Vegetable Korma

Creamy, fragrant and loaded with vegetables this creamy Vegetable Korma is the perfect Friday night curry. Mild enough so that the whole family can enjoy it, but still packed full of flavour. Vegan and gluten-free.

Jump to:

• What is Korma?
• Here's What You'll Need
• How To Make Vegetable Korma
• Expert Tips 
• How To Serve Vegetable Korma
• FAQs
• Vegetable Korma

This vegetable korma is one of my family's favourite curries. It's full of rich fragrant flavours, and is one of the milder curries, which is great for the whole family! It does take a bit longer to make than some of my other curries but it is totally worth the time. The result is a deliciously creamy curry with very well developed flavours.

I make a lot of curries, they're one of my favourite things to cook and eat! They're great for packing in the veggies and perfect for leftovers too. You'll find that there are a lot of curry recipes on this blog, from the very popular Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry to my quick and easy Chickpea and Lentil Curry or my rich and spicy Mushroom Curry.

What is Korma?

Korma or kurma is an Indian curry consisting of meat or vegetables braised with spices, yoghurt, cream or nuts, water or stock resulting in a thick sauce. Traditionally Korma was a noble dish that was often served in the imperial Mughal court, and the cooking of  Korma was a slow process.

Here in the UK, korma is best known as one of the milder curries, a beginner curry if you will. It is one of the nation's favourite curries. Though it is known to be a mild dish here in the UK a korma can be firey hot too.

For this vegetable korma recipe, I'm keeping to a mild version. This is a family-friendly curry that even young kids can enjoy. To keep this recipe vegan I use coconut milk instead of yoghurt. So this is not a traditional Korma, just my version of a great classic.

Here's What You'll Need

• Spices - ground cumin, garam masala, and turmeric are the main spices here. All easily found in your local supermarket.
• Aromatics -  onion, ginger, green chilli, cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks add the big flavours to this curry.
• The Sauce -  cashews soaked then blended add a creamy nutty flavour to this curry. Full fat coconut milk is the base for which everything is cooked.
• Vegetables - cauliflower, green bell pepper and potatoes bulk up this curry and add some texture. This is a very versatile dish so most vegetables will work well in this recipe. I have added peas, cauliflower and mushrooms to this and they all work really well.
• Sultanas - also known as golden raisins these add a little sweetness to the curry.

How To Make Vegetable Korma

This is just a quick visual step by step guide, please find the full instructions and ingredient list in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Start by soaking the cashews in warm water, they'll need at least half an hour. Then blend until smooth.

Step 2: Blanch the chopped potatoes in a pan of hot water until almost tender. I leave the skins on, but you can remove them if you wish.

Step 3: Heat the oil in a pan then add the cardamom seeds and cinnamon sticks. Cook until the pods open. Add the chopped onion and cook this until it is almost golden. Next add the spices, garlic, ginger and chilli pepper. Cook for a minute or two.

Step 4: Add the green bell pepper to the pan then stir in the cashew paste to the pan.

Step 5: Add the cauliflower and stir well. Make sure the cauliflower is coated in the spices.

Step 6: Finally, add the balanced potato and slowly stir in the coconut milk. Give everything a good stir, then pop the lid on and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir often so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. The curry is done when the sauce is thick and the potato and cauliflower are cooked through.

Expert Tips 

• Start the right way - cooking the onions for longer at the beginning of the dish is really important. Cooking them slowly on a low heat means they lose all of their astringent qualities. They will become completely browned, tender, and sweet. Cooked this way means they will also bring a deeper flavour to your korma.
• Don't burn the spices - be careful when cooking the spices, they really only need a minute. If they burn it will ruin the curry.
• Use a pan with a tight-fitting lid - this will help to cook the vegetables in the curry.
• Stir often - you will need to check on this curry often, stir it often so that the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
• Leave the cinnamon sticks in - don't be tempted to remove the cinnamon sticks, they need to stay in right until the end. Just remember to remove them when serving and check the sauce for any broken bark.
• Cardamom pods - if you're serving this dish to children then I would remove the cardamom pods before serving, most kids won't appreciate that fragrant surprise!

How To Serve Vegetable Korma

If we're having this during the week I will usually serve this with plain basmati rice. If we want to have more of an Indian feast I'll serve this with basmati or pilau rice, naan or chapati, popadoms, and chutneys.

FAQs

If You Loved This Korma, Try These Curries Next

• Butternut Squash & Chickpea Curry  -  This vegan butternut squash curry is delicious! It's easy to make and is perfect for a tasty weeknight dinner.
• Vegan Massaman Curry  - a deliciously rich and decadent Thai curry. It’s sweet and spicy, creamy and nutty. Packed with aubergine and potatoes this is such a great date night dinner.
• Aubergine and Chickpea Curry  - A mildly spiced curry, that's easy to make and healthy, even the kids will love this one.

Did you make this recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!

*Update Notes: This recipe was first published in February 2018,  updated in November 2019 with step by step guide and more nutritional information. Updated April 2021 with new photos and for housekeeping.