Vegetable Korma
This is a lightly spiced korma made with mixed vegetables.
You might think of this as the Indian version of vegetable soup. The rich garam masala used in this recipe provides a wonderful flavor base on which you can add almost any vegetable you might want. The vegetables below are suggestions only. Indalita likes the “sulfurous” vegetables (for example cauliflower, turnips and kohlrabi) cooked in this dish, but I find them off-putting so I only add them when I am making this for her (which is almost always.)
For veggies that take a longer time to cook, consider steaming them in the microwave if you are in a hurry, but for best favor, let them cook long and slow. Your nose, and appetite, will thank you.
SERVES: 4-5
Ingredients for garam masala paste:
5 to 6 tbsp fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut (½ cup coconut milk an acceptable substitute.)
5 to 6 whole cashews or ¾ to 1 tbsp chopped cashews
½ tbsp roasted lentils (dry lentils toasted in dry skillet on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes)
½ tbsp coriander seeds
3 to 4 medium sized garlic cloves, chopped
¾ inch ginger, chopped
1-3 dry chilies - broken and deseeded. Or 1 to 2 fresh chilies, depending on the hotness and pungency of the chilies and your personal taste.
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 green cardamom pod (no need to remove outer hull if using a blender to make paste)
1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)
½ cup water for grinding
Ingredients for Korma
2 to 3 tbsp oil
3-4 Curry leaves (a specialty grocery store or internet dealer item. You can safely omit.)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato coarsely chopped (or use a small can of diced tomatoes)
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 medium to large carrot
½ to ⅓ cup chopped green beans
½ cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 medium to large potato
4 to 5 white button mushrooms
1 ½ cups water
Salt to taste
½ cup of full fat yogurt (You can use low or non-fat yogurt, but full fat tastes better.)
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Garam masala
Combine all the garam masala ingredients listed above in a blender or small bowl of a food processor (or if you are a traditionalist, a mortar and pestle) and process to a paste. I find that it is hard to get it smooth like commercially produced peanut butter, but if I can get it to the consistency of a stone ground mustard it seems to work just fine.
Add ½ cup water and grind to a smooth paste. Set the paste aside.
Korma
Rinse, peel and dice all the veggies.
Heat a oil in a deep skillet or large saucepan. Add onions and curry leaves and sauté till the onions become translucent.
Add tomatoes and turmeric powder. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the tomatoes soften. (This step can be omitted if using canned tomatoes).
Add the garam masala paste. Sauté the mixture 4 to 5 minutes on very low heat. Do not leave the dish at this step as the masala can easily stick to pan.
Add the diced vegetables and continue to sauté on very low heat for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Add 1 ½ cups of water to the mixture and stir in. This is a good time to make your initial seasoning taste and add salt – a little less than you want in the finished dish. Cover the pan and allow the vegetables to cook. If the korma looks too thick while cooking in a pan, it is fine to add some additional water. The finished korma should be near the consistency of traditional potato chowder.
When all the vegetables are fork tender remove the korma from the heat. Add the yogurt and stir together until well blended. Taste and season again if necessary.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve the korma with rice, flatbread or even wheat noodles.
Variations
While sautéing the onion, add 1 lb meat of your choosing (lamb or goat is traditional in Northern India, but chicken is more common in US restaurants) into ½ inch cubes and brown the meat slightly. Finish as indicated.
Instead of meat, use firm tofu cut into cubes added in after the onion begins to turn translucent.
We love the flavor of roasted vegetables which go very well in this dish. Cut vegetables into ½ inch cubes, toss in a small amount of olive oil and put in the oven at 350°F for 30-45 minutes. Add to the korma. Consider using yams or sweet potatoes, beets (my personal favorite), white potatoes, carrots, parsnips (for a nutty sweet note), taro, winter squashes – or anything else you find at the Indian market that catches your eye!
You can also use bits of leftover vegetables to make up the dish. Add toward the end of the cooking process to avoid mushiness. The spiciness of the masala will cover up any “leftover” flavor.
Most of the recipes I used to create this one have instructions for using pressure cookers instead of the long stovetop method. I have not tried that yet, but it should make the dish finish much quicker. Just don’t pressure-cook the yogurt – that would not be “good eats” as my idol Alton Brown would say.