Vegetable Kurma/Korma

Kurma (as said in South India) or korma (as said in North India ) is a thick gravy made with vegetables or meat, usually served as a side dish for rice or roti. The main difference between a normal curry and korma is the addition of whole spices. There are different types of korma and the flavor of the korma completely depends on the ingredients used. Each state in India has its own take on korma. In the south, the richness is enhanced by using coconut milk whereas in the north, nuts like almond, cashew and even yoghurt is also used to make the gravy mouthwatering. Today we are sharing a basic South Indian  korma recipe and from this starts our korma journey as we will post different styles in future.

Prep time : 15 min  Cooking time : 20 min
Ingredients:
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 2
Cardamom-  1
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed - 2 tsp
Aniseed - 1 tsp
Mint - 1 tbsp chopped
Onion - 2 sliced
Tomatoes - 2 diced
Potato - 1 diced
Carrots - 1 diced
Beans - half cup chopped
Cauliflower - 1 cup chopped
Capsicum - half cup chopped
Green chilli -1 slit
Salt
Oil

Method:

1. Heat a wide pan and add oil . Add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cumin and aniseed, let it splutter.
2. Then add sliced onions and saute till it softens.
3. When onion turns golden brown add ginger garlic paste and green chilly.
4. Saute till oil separates and then add tomatoes.
5. After the tomatoes turn mushy add salt, chili powder and coriander powder.
6. Mix everything well and cook till oil separates and then add vegetables and chopped mint leaves and cook till they are half done.
7. Add water until vegetables are immersed in water and mix everything well.
8. Close with a lid and cook till the vegetables are cooked.
9. Open the lid and cook till oil floats and switch off. Serve with hot rice or roti

Notes: 
1. You can use any vegetables of your choice or use frozen vegetables.
2. You can  add coconut milk instead of water to make the gravy rich and creamy.
3. Adjust spice levels according to your taste
4. You can also cook this curry in pressure cooker.
5. Meat lovers can add meat with the vegetables. 

 This south Indian version of korma makes an excellent ‘masaledar’ side dish for rice, puris, appam, etc., When we first came abroad all the Indian takeaways main order was korma, which surprised us knowing how many people enjoy this delicious gravy. So dear friends before you grab your phones to order take away, grab your aprons and try this recipe, we promise you and your family will enjoy it.

Happy Korma journey!