This Vegetable Korma recipe is rich, creamy, and oh-so-fragrant! It’s the ultimate comfort food and ready in about 30 minutes. The sauce is full of flavor but mild enough for kids and adults to enjoy.
For more comforting Indian-inspired vegan recipes, check out my Quick & Easy Red Lentil Dahl, Coconut Curry Lentil Soup, and Chickpea Tikka Masala.
Featuring vegetables swimming in an Indian-spiced tomato and cashew cream puree, vegetable korma is deeply comforting and good for you. I made this non-authentic version with a medley of fresh and frozen vegetables, like cauliflower, potatoes, peas, and green beans, but you can use what you like or what’s already in your fridge or freezer.
What’s better is that this cozy meal is easy to make in just 30 minutes! Serve it with rice and naan for a fuss-free weeknight dinner and save the leftovers for your weekly lunches.
What is vegetable korma?
Korma (or qorma), meaning “to braise”, is an Indian curry-style dish made with a comforting, fragrant, and creamy puree as the base and seared chicken or cooked vegetables. Depending on the Indian region, authentic vegetable korma is typically made with yogurt, nuts, onion paste, and/or fresh coconut.
My non-authentic version uses tomato puree at the base for tang and homemade coconut cashew cream for creaminess. It makes a lot of food, so you’ll definitely have leftovers for meal prep or freezer dinners! If you want to make a more authentic korma recipe, check out Vegan Richa’s Veggie Kurma recipe.
How to make vegetable korma
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Soak the cashews in hot water. Meanwhile, cook the carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and green beans in a pot of boiling water until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside.
Feel free to roast the vegetables in the oven instead. It takes a little longer, but your veggies will be super flavorful!
Make the puree by blending the canned tomatoes, onion, ginger, and garlic into a smooth puree.
Warm the oil in a large pan, then pour in the puree. Stir in the spices, pepper, salt, and brown sugar and simmer until it’s fragrant.
Want to take the flavors up a notch? Swap the ground cumin and cardamom for whole cumin seeds and cardamom seeds instead. Toast them in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind them in a spice grinder.
Next, make the cashew cream by blending the soaked cashews and coconut milk until smooth. Pour it into the pan with the tomato puree.
No need to rinse out your blender before making the cashew cream. It’s all going into the same pot, after all.
Add the frozen green peas to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Next, stir in the rest of the boiled vegetables.
Simmer the korma sauce, stirring frequently, until the flavors have come together and the puree is somewhat thick.
Taste and adjust the flavors as needed, then serve in bowls with cooked basmati rice, fresh cilantro on top, and vegan naan on the side. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Some authentic veggie korma recipes are made with ingredients like yogurt and onion puree and usually aren’t spicy at all. Curry recipes, like my Easy Vegan Curry, are also well-spiced and made with a medley of vegetables, but use different ingredients, like curry paste or powder and coconut milk.
Like most variations, my korma recipe is not spicy. Some recipes use sauteed green chili peppers (like jalapenos) for extra complexity and subtle heat but I wanted to leave them out to keep the meal kid-friendly.
You can swap the vegetables in this recipe with any variety of fresh or frozen vegetables you like. Add zucchini, corn, red bell peppers, or mushrooms, or use whatever you have in your fridge or freezer! Remember that frozen vegetables don’t need to be boiled ahead of time. Just stir them into the tomato puree with the green peas.
For a protein boost, consider adding fried tofu cubes or steamed and baked tempeh when the korma is done cooking.
The leftover korma will keep for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Wait for it to cool to room temperature before transferring it to a large airtight container or individual containers.
Reheat the leftovers on the stovetop or microwave before enjoying them for lunch or meal prep.
Yes, korma freezes beautifully! I like to pack it into small individual freezer-friendly containers. That way, I can reheat the frozen leftovers whenever I need a quick lunch or cozy dinner.
Easy Vegetable Korma
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 4 medium carrots peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 3 medium gold potatoes peeled and chopped in 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup chopped green beans
Puree
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 2 inches fresh ginger
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
The Rest
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk or plant based yogurt (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional for heat
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup frozen peas
For Serving
- cooked basmati rice
- Vegan Naan
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Soak the cashews: Add 1 cup of raw cashews to a small bowl, and cover with boiling hot water. I use my tea kettle to warm the water up. Let them soak while you get the vegetables boiling.
- Boil the vegetables: Add the carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and green beans to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside.
- While the vegetables are boiling, make the puree: Add the canned tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic to a blender or food processor. Blend until a smooth puree forms.
- Cook puree and spices: In a large pan (large enough to hold all the vegetable when they're done boiling) warm the oil over medium heat. Pour in the puree, being careful to avoid splashes. Stir in the spices, pepper, salt and brown sugar and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Blend the cashew coconut cream: Drain the cashews. Add the cashews and the can of coconut milk to your blender (no need to rinse it out from the tomatoes), and blend until smooth. Pour the cashew/coconut mixture into the pan with the tomato puree.
- Add the vegetables: Add the frozen peas and let them simmer for 1-2 minutes. Now add the boiled mixed vegetables to the pan and stir to coat them in the sauce. Simmer everything together for 10 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring frequently. If the mixture gets too thick, add a little water to thin it out. Taste; add salt or other seasonings (pepper, cayenne, brown sugar) as desired.
- Serve with cooked basmati rice, chopped fresh cilantro and naan.
Notes
- If you have a cashew allergy, you can omit the cashews or use almonds/sunflower seeds instead. Or use two cans of coconut milk in place of the nuts.
- This recipe makes quite a lot, but it freezes well! I like to freeze individual portions in small freezer safe containers.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Feel free to switch up the vegetables if you’d like. Sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus or chickpeas could all be added with good results. You can also add tofu or tempeh for protein.
- Nutrition calculation is only for the korma, and does not include rice or naan.
Nutrition
This recipe has been reposted with new photos and a better recipe in 2024, though it was originally published in 2018. I increased some spices and other flavorings to make it more flavorful and successful every time. I hope you enjoy the newest version.
it was yummy! next time i make it ill grind the cashews first into a powder, then add the coconut milk to the blender to avoid the cashew chunks. also i used cardamom pods grinded up in a mortar (husks discarded) and i could really taste the fresh cardamom in the dish which i love.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful feedback and ideas! Happy cooking!
Nora,
This was absolutely delicious! I have also made your Tikka Masala recipe and it is definitely a favorite!
Thank you
Nancy
This was a great recipe. It seemed difficult with the three steps but wasn’t at all. I like mine with more flavor so I doubled the spices and it came out delicious. I can’t wait to have leftovers.
Nora,
This was absolutely delicious 😋
Will definitely make again.
Thank you for the amazing recipes!
Nancy
You are welcome, Nancy! Thank YOU for your awesome and encouraging words! I am so happy you loved the recipe! I appreciate you using my recipes, and wish you happy cooking!
I want to try this so bad! Could I sub in soy milk for the coconut milk? I’m trying to avoid added saturated fats, thank you!
Absolutely. I actually really like subbing vegan plain yogurt if you have access to that, but unsweetened soy or other plant milks will work too.
Hey! This looks super yummy… would I be able to use curry paste instead of curry powder? Look forward to trying this 🙂
I’m sure you could, I just haven’t tried it that way myself. I hope you love it!