South Indian vegetable kurma is a delicious flavored mixed vegetable curry that is usually paired with chapati or poori. This flavorful korma is made using coconut, cashews, and spices ground into a creamy sauce and mixed vegetable is cooked in the light-flavored creamy curry.
Down South we call this special kurma as Chapathi kurma as we love to eat kurma with chapatis. Wonderful aromatic spices are subdued with thick coconut paste and cashew paste to give it a rich creamy texture.
Poppy seeds are a must that goes into the kurma. Grind it with cashews to get a nice thick creamy paste. The flavor of poppy seeds in the kurma makes a lot of difference. Add any vegetables of your choice to this kurma, but the best options are carrots, beans, green peas, potatoes, and cauliflower.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for kurma recipe –
- Mixed vegetables
- Onions
- Tomatoes, pureed
- Green chilies
- Red chili powder
- Coriander powder
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon stick
- Cardamom
- Cloves
- Ginger garlic paste
- Grated coconut
- Poppy seeds
- Cashew nuts
- Oil
- Coriander leaves
All ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.
- Mixed vegetables – use any vegetable of your choice. Kurma can be made with any vegetable of your liking but traditionally carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potato, and peas are the usual choice.
- Onion – finely diced onion adds body to kurma. Sometimes vegetable korma can also be made without onion.
- Tomato – puree is done by directly blending in a mixer. Also blanch tomatoes for 2 minutes in water, then peel skin off and puree until smooth.
- Ginger-garlic paste – for adding flavor to kurma.
- Spices – use turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and a hint of pepper powder if you like.
- Whole spices – whole cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon sticks.
- For creamy paste – made by grinding grated coconut, soaked cashews, soaked poppy seeds.
How to make
Prep:
Clean, wash, and chop all the vegetables. Cook them either in a pressure cooker or open pot. Do not overcook the vegetables; they have to be cooked but firm.
Finely chop onions. Puree tomatoes without adding water. Soak cashews in enough water for about 30 minutes. Grind soaked cashews and poppy seeds with a little water into a fine paste. Grind grated coconut into a smooth paste without adding water.
Cook:
Heat oil in a deep bottom pan. Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and clove. Add finely chopped onions and green chilies, and sauté till the onions turn translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell of the paste is gone. Cook tomato puree until oil separates from the sides of the pan. Add the spice powders and mix well.
Add cooked vegetables alone with water in it and bring it to boil
Season with salt to taste and cook for another 5 minutes. Finally, add coconut paste and cashew-poppy seed paste, and simmer. Mix well and turn off the flame. Do not let it boil again; otherwise, the coconut paste will split the kurma.
Remove from flame immediately and serve hot with chapatis or pooris.
Tips
- Kurma can be made with any vegetable of your liking but traditionally carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potato, and peas are the usual choice.
- Do not overcook vegetables.
- Whole spices are crucial to add flavor to kurma, don’t skip it.
- You can adjust the consistency of the kurma according to your liking. If you like thicker vegetable kurma increase coconut and poppy seeds a little to make a more creamy sauce.
- Kurma is usually mildly flavored and not too spicy. If you prefer it to be spicy, add more slit and chopped green chilies.
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📋Vegetable Kurma
Ingredients
- 2 cups mixed vegetables use carrots, beans, green peas, potatoes and cauliflower
- 2 onions
- 2 tomatoes pureed
- 2 green chilies
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cardamom
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 4 tablespoon grated coconut
- 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 15 to 20 cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoon oil
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Clean, wash, and chop all the vegetables into small pieces. Cook them either in a pressure cooker or open pot. Do not overcook the vegetables; they have to be cooked Al dente. Keep aside.
- Finely chop onions. Puree tomatoes without adding water.
- Soak cashews in enough water for about 30 minutes. Grind soaked cashews and poppy seeds with a little water into a fine paste.
- Grind grated coconut into a thick smooth paste. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a deep bottom pan. Add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and clove. Next, add finely chopped onions and green chilies, and sauté till the onions turn translucent.
- Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell of the paste is gone.
- Add tomato puree and cook till oil separates from the sides of the pan.
- Add the spice powders and mix well.
- Now add cooked vegetables along with water in and bring it to a boil
- Add salt to taste and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Now add coconut paste and cashew-poppy seed paste, and simmer. Mix well and turn off the flame. Do not let it boil again; otherwise, the coconut paste will split the kurma.
- Remove from flame immediately and serve hot with chapatis or pooris.
Notes
- Kurma can be made with any vegetable of your liking but traditionally carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potato, and peas are the usual choice.
- Do not overcook vegetables.
- Whole spices are crucial to add flavor to kurma, don’t skip it.
- You can adjust the consistency of the kurma according to your liking. If you like thicker vegetable kurma increase coconut and poppy seeds a little to make a more creamy sauce.
- Kurma is usually mildly flavored and not too spicy. If you prefer it to be spicy, add more slit and chopped green chilies.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
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I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Comments & Reviews
Karthika says
Yummy! I love this kuruma! I am so addicted to this one as I eat even idli dosa rice everything with this kuruma. Usually in my childhood days chappathis are made during only weekends. I long for that day to come to have this kuruma.
Love the colors and lights
jyothirajesh says
Thank you very much Karthika, I can totally relate to your story. 🙂