Veg kurma or Vegetable kurma recipe. Kurma or korma is a curry made using veggies or meat along with yogurt, coconut, spices and nut or seed paste. Based on the regions, the ingredients used to make a korma recipe are different. I am sharing a South Indian hotel style veg kurma recipe that is quick and easy to prepare. It pairs wonderfully well with Ghee rice, roti, poori, dosa, coconut rice, plain paratha or any variety rice like simple pulao.
The key ingredients to make a flavorful vegetable kurma are the tempering spices and the paste. Usually spices likes bay leaf, star anise, fennel, mace, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon are used to bring in a wonderful aroma to the vegetable kurma.
Veg kurma is one of those dishes that makes its appearance not only in a regular South Indian meal but also in festive and special meals. I often make this flavorful & delicious vegetable kurma when I have guests home.
This veg kurma recipe has been adapted from the other korma recipes on this blog. To make this recipe, you can use potato (aloo), carrot, beans, peas & cauliflower.
For more kurma recipes, do check
Chicken korma
Navratan korma
Egg korma
Potato korma
Paneer kurma
Veg kurma recipe – South Indian hotel style
Veg kurma recipe | Vegetable kurma
South Indian style veg kurma recipe made with mixed vegetables,spices & coconut. This hotel style vegetable kurma tastes very delicious, flavorful & is quick to make. Veg kurma can be served with chapati, roti, pulao, biryani or any flavored rice.
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
make a paste or use ¾ cup fresh yogurt
- 3 tbsp coconut fresh , grated
- 10 cashew nuts
- 1 tbsp fried gram or pottukadalai or putnalu
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds roasted (optional)
other ingredients for veg kurma recipe
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 small bay leaf or tej patta
- 1 star anise or chakri phool
- 1 strand mace or javithri (optional)
- ½ tsp cumin or jeera
- 2 green cardamoms or elaichi
- 3 cloves or laung
- 1 inch cinnamon or dalchini
- 1 cup onions finely chopped - 2 medium
- 1 ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
- ¾ cup tomatoes finely chopped - 2 medium sized
- salt as needed
- ¾ cup beans chopped - 8 to 10
- ¾ cup carrot chopped - 1 medium sized
- ¾ to 1 cup cauliflower or gobi florets
- ¾ cup potatoes or aloo cubed - 2 small
- ½ cup green peas or matar
- handful coriander leaves chopped
- 1 ½ cups water
Spice powders for vegetable kurma
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- ¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder kashmiri or byadgi
- 1 to 1 ¼ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp fennel seeds powder or saunf powder or ½ tsp saunf
How to make the recipe
Preparation for vegetable kurma
Make a fine paste of coconut, cashews, fried gram and poppy seeds (optional) with little water. Set aside.
Heat a pot with oil. Then saute bay leaf, star anise, mace, jeera, cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon until they sizzle.
Next put in the onions and fry until they turn transparent.
- Fry ginger garlic paste until the raw smell goes off.
- Saute tomatoes with salt until mushy and soft.
Add turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, saunf and coriander leaves. Saute well for 2 to 3 mins until the masala smells good.
How to make veg kurma
Transfer the coconut paste and saute for few minutes until the masala smells good.
Add veggies and mix well. Fry for few minutes and then pour water. Adjust salt if needed.
- Cook until the veggies are cooked. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve veg kurma with chapati, pulao or biryani.
Recipe Notes
If using yogurt or curd, make sure you don't use sour one. Use more spice powders to balance the tang in yogurt.
Preparation for vegetable kurma recipe
1. Add 1 tbsp roasted poppy seeds, 1 tbsp fried gram, 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut and 10 cashew nuts. You can replace poppy seeds with coconut, or cashew nuts with poppy seeds.
Skipping cashews and poppy seeds both may not lend a good taste. If you do not have a blender to make a paste, then just use 3/4 cup thick yogurt the taste will be different but still good.
2. Pour little water and make a fine paste.
How to make vegetable kurma recipe
3. Heat oil in a pot. Add bay leaf, star anise, jeera, cloves, cinnamon stick. You can also add a single strand of mace If you like the fragrance.
4. Next add in very finely chopped onions or onion paste. Saute until the onions turn pink. The raw smell of the onions has to go away.
5. Add ginger garlic paste. My ginger garlic paste has turmeric in it, so the color. Saute until the raw smell of the paste has gone away.
6. Then add in chopped tomatoes and salt.
7. Fry until the tomatoes turn completely soft and mushy.
8. Add chili powder, coriander leaves, garam masala and saunf powder. If you do not have saunf/ fennel seeds powder, then add garam masala and saunf to a blender jar and powder well.
9. On a medium to low flame, saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the masala begins to smell good. By now the mixture also begins to leave the sides.
10. Add the coconut cashew paste.
11. Mix and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the coconut smells good.
Addition of vegetables to make veg korma recipe
12. Lower the flame, add chopped potatoes, beans, carrots, peas and cauliflower.
13. Mix everything well and saute for 2 to 3 minutes without burning.
14. Add water just enough to cover the veggies. I used 1.5 cups water. Add salt as well and stir.
15. Cook on a medium flame until the veggies are cooked. Add coriander leaves and switch off.
Serve veg kurma with rice or chapati.
Deepa says
Hi Swasthi,Tried this recipe.Came out well.Thanks
Geetha s nair says
Hi swasthi ur kurma recipe is very nice & i tried it. Thanks a lot . Awaiting ur new recipes in future .
swasthi says
Welcome Geetha Nair
Thanks for trying. Yes sure will be posting more recipes
krishna patel says
Your recipes are too good, i really like korma recipe
swasthi says
Thank you very much
Priyanka says
Hi, I find your recipes amazing – have tried making Gopi manchurian and butter paneer both were delicious. For this vege kurma, Could I use dessicated coconut that is found in supermarkets in packets if I can’t find fresh coconut? Please advise. I am really keen to try this.
swasthi says
Hi Priyanka,
Thanks for trying the recipes.For kurma recipe, always fresh coconut is best. If you do not have then try with 2.5 tbsps poppy seeds(khuskhus) & skip coconut. If you do not have both then use desiccated coconut.
Mythu says
Hi swasthi sister, I tried ur most of receipes…. Really good and awesome taste….. My family members also like the dishes… Tq…
swasthi says
Welcome Mythu,
Thanks a lot for trying. Very glad to know the recipes were useful.
🙂