Creamy Vegetable Korma

Vegetable Korma is a mild and creamy vegetable curry that gets its rich flavor from cashews and cream. It is vegetarian and gluten-free, and can easily be made vegan. In this easy recipe, I put together this Indian delicacy in just 30 minutes using an Instant Pot or stove!

Veg Korma is perhaps one of the two most ordered vegetarian curries at an Indian restaurant, right after Paneer Tikka Masala!

Crisp, colorful veggies in a rich, aromatic sauce, this dish is elegant enough for entertaining or celebrating any occasion.

And you'll be surprised how simple and easy it is to prepare it at home. All you need is a few easily available ingredients to make this gluten-free curry in just 20 minutes. And with a few simple swaps, you can it vegan too!

You Might Also Like: Top 10 Instant Pot Indian Vegetarian Recipes

How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Korma

Checkout step by step instructions on how to make this easy dish even easier using the Instant Pot. This recipe will also work with any comparable electric pressure cooker, like Mealthy Multipot. Let's start with the recipe:

Step 1: Prep (Picture 1)

• In a small bowl add cashews and water, and microwave it for about 1 minute. Traditionally, cashews are soaked in water for 30 minutes till they plump up. But, by taking this microwave short-cut, I achieved the same results in 1 minute or so.

Step 2: Blend Sauce (Picture 2)

• In a blender jar, add the cashews (with water), tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, kashmiri red chili, garam masala, ground coriander and cumin. Blend everything till the sauce becomes smooth. Keep aside.
• Turn on Instant Pot on Saute mode. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil for vegan), and saute the cashews set aside for garnishing, for 30 seconds. Keep stirring to prevent them for burning. Remove as they begin to turn a light golden color and keep aside.

Step 3: Pressure cook (Picture 3)

• While saute mode is on, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee (or oil) and add the sauce. Saute the sauce for 2 minutes. This cooks off the raw taste of ginger and garlic.
• Add the assorted vegetables, stir and close the lid.
• Select Pressure Cook or Manual and adjust the pressure setting to LOW. Cook for 1 minute.

Step 4: Release pressure, add cream and cardamom (Picture 4)

• When the cooking time is done, release pressure manually. Depending on the cooker model you are using, carefully pressure down on the pressure valve (ultra), or turn the knob to venting position (duo). Open the lid after the pin drops.
• Add heavy cream. Substitute coconut cream to make this vegan. See notes on instructions for using coconut cream.
• Add ground cardamom (fresh or store-bought) and stir in the curry. Serve warm with cumin rice, naan or paratha.

Stovetop Recipe for Vegetable Korma

• Heat a heavy bottom pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil for vegan), and saute the cashews set aside for garnishing, for 30 seconds. Keep stirring to prevent them for burning. Remove as they begin to turn a light golden color and keep aside.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee (or oil) and add the blended sauce. Saute the sauce for 2 minutes. This cooks off the raw taste of ginger and garlic.
• Add the assorted vegetables, stir and close the lid. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10-12 minutes, or till veggies are fork tender.
• Open the lid, stir and check for seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high, and add heavy cream. Substitute coconut cream to make this vegan. See notes on instructions for using coconut cream. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add ground cardamom (fresh or store-bought) and stir. Serve the curry warm with cumin rice, naan or paratha.

Make a Meal: What to Serve with Vegetable Korma

Korma is such a luxurious dish full of veggies that you don't really need any other sides with it. What you need is a grain to soak up, or scoop the creamy curry.

Vegetable Korma goes great with rice, naan or a homemade Indian flatbread called paratha. These days, I find many speciality food stores carry frozen paratha in their Asian food aisles. Here are four choices of Indian rice dishes that my family loves to pair with this creamy Korma:

• Cumin Rice
• Saffron Rice
• Spinach Rice
• Brown Basmati Rice

Or try this homemade garlic naan recipe.

How to Avoid the Dreaded 'Burn' Message

In this recipe, the blended sauce should not be too thick or else it can stick to the bottom and burn. To avoid that, if your blended korma sauce looks thick, add a ½ cup water to it. Once it starts cooking, the veggies will also release liquid.

Here's another trick if your pressure cooker is notorious for 'burn' messages. Start by greasing the pot with a cooking spray, then add ¼ cup water to the pot and pour the sauce over that. Add the veggies over that, don't mix and just pressure cook.

More Popular Indian Curries from my Kitchen

• Paneer Tikka Masala
• Creamy Lamb Korma
• Paneer Makhani/ Paneer Butter Masala
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Palak Paneer
• Saag Chicken

How to Entertain with This Recipe

Whenever I am making Vegetable Korma for a big get-together, I break it down in two steps, which simplifies my work and allows me to prepare in advance.

I skip the veggies and pressure cook the sauce two days before the party. A few hours before serving it, I pour the sauce in the Instant pot and turn on saute. I steam the vegetables in the microwave, while the sauce heats up and then add them to the pot.

Then, I add heavy cream and cardamom and let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes. Done! This last step of assembling the korma can be done on the stove-top or even in the oven.

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Vegetables are the stars of this recipe. I like using a combination of cauliflower, carrots, and peas, but you can use any assorted vegetables. Other popular choices are green beans, potatoes, and sweet corn.
• If you don’t like cashews or are allergic, you can use blanched almonds instead.
• To make this recipe vegan, substitute ghee with any clear cooking oil, like avocado or olive oil. And instead of heavy whipping cream, add coconut cream. For that, open a can of any high-fat coconut milk brand, without shaking it. Using a spoon, skim off the cream at the top of the can. Use that cream to thicken the korma.
• To add protein to this curry, chop paneer (Indian firm cheese) in ½-inch cubes and add it along with the vegetables. You may need to adjust salt accordingly.
• If your blended korma sauce looks thick, add ½ cup water to it to avoid a burn message.

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Creamy Vegetable Korma

Aneesha Gupta

Vegetable Korma is a mildly-spiced, rich, and creamy curry that's loaded with colorful vegetables. Here's a 30-minute Instant Pot and stovetop recipe for this popular Indian delicacy.

4.92 from 23 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 min

Total Time 25 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 6

Calories 166 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot
• ▢
  Blendtec
• ▢
  Heavy Bottom Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Vegetables (around 4 cups assorted vegetables)

• ▢ 2 cups cauliflower florerts about ½ a large head
• ▢ 1 cup carrots peeled and sliced thin
• ▢ ¾ cups peas can use frozen (no need to thaw)
• ▢ ½-¾ cup water add as needed

Korma Sauce (blend together)

• ▢ ⅓ cup cashews about 30 cashews soaked in ½ cup water, microwaved
• ▢ 2 roma tomatoes or 1 cup crushed/diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 inch ginger peeled, or 3 teaspoon crushed ginger
• ▢ 3-4 cloves garlic or 3 teaspoon crushed garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 2 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin

After Cooking

• ▢ ½ cup heavy whipping cream or coconut cream (check notes)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (seeds from 4-6 pods). If using store-bought, add ¼ teaspoon and check for taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cashews, halved and roasted
• ▢ 1 teaspoon honey or agave (optional, skip for low-carb or keto)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

Prep

• In a small bowl add cashews and water, and microwave it for about 1 minute. Traditionally, cashews are soaked in water for 30 minutes till they plump up. But, by taking this microwave short-cut, I achieved the same results in 1 minute or so.

Blend Sauce

• In a blender jar, add the cashews (with water), tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, kashmiri red chili, garam masala, ground coriander and cumin. Blend everything till the sauce becomes smooth. Keep aside.

Instant Pot Method

• Turn on Instant Pot on Saute mode. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil for vegan), and saute the cashews set aside for garnishing, for 30 seconds. Keep stirring to prevent them for burning. Remove as they begin to turn a light golden color and keep aside.
• While saute mode is on, add the remaining tablespoon of ghee (or oil) and add the blended sauce. Saute the sauce for 2 minutes. This cooks off the raw taste of ginger and garlic.
• Turn off Saute and add ½ cup water (or as needed) to scrape off any bits of sauce stuck at the bottom (deglaze).
• Add the assorted vegetables, stir and close the lid. Select Pressure Cook or Manual and adjust the pressure setting to LOW. Cook for 1 minute.
• When the cooking time is done, release pressure manually. Depending on the cooker model you are using, carefully pressure down on the pressure valve (ultra), or turn the knob to venting position (duo). Open the lid after the pin drops.
• Add heavy cream. Substitute coconut cream to make this vegan. See notes on instructions for using coconut cream. Add ground cardamom (fresh or store-bought) and stir in the curry. Serve warm with cumin rice, naan or paratha.

Stove-Top Method

• Heat a heavy bottom pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil for vegan), and saute the cashews set aside for garnishing, for 30 seconds. Keep stirring to prevent them for burning. Remove as they begin to turn a light golden color and keep aside.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee (or oil) and add the blended sauce. Saute the sauce for 2 minutes. This cooks off the raw taste of ginger and garlic.
• Add the assorted vegetables, stir and close the lid. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10-12 minutes, or till veggies are fork tender.
• Open the lid, stir and check for seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high and add heavy cream. Substitute coconut cream to make this vegan. See notes on instructions for using coconut cream. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add ground cardamom (fresh or store-bought) and stir. Serve the curry warm with cumin rice, naan or paratha.

Video

Notes

• Vegetables are the stars of this recipe. I like using a combination of cauliflower, carrots, and peas, but you can use any assorted vegetables. Other popular choices are green beans, potatoes, and sweet corn.
• If you don’t like cashews or are allergic, you can use blanched almonds instead.
• To make this recipe vegan, substitute ghee with any clear cooking oil, like avocado or olive oil. And instead of heavy whipping cream, add coconut cream. For that, open a can of any high-fat coconut milk brand, without shaking it. Using a spoon, skim off the cream at the top of the can. Use that cream to thicken the korma.
• To add protein to this curry, chop paneer (Indian firm cheese) in ½-inch cubes and add it along with the vegetables. You may need to adjust salt accordingly.
• If your blended korma sauce looks thick, add ½ cup water to it to avoid a burn message.

 

Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates, and do not include the garnishes or brown rice.  If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 424mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4330IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

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