If someone asks you to think of a korma, what do you think of? Do you think of a bright, vibrant curry? Or do you think of a sickly sweet, yellow curry with a claggy sauce and most likely some overcooked chicken pieces?
In my opinion, the korma has been the ‘go to’ curry for when curry houses need to sell something mild. It feels unloved. There is no reason a korma needs to be like this; it is defined as a dish originating in South Asia or Central Asia[1] consisting of meat and/or vegetables braised in a spiced sauce made with yogurt, cream, nut or seed paste. There is nothing in there to say it needs to have a dyed yellow sauce, or that says it needs to taste overwhelmingly of dessert.
This particular version makes vegetables the star of the show, and is in fact vegan (I used coconut milk rather than yoghurt or cream to make the sauce). It’s also so tasty you won’t believe it’s good for you. Make it when you’re craving a curry – trust me, you’ll love it and you’ll feel much better afterwards than if you got a takeaway.
This will take 30-40 minutes to make, and will serve 4.
Vegetable Korma
1 baking potato
3 tbsps vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsps garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
1/2 green chilli, finely chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1cm pieces
300g dwarf beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
100g frozen peas
1 tin coconut milk
1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Peel the potato and chop into 1.5 cm chunks. Par boil for approximately 10 minutes.
2. In a large, high edged frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and onion; cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli. Sizzle for about 30 seconds, then add the garam masala, cumin and coriander.
4. Add the carrot. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the green beans. Cook for another couple of minutes, stirring often.
5. Tip in the peas. Mix well, and when the peas have defrosted, add the potato. Tip in the coconut milk, bring to a simmer and season with salt. Put a lid on and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add a little water if it’s too thick.
6. Serve with a pile of fluffy rice. Delicious!
WHAT TO HAVE FOR DINNER TONIGHT 
Claggy. You taught me a new word. Thanks!
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Haha, no problem! 🙂
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I love that this is a healthier version! It looks delicious!
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Absolutely brilliant looking and maybe slow-cooker friendly too! This looks beautiful – thanks!
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Thanks Judith 🙂 I think it’d be great in a slow cooker – you’d just need to add the green beans and peas right at the end.
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nice recipe……
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Thanks!
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Hi, Harriet this dish does look nice but I beg to quibble. Technically a curry isn’t a korma if it’s made with coconut milk, since the hall-marks of a korma are a mildly spiced curry made with yogurt/cream enriched and thickened with ground nuts.
It’s a bit like saying any sparkling wine is Champagne, it’s not but can still be just as good.Cheers
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Hi, thanks for pointing this out! I used coconut milk just to make it vegan 😊 rules are there to be broken 😊
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I’ve not made a curry for ages and couldn’t name mine at all, I grind a selection of spices and either like you use coconut milk or add tomato for a different style of curry. Hubby has gone off them, so hence it’s been ages. I think it’s all in his head. Nice recipe!
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I’m looking at this right now and I am definitely feeling to have this. Lol, this is SO goooooood!
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I love a good warming, but not too hot curry for supper. Just perfect. My most recent discovery is that you can freeze the leftover half can of coconut milk!
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I didn’t know that Helen! But shall certainly be doing that in the future 🙂
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