This creamy and mildly spiced vegetable korma is a delightful medley of vegetables that is both flavorful and healthy. Its silky, luscious and creamy sauce is made with cashew and coconut milk. It is one of the easiest vegan recipes you will try. By using an Instant Pot pressure cooker, veg korma gets done in under 30 minutes.
It pairs perfectly with Indian bread like roti or naan, as well as jeera rice. With perfectly cooked veggies in a delicately spiced sauce, this dish is sure to impress at parties and gatherings. For all the tips, FAQs, and a recipe video on how to make this delectable korma curry, keep reading. Follow this recipe to achieve perfectly cooked vegetables that retain a slight crunch without being overcooked or mushy.
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Why you will love this recipe?
- Quick and easy: This recipe uses an Instant Pot, which allows for quick and easy cooking of the vegetables and sauce, making it a convenient option for busy weeknights.
- Healthy and flavorful: The use of a variety of vegetables in this delicious vegetable korma makes it a nutritious and healthy option for those looking to incorporate more plant-based meals into their diet. The combination of spices and creamy cashew and coconut milk sauce makes this dish rich and flavorful.
- Customizable: The recipe is versatile and can be adapted to suit personal preferences. For example, use the vegetables that you love or swap coconut milk with cream for a richer korma curry sauce.
- Perfectly cooked vegetables: I have included all the tips you need to ensures that the vegetables are perfectly cooked and retain their texture, without becoming overcooked or mushy.
- Great for entertaining: The dish is a great option for entertaining as it can be made ahead of time and reheated easily, making it perfect for parties and gatherings.
Ingredients
Vegetables: I have used potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and peas.
Spices: The whole spices I use are bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.
Onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic: These form the base of the gravy and are ground together to form a smooth paste.
Cashew and poppy seeds: They are soaked and ground along with the onion base. Cashew and poppy seeds add creaminess and thickness to the gravy.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Combine together the chopped onion, tomato, cashew, poppy seeds, ginger, and garlic in a blender jar. Grind them to make a smooth paste using ½ cup of water (images 1 and 2).
Step 2: Set Instant Pot in saute mode and add oil. Add the whole spices (bay leaf, pepper, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, and cloves) and saute for a few seconds till aromatic (images 3 and 4).
Step 3: Add the ground paste. Next, add salt and powdered spices - coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, and red chili powder. Saute for 5 minutes. Keep stirring to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom (images 5 and 6).
Step 4: Add coconut milk. Mix well and deglaze the pot (images 7 and 8).
Step 5: Add the vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, French beans, and green peas) along with ½ cup of water. Mix well (images 9 and 10).
Step 6: Cancel the saute button. Close the lid of the IP and set the pressure valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook at low pressure for 4 minutes. Do a quick pressure release (images 11 and 12).
Step 7: Add cilantro and garam masala. Mix gently (images 13 and 14).
Useful tips
Adding the right amount of liquid is important. I use 2 cups of liquid (1 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water divided) which works perfectly for the amount of vegetables I use in this recipe.
The vegetables should be just covered in the liquid. In this recipe, I am using an 8 Quart Instant Pot. If you are using a smaller IP, reduce the amount of water slightly.
When grinding the masala paste, measure ½ cup of water and use it for grinding. Add the remaining ½ cup of water along with the vegetables.
Make sure the pressure level is set to low. Also, it is important to do a quick release of the pressure to avoid overcooking the vegetables.
Soaking poppy seeds and cashew will make it easier to grind smoothly. However, if you do not soak them, grind them first separately to a fine powder without any water. Then add the rest of the grinding ingredients and grind with water to get a smooth paste.
I have used full-fat coconut milk in this easy recipe. You can replace it with a half cup of heavy cream for a richer taste and creamier texture.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This vegetable curry also freezes well and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Instant Pot Recipes
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FAQs
Vegetable korma can be paired with roti, naan, or plain steamed rice.
They are both mildly spiced medley of vegetables with the main difference being korma is a popular North Indian dish whereas kurma is South Indian. Korma mostly has a masala base made with nuts, seeds, and whole spices. Kurma's base is made creamy using roasted gram flour and fresh coconut and is tempered with curry leaves.
The most common vegetables used are potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, and cauliflower. Different vegetables like broccoli, bell pepper, mushroom, corn, zucchini, etc. can be used. Use the vegetables of your choice; however, make sure to adjust the cooking time depending on the vegetables used.
They are both similar with some subtle differences. They have the same nut-seeds base and are both mildly spiced. However, navratan korma uses fruits, dried fruits, and nuts along with vegetables. Tomato is seldom used in navratan korma, giving it a creamy white-ish color. Vegetable korma base has tomatoes along with onions and fruits are not added along with veggies.
If you liked this recipe, please don't forget to give a 5-star rating and leave a comment below.
Recipe card
Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
Ingredients
- 1 large potato cut into cubes
- 1 large carrot cut into cubes
- 2 cup cauliflower florets
- 12-15 green beans
- ½ cup peas
For masala base:
- 1 medium onion coarsely chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ cup cashew
For the korma sauce:
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 3-4 cardamom
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 bay leaf
- 1-2 mace
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust as per taste
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
Prep:
- Soak cashew and poppy seeds for 15-20 minutes.
- Grind together the onion, tomato, cashew, poppy seeds, ginger, and garlic with ½ cup water to make a smooth paste.
Make the korma curry:
- Set Instant Pot in saute mode and add oil.
- Add the whole spices (bay leaf, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and mace) and saute for a few seconds till aromatic.
- Add the ground masala paste. Add powdered spices (ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric powder, and red chili powder) and salt.
- Saute for 5 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom.
- Add coconut milk. Mix well and deglaze the pot. Add the vegetables and ½ cup water.
- Close the lid of the IP and set it to pressure cook mode on low pressure. Pressure cook for 4 minutes. Do a quick release of the pressure.
- Add cilantro (coriander leaves) and garam masala. Mix gently and serve.
Sam says
Oh, how I love all these vegetables!! This is so delicious and the seasonings are awesome. Thanks for the recipe!
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! We love trying new food options and this was so delicious!
Marinela says
This plant-based vegetable korma is so delicious! Love its creamy texture, vibrant color, and that it's ready in less than 30 minutes. Thank you for this easy recipe!
Natalie says
This looks delicious. Perfect winter food. I love ingredients, all the veggies and spices you used here in this recipe. I must give this a try.
Meryl says
Love this recipe! All the veggies and the coconut flavor is the best, definitely will make this again!
Natalia says
This recipe was so easy to make! It had such a rich flavor! I love Indian food, so spices are my thing. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Choclette says
Vegetable korma is one of CT's favourite curries. Will have to try your version next time. It looks gorgeous.
Julia says
This was awesome. My family loved it. We added a few chutneys to it too and naan to scoop it up with. This is a really good recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Michael DiMaggio says
Loving this vegetable korma! It was so easy to make and delicious!
Chris says
Such a delicious recipe! It is very fragrant, so smooth and creamy. Than you! This is our family favorite dinner lately!
GUSTAVO DE OBALDIA says
Shilpa, this recipe was amazing! I was sooo pleased with the result. Very nice selection of veggies and spices. I like that it is super customizable. I didn't have cauliflower but had broccoli coli and it worked very well. thks!
Marinela says
This creamy vegetable korma dish is so delicious! It's so easy and quick to make in an instant pot in just half an hour. Beautiful hearty and so healthy meal.