Veggie-Packed Navratan Korma Recipe

As any seasoned vegetarian will tell you, Indian cuisine is packed full of delicious vegetarian food, and he navratan Korma is one such a dish. Warm, spiced, and absolutely bursting with vegetables, navratan korma is truly is a treasure trove of flavors. The base of the dish is comprised of nuts and seeds along with either yogurt or coconut milk and an assortment of beautifully aromatic spices, creating a delicious, creamy and nuanced curry you are sure to love.

Though the ingredients list for this navratan korma is long, don't let that fool you into thinking that this recipe is complex. Flavorful and straightforward, this navratan korma recipe will go down a treat with kids and grown ups alike. Korma is a mild curry, so it is a great option for those who don't enjoy hot and spicy food; but a lack of chilies definitely doesn't mean a lack of flavor. Read on to find out how to make this veggie-packed navratan korma, created by recipe developer Jennine Rye.

To make this veggie-packed navratan korma, first you will need to gather the ingredients. To create the curry base you will want an onion, ghee, garlic, ginger paste, a red chili, garam masala, ground coriander, cashews, ground almonds, and coconut milk. Additionally, you will require cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, a bay leaf, and chili powder. For the nine gems of this dish, you will want potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, a bell pepper, peas, dried pineapple, cilantro, and more cashews.

To really pack the flavor into this navratan korma, making a curry paste is key. This is comprised of a mixture of fresh ingredients, nuts, and spices, and will provide the flavor base for the korma. To do this, start by frying some sliced onions until golden, and then set them to one side. Using a grinder or food processor, add two tablespoons of cashew nuts and then grind them to a fine powder. Then, simply combine some of the fried onions along with garlic cloves, ginger paste, a red chili, garam masala, ground coriander, the ground cashews, ground almonds, and a splash of coconut milk in a blender, and process until a smooth, thick paste has formed.

To start the navratan korma, you will want to bloom the spices. This is a common practice in Indian cuisine, where whole spices are cooked for a few minutes in oil or ghee until they are aromatic and begin to make a popping sound. This releases an abundance of flavor from the spices, which can then be infused throughout the dish. It is a small step, but definitely worth it. To do this, melt some ghee in the pan and add the cinnamon bark, the cardamom pods, and the cumin seeds and allow them to fry for a minute or two. Then, add a bay leaf and the remaining sliced onion and allow everything to cook together for a few minutes more.

To make sure that the vegetables, or "gems" in this korma are cooked to perfection, you will want to add them in two stages. First add the potato, carrots, and cauliflower to the pan and allow them to cook for a few minutes, before adding the green beans, bell pepper, and peas, as these will take less time to cook. Then, add the curry paste to the pan and fry everything together for a few minutes. Finally, add the remaining coconut milk to the pan, along with a dash of red chili powder for color, then stew everything until the vegetables are just tender.

Remove the navratan korma from the heat and garnish it with whole cashews, dried pineapple, and fresh cilantro. Serve this delicious vegetable curry with roti or naan, or basmati rice, and store any leftovers in the fridge for up to three days.