutrients
Creamy Vegan Vegetable Korma
Amount per serving (1.25 cups)
calories 380
243 calories from fat
% Daily Value*
thick 27 grams42%
16.8 grams of saturated fat84%
Sodium 487 mg20%
potassium 1024 mg29%
carbohydrates 31.9 grams11%
8.9 grams of fiber36%
10.7 grams of sugar12%
protein 8.8 grams18%
calcium 81 mg8%
iron 4 mg22%
* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.