This is a rich, warming, vegan dish bathed in a sauce based on cashews and coconut milk. Korma is one of my favorite winter foods, and there are dozens of variations on the sauce base–some use yogurt or cream, for instance. This is a dairy-free version that works well with any type of vegetables you like. For this I used a mix of cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, green beans, and onion, but one of my favorite variations is eggplant korma. Use whatever looks good, just cut the vegetables so they will cook at roughly the same speed.
For the sauce I used some organic roasted, salted cashews from SunRidge Farms, which are roasted with no added oils. I also scattered a few on top, for textural contrast. For the curry powder, use your favorite brand and adjust the amounts according to your preferred spice levels.
- 1 cup roasted, salted cashews, plus additional for garnish
- 1 can coconut milk (14 or 15 ounces–shake the can well before opening)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and stemmed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder (I like Penzy’s Maharaja blend)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small, white onion, peeled and sliced
- Several cups of vegetables of your choice (I used one small cauliflower, 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, two medium carrots, and two cups of green beans)
- water, as needed
- salt, to taste
- In a small mixing bowl, stir the cup of cashews into the coconut milk and let them soak for an hour.
- Pour the coconut milk and cashews into a blender. Add the garlic, ginger, jalapeno, curry powder, and turmeric. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
- In a large pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until it is soft, but not browned. Add the remaining vegetables to the pot and pour the coconut milk mixture over the top. Add two cups of water and about a half teaspoon of salt.
- Cover the pot, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to be sure the sauce doesn’t burn. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. When the vegetables are tender, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve the korma hot, sprinkled with some additional cashews.
SunRidge Farms provided me with samples of their organic cashews, and they are delicious. They also sell a Thai-spiced version, as well as a Salt-and-Pepper version, which is my new, favorite snack. I like salt-and-pepper anything. If you have never tried making sauces with cashews, they make an excellent, creamy base for all kinds of flavors.
If you are making dinner for a mixed carnivore and vegan crowd, korma will make everyone happy.
Thanks for reading,
-Angela
I am going to have to try this. It looks delicious!
I hope you like it! It really is a favorite here.
just curious, how does soaking the cashews affect the outcome and does the outcome change if you don’t soak the cashews. thank you
You can definitely skip the soaking part, it just makes it a little smoother if they are soaked first. If you don’t have time to soak them it will still be nice and creamy, the cashews will just not break down quite as well. I often skip the step and I am still happy with the sauce.
I love the slight sweetness of cashews in korma. I used to buy a premade korma in the UK that was mostly cashews with just a few pieces of chicken. It was probably loaded with salt and sugar but boy was it ever good. I can’t waitt to give your healthy version a try. This looks so good Angela.
You know I think the first time I had korma was in the UK–that was my first experience with Indian food, and I was hooked.
Looooove korma. I usually have shrimp and I’ve never had it with cauliflower which is odd now that I think of it because I bet it’s amazing!
I loooove shrimp korma. Really, korma anything is pretty good–but yeah, the cauliflower really sucks up the sauce in a lovely way.
I will be trying to get these cookies off my midriff very soon, and focusing on my veggies. This will fit right in .
Robin, it’s a great antidote to cookies
Any idea the (general) calorie content of this? I can’t wait to try it!
It will vary a lot depending on the type of vegetables that you use, but the sauce elements would be about 300 calories if divided by six, or 425 if divided by four–hope that helps!
This looks really great! I’m a big fan of indian food, and I make it quite regularly. I haven’t found a good recipe for Vegetable Korma, but this looks like what I was seaching for. I’m going to give it a go. Thanks!
Thanks, Aidann! I hope you enjoy.
The coconut milk and nuts is a delicious combination. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Claudia! So glad you enjoyed it.