Description
A South-Indian melange of vegetables and spices cooked in a rich gravy, this restaurant-style Veg Kurma is a perfect side with rice, chapatis, idiayppam, dosa, idli and more.
Scale
Ingredients
For the base:
- 2 TBsp Cashews
- 1 TBsp Poppy Seeds
- 1 TBsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 Green Chili Pepper
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 TBsp Ginger
- 1/5 cup Water
For the kurma:
- 1 TBsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 Star Anise
- 2–3 Cloves
- 1 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp minced Ginger
- 1 tsp grated Garlic
- 1 tsp finely chopped Green Chili Pepper
- 2 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 Large Tomato, pureed (about 1 cup)
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 pinch Sugar (optional)
- 2–3 cups mixed Vegetables, diced
- 4 cups Water (adjust as needed)
- 1/2 cup thinned Coconut Milk
- 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro Leaves, for garnish
*Note on Vegetables: Use a combination of the following –
- Potato
- Carrot
- Green Beans
- Chayote Squash (chow chow)
- Green Peas
- Or any vegetable you have on hand (as long as it wont turn into a mush or overpower the curry)
- Avoid: eggplant, okra, celery, beetroot etc.
Instructions
The gravy base:
- Soak poppy seeds in 2 TBsp water for 15 minutes
- Soak Cashews in water for 15 minutes, discard the water
- To a blender, add the drained cashews, poppy seeds (with the water), fennel seeds, garlic, ginger, green chili, and water
- Grind to smooth paste & set aside
- Note: You can make an extra batch & freeze for upto a month, so the next time you want to make this kurma, you can simply defrost the paste & add it to the gravy!
Making the Vegetable Kurma:
- In a cooking pot, heat some oil
- Then add the whole spices: bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and fry a few seconds
- Add the onions, ginger, garlic & green chili. Add some salt and sauté on medium heat until the onions are browned (caramelized)
- Add the tomato puree and fry until the raw smell disappears and mixture thickens
- Add the spices: turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, pinch of sugar and adjust for salt. Fry for few minutes to cook out the spices
- Add the washed and diced vegetables and mix well with the gravy base
- Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil
- Cover with a lid, reduce to medium low heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft cooked (but still have a bite to them)
- Add the gravy base we earlier made, the coconut milk, adjust water and spices and mix well. Bring to a boil and turn off
- Garnish with Cilantro leaves & serve warm with roti, dosa, idli, idiyappam, aapam or any carb you desire!
- If you have leftovers, store in an airtight dish in the refrigerator and consume within 5-7 days.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: One Pot Cooking
- Cuisine: South-Indian
Keywords: south-indian, south-indian recipes, vegan curries, vegetable kuruma, vegetable korma, veg kurma recipe