Best Vegetable Korma! A boatload of comforting vegetables like potatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, and a creamy golden sauce with onion, garlic, ginger, warming spices. So comforting!
“Yum! This was so easy to make, and smelt divine whilst being cooked. A very tasty korma I used halloumi instead of paneer (as that’s what I had in the fridge already) and added some cashew nuts. Definitely adding to my ‘to make again’ list, particularly as it could be so easily adapted for whatever veg are in season.”
Let the record show: if I could eat this creamy, cozy, veggie korma for every cold-weather meal, I’d be a very happy person.
(Which, honestly, is kind of what I’ve been doing lately. A little here for lunch, a little there for dinner, a little the next day with some added paneer because I love myself…)
It’s important to know that this recipe has so much flavor, but it’s also not LOUD flavor. It’s like rich, cozy, mellow, could-keep-eating-forever flavor.
The base of this veggie korma is a boatload of comforting vegetables like fork-tender potatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, but the thing that makes it feel like a hug is that creamy golden sauce. We’re giving a gentle sauté to a careful amount of aromatic onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, and other spices, and then adding a bit of cream and yogurt to make this the kind of recipe that lands in the perfect exciting-but-gentle flavor zone.
Scooped up hot over a pile of steamy basmati rice… oof. Game over. We can survive winter with this.
It’s the kind of big-flavor-cozy recipe where you can practically finish the entire pan in one sitting.
Direct quote from a family member on his second? third? plate piled high with veggie korma: “I feel like I could just keep eating and eating and eating this.”
Yes, me too, amen.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT VEGGIE KORMA
Can I substitute the heavy cream?
Yes! Canned coconut milk works well as a sub.
Could I make any spice substitutions?
The cookbook I studied up on recommended using whole spices when possible – for example, cinnamon sticks and dried red chile peppers, as this is the traditional way to build the flavor base in a lot of Indian cooking. I often don’t have cinnamon sticks or whole dried red chile peppers on hand, so I’m just sharing what I use instead which is ground cinnamon and red pepper flakes. But if you have the whole spices, go ahead and use them!
I can’t find paneer. What else can I use?
Tofu can work as an alternate vegetarian protein option.
INGREDIENTS
The Base:
4 tablespoons butter1 small onion, thinly sliced2 large garlic cloves, thinly slicedone 1-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced6 cardamom pods1 tablespoon ground coriander1 teaspoon each turmeric and cumin1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
The Veggies:
2 gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)1 cup water2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces1–2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces2 cups cubed paneer (optional)
The Sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt1 1/2 teaspoons salt1/2 teaspoon garam masala1/2 cup of water (if needed)cilantro to garnishrice for serving INSTRUCTIONS
Cook aromatics: Melt the butter in a large soup pot or skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger; sauté 5-7 minutes until softened.
Add spices: Add cardamom, coriander, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon; sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Simmer the veggies: Add potatoes and water; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add green beans and bell peppers; simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Add paneer (optional).
Make it creamy: Bring the heat down to avoid curdling. When cooled slightly, add cream, yogurt, salt, and garam masala. Add the extra water if necessary to loosen it up.
Prepare to feast: Season with salt and pepper, serve over rice, and top with cilantro. Creamy, comforting, and heavenly.
