Easy Vegan Korma
Easy Vegan Korma! If you like Indian inspired curries, then you’ll love this healthy weeknight dinner. Vegetables and chickpeas in a spiced, korma curry sauce.
Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines on the planet, as evidenced by my take on butter chickpeas, tikka masala, tofu saag and chana masala. And as much as I love those dishes, vegan korma might be my favorite.
What’s not to love? Vegetables, potatoes and chickpeas in a spicy korma curry sauce, made thick and creamy with cashews and coconut milk.
Before we had kids and lived in California, we ordered Indian food at least weekly. As our condo was centered right between my favorite Thai restaurant (Thai Canteen) and Bombay, it was a no-brainer that busy evenings meant a call into one of those places for our standard order.
Sadly, I don’t branch out much. I almost always settle on one of three dishes and Vegetable Korma tops that list. I can scan a menu pretty fast, looking for the words Korma or Navratan. If I spot it, watch out. I’ll probably be enjoying one there and taking one home with me for lunch the next day.
It’s THAT good. Creamy, cashew rich sauce loaded with spices and vegetables? I could eat this for 6 weeks straight and not get tired of it.
I made this version a few nights ago to enjoy with girlfriends. Yes, it’s not traditional but it’s pretty darn good. If you love vegetable korma as much as I do, then you’ll love this recipe.
Everything You Need to Make this Recipe:
Ingredients for this Vegan Korma Recipe
To make things even easier, chop all the vegetables ahead of time. The process isn’t difficult, but you won’t have time to chop the veggies as you go.
Don’t like the vegetables listed in here in this vegan korma? No problem. Make it your own. My must-haves are cauliflower, carrots and peas but almost everything works. I’ve made this vegan korma with broccoli, green beans, sweet potatoes, peppers– it all works!
- Oil
- Onion
- Fresh grated or chopped ginger
- Garlic cloves
- Jalapeño, or other spicy chili pepper, like a serrano peppeer
- Spices: turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, curry powder and salt
- Cubed potatoes, my favorite are yukon potatoes, but other potatoes will workÂ
- CarrotsÂ
- Ground cashews (see below for notes)Â Â
- Tomato sauce or tomato pureeÂ
- Chopped cauliflower
- Frozen peas
- Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- Coconut milk, regular or lightÂ
- Chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- Rice and naan bread, for serving Â
How to make ground cashews
To ground cashews, place cashews in the base of a food processor (affiliate) or blender (affiliate) and blend until a fine powder forms. The ground cashews gives incredible texture to the finished dish, and I do recommend this over cashew cream or butter.
However, if you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can use cashew butter instead. It won’t give the same texture, but a similar taste. I recommend ~1/4 cup of cashew butter, then add more as desired for taste.
How to Make this Easy Vegan Korma Recipe
Cook onion until tender
To start, heat the oil in a dutch oven or large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add fresh grated ginger and garlic and cook an additional 1 minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add in the other aromatics
Add the jalapeño, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, curry powder and salt. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until spices are fragrant.
Stir in vegetables
Next, stir in the potatoes, carrots, cashews, tomato sauce and water. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook another 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Continue to stir frequently, so not to burn the mixture.
Add in the cauliflower and other ingredients
To finish, add in the cauliflower, peas, garbanzo beans and coconut milk. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Coconut milk will curdle, so make sure your heat is turned down to a low setting.
Garnish and eat!
Finish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with rice and naan or roti bread.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
The trick for perfect basmati rice is to rinse it until the water runs clear, then combine the rice and water in a wide saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, when the water gets right to the rice line, turn off the heat and let sit until tender.Â
Note that most frozen naan bread is not vegan as it traditionally contains yogurt. Roti bread is usually vegan and can be found at most well-stocked grocery stores (check the frozen section) or your favorite International grocery store.
Korma is traditionally made with yogurt. However to keep this recipe dairy-free, I’ve replaced the yogurt with coconut milk.
More Indian Inspired Curry Recipes
- Slow Cooker Potato Curry
- Butternut Squash Curry
- Slow Cooker Coconut Curry
- Spicy Curry Lentils
- Vegan Delicata Squash Red Curry
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Easy Vegan Korma
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil or coconut oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium yukon potatoes, cubed
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup ground cashews, see notes
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups chopped cauliflower
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can coconut milk (light is OK)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- Cooked Rice, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a dutch oven or large skillet pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add fresh grated ginger and garlic and cook an additional 1 minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Add the jalapeño, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, curry powder and salt. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until spices are fragrant.
- Stir in the potatoes, carrots, cashews, tomato sauce and water. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook another 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Continue to stir frequently, so not to burn the mixture.
- Add the cauliflower, peas, garbanzo beans and coconut milk. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for an additional 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Coconut milk will curdle, so make sure your heat is turned down to a low setting.
- Stir in cilantro and serve over rice with naan, if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted in 2018 and updated in 2022