The Pantry Staple You Can Use For A Quick Korma Sauce

Korma sauce recipes are thick and creamy, packed with flavorful herbs and spices that deliver health-boosting meals perfect to serve on cold days and busy weekday nights. The rich sauce has origins in the 16th century, when shahs were served the luxurious gravy in Mughal courts.

Recipes can be made with or without meat, adding vegetables, yogurt or cream, stock, and spices such as ground coriander and cumin, that are slowly cooked over a low flame and served with rice or naan with nigella seeds and cilantro. Traditional korma can range from mild to noticeably spicy, and the benefit of making korma at home is that the level of heat is in your hands. 

While nailing the right consistency of ingredients can give even the most experienced chefs pause, there's one easy ingredient that can convert a basic can of vegetables into a sauce worthy of serving at your favorite local restaurant — or at a table set for royalty. 

Nuts are commonly included in korma recipes as cashew and almond nuts help give korma sauces that rich, velvety texture. But if you're not thrilled about grinding and crunching and making your own nut paste at home, the answer is most likely sitting in your cupboard already. Simply spoon your choice of nut butter into your pot to help create the thick, creamy taste. With this easy hack, a beautiful meal will be ready in minutes.

Admittedly, though the flavor of the nut butter tucked away in your kitchen will impact the taste of the korma sauce, the difference will be slight. Taste as you go, adding in extra spices or seasonings to get the flavor of your dish perfect. And finally, to really make your dish sing, garnish your finished plates with nuts that have been roasted in ghee and sprinkle pieces of chopped cilantro to add a pop of color. 

Quick, easy, delicious.