Vegetarian Vegetable Korma
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Curl up with a bowl of the ultimate comfort food – a flavorful, warming curry. This vegetable korma ticks all the boxes: it has a flavor-packed, rich, and creamy sauce made with yogurt and a blend of aromatic spices, blended cashews, coconut milk, and an assortment of vibrant, fresh vegetables.
Why is vegetable korma such a great comfort food? Something about the warming, earthy spices or the vibrant color brings a little vitality to every spoonful. This vegetarian korma features fresh vegetables and skips the heavy cream, instead using blended cashews for a creamy texture. It’s one of those recipes that the whole family will adore.
What is vegetable korma?
Korma is a delicious Indian curry characterized by a rich and creamy sauce made from a blend of aromatic spices, yogurt, nuts, coconut milk, and a variety of vegetables. Its flavor-packed sauce has made it a beloved dish around the world. This vegetable korma recipe uses a variety of fresh veggies, but you can also add tofu, or for a meat version, chicken or another preferred protein.
Ingredients needed
This version of vegetable korma skips the ghee or heavy cream, but uses blended cashews and coconut milk for creaminess, offering a lighter alternative without compromising on the velvety consistency vegetable korma is associated with. This is what you need:
- Vegetables: Potatoes, onion, cauliflower, and carrots provide a variety flavors and textures, making the dish hearty and satisfying.
- Garlic and ginger: For depth of flavor and aroma.
- Tomato paste: Adds depth and a subtle tang to the sauce, complementing the richness of other ingredients.
- Spices: Curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, ground cloves, fennel, fenugreek, and chili flakes create an aromatic spice profile.
- Coconut milk: Provides a creamy consistency for the korma sauce.
- Cashews: Contributes a creamy and nutty flavor.
- Lemon juice: Adds a burst of citrusy freshness, brightening the dish.
- Yogurt: Introduces a tangy element and a creamy texture, balancing the spices.
- Brown sugar: Sweetens the sauce to round out the flavors.
What vegetables to use in vegetable korma
Vegetarian korma is really flexible – you can mix and match the veggies and use whatever you like or have on hand. Potatoes are a hearty and delicious addition! Cauliflower florets, carrots, green beans, and bell peppers all work well. Peas offer a little burst of sweetness, or add some spinach for a leafy green. We opt for fresh vegetables, however, frozen vegetables will taste great, too! Be aware that frozen vegetables often have a little more moisture if they’ve gotten icy in the freezer, meaning the curry will be a bit thinner.
What to serve with vegetable korma
Make some cauliflower rice, basmati rice, coconut rice, or some quinoa to soak up the beautiful sauce of the vegetable korma, and serve with some naan or roti.
For some Indian inspired appetizers, start the meal with some curried carrots or turmeric cauliflower.
If you’re making a spread of warming curries, serve this vegetable korma alongside our eggplant curry with chickpeas and tofu.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use cashew butter instead of cashews?
Using cashew butter from a jar works well in curry recipes, but the final result can vary in taste. A cashew butter will add a bit more flavor as it is roasted.
Can I store leftovers?
Yes, leftovers store well. Keep your leftover vegetable korma in the fridge in an airtight container. Avoid using potatoes if you want to freeze the vegetable korma as they will turn gritty once frozen – substitute with other vegetables instead.
Vegetable Korma Recipe
Ingredients
The Veggies
- 2 medium potatoes (cut into small, bite-sized pieces)
- 4 cups mixed chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, beans, bell peppers, corn, and peas all work well)
The Vegetarian Korma Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 inch piece of ginger (peeled and chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (smashed with the back of a knife)
- 5.5 ounce can of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon EACH: curry powder and garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons EACH: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom
- 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon EACH: ground cloves, fennel, fenugreek, and chili flakes
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ cup cashews
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup yogurt (omit or use vegan yogurt for vegan)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (sub coconut sugar or honey for paleo)
- Top with any or all: cashews, cilantro, lemon, and raisins
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a medium-sized pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Let the potatoes boil for 5 minutes then add the rest of the veggies to the pot. Let them boil for another 5 minutes then drain the pot and set it aside.2 medium potatoes, 4 cups mixed chopped vegetables
- While the veggies are cooking, start preparing the vegetarian korma sauce. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.1 tablespoon oil, 1 large onion, 2 inch piece of ginger, 4 cloves garlic
- Remove the pot from the heat and add the tomato paste and all of the spices. Stir well then return the pot to the heat. When the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste caramelized, after about 1 minute, add the coconut milk, cashews, lemon juice and 1 ¼ cups of water. Let the pot boil for 5 minutes to soften the cashews.5.5 ounce can of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon EACH: curry powder and garam masala, 1 ½ teaspoons EACH: cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, ½ teaspoon EACH: ground cloves, fennel, fenugreek, and chili flakes, 1 can coconut milk, ½ cup cashews, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
- Working in batches, blend the curry until it is smooth then add it back to the pot.½ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, Top with any or all: cashews, cilantro, lemon, and raisins
- Stir through the yogurt and brown sugar and add more sea salt, if needed. Stir the veggies into the curry and serve immediately topped with any or all of the toppings.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I haven’t made this yet but rates a 5 star already!! I love anything curry & coconut!! Can I use seafood or meats in this sauce? I usually make my own tomato paste with sundried tomatoes in oil by draining excess oil & putting them in the blender & blend to a paste adding a touch of black pepper. Can I use this in this recipe instead of the usual tomato paste?
Thank you Kristen
This recipe is really flexible so you can definitely add some protein or switch up the veggies. It’s all about the sauce … and I can only imagine that your incredible sounding homemade tomato paste would make it even better!
The best flavor profile (from scratch) I’ve ever made myself! Not too oily either, such helpful explanations of steps. Thank you. ( My vegetarian additions included mushrooms, firm tofu cubes, and green beans)
Could this be made and then frozen? I’m looking to make a bunch of frozen meals for my sister and brother-in-law who are expecting a baby soon.
Yes! The only thing I would caution you about is not to use potatoes if you want to freeze it. They’ll turn gritty once frozen. But you can substitute other veggies instead. 🙂
lovely, only thing i leave out is the blending and yogurt. its a weekly thing now
Excellent. I make it very often. Thank you
That’s so great to hear, Claudia! Thank you for the comment!
Potatos are out, per my husbands diet. Can something be substituted? Or the potatos left out?
This recipe is really flexible. You can keep the sauce as is and swap the veggies for the ones you like. 🙂
I don’t normally leave comments but this was SUPERB! Tasted restaurant-made. Made exactly as written. Took me longer than stated (1hr total) but I tend to be a slow cook. Easy to make, plentiful (with rice will be enough for 2-3 meals for 2 pple with small-medium appetites), versatile, balanced spices, just delicious. Hoping to freeze the sauce for quick meals. I wouldn’t add the lemon again when serving but definitely keep adding cashews and raisins. I might also reduce the tomato a bit next time, or substitute tamarind, but just personal preference. For what it’s worth, my mother threatened me with bodily harm if I changed anything. I’m so thrilled I found this blog and I love that Kristen’s local to my area. Thank you!
haha I love it!!!
I haven’t made this yet, but the plan is to make it tonight. (Korma is my husbands favourite Indian dish) and looks like the best recipe for Korma I could find on the internet, that is why I gave it 5 stars ?. I will add white and sweet potatoes plus veggies I have in the fridge that need to be used up; however, I am allergic to tomatoes, any suggestions on a substitute or omitting will be just as tasty? We are also plant based so I will only use Coconut cream instead of yogurt.
Leaving out the tomatoes paste will change the flavor, but I imagine that it would still be delicious!
I suggest trying tamarind instead of tomatoes. The tomato really grounds this sauce so it would be a shame to lose that. Tamarind has a similar flavour profile to sour plums, sweet lemons, acidic tomatoes/tomato paste (tangy, acidic, tart, fruity). You can find it in most Asian (east, south-east, south) food stores and in non-asian grocery stores with decent “international” food sections, either as block of paste or in a pot as concentrate. I heart tamarind in a big way, and it’s a fabulous tomato substitute. I hope it works for you!
Thanks for the suggestion, Nicola!
I made this today and it was so good! Tasted just like a korma, I did half the spice amount for every spice, and totally omitted the fenugreek and fennel. I will be using this as a base korma sauce for some variations of the dish in the near future! What a find – thanks.
Thank you so much, Lucy!
Really delicious! My other half said it’s the nicest curry we have made together.
That is so wonderful to hear!!
It was delicious. My first time making Indian food (which I love) and it all worked out really well. I have 2 quick questions that I’m hoping you can help me with. 1) What kind of beans do you use? Canned? What type? and 2) How do you blend the batches? Do you pour from the sauce pan right into the blender? Looking for your expert tips 🙂 Thanks again for sharing this great recipe. So excited to make it again!
I use green beans in this recipe. Canned chickpeas would be nice, too! Blending is the only tricky part if you’re blender isn’t big enough to hold all the curry. Often I’ll blend as much as I can (scooping it with a ladle into the blender) then pouring the blended part into a new pot. If you have an immersion blender, it will work great with this recipe as you can blend the curry right in the pot!
Hi! I’m so excited I found your website! I can’t wait to make the veggie korma. To clarify, does the recipe call for cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds or powder? Thanks!
I like the powdered versions!
Soooooo good!!!
You have to try this recipe!
Horray!!
Thanks for this recipe. I’m sure its a really nice recipe, but something went wrong when I made it. Especially cardamom but also the cloves tasted way too strong and in the front.
I grounded the cloves and the inner cardamom seeds myself. Did you use cardamom-powder or whole cardamom pods? And how about the cloves?
Hoping to hear from you, cause I want to try again!
Kind regards!
If you’re grinding your own spices, you’ll want to use less. They are always more potent when you grind them yourself. 🙂
Hi! I’d love to try this but also have the same question as the above poster. Should I use cardamom & clove powder or whole?
Thank you!
I use whole cardamom (broken open a little then discarded before serving) and clove powder. If you use whole cloves, make sure to remove them as they’re not nice to bite into. 🙂
This is an amazing recipe. Don’t mind the comments that say it’s too watery or too spicy – we are big Indian lovers and this recipe is perfection. I have made it with the veg as is calls for, but I have also made the Korma sauce and used chicken instead. Either way it’s to die for. Very well balanced with the spice and the sweet from the honey. This recipe is a keeper in our family that’s for certain. Thank you for sharing such a great meal.
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!
I’ve made this recipe a bunch of times with some adjustments. It used to come out super red and dark not like the picture if I used the whole can of paste and no yogurt. I only use a light sprinkle of cardamon and clove powders. It tastes too bitter to me to use all of it. I use half a can of tomato taste. I omit yogurt and use two cans of coconut milk. I also add a serrano or jalapeno in with the onion and ginger and garlic. This is SUCH a great vegan recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, I’m doing it over the weekend but I’m still rating it a 5 star ? just from reading the spice list. I use spice all the time and I love that there’s a good dose in the recipe.
My daughter has just gone vegan and I was searching for recipes I could make so thank you in advance, I can’t wait to try it.
I love it! I hope that you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!