Veg Kurma Recipe | 2 Tasty Vegetable Korma Recipes

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Absolutely flavorsome and delish is this Veg Kurma – a warming, spiced and complexly flavored curry from the Indian Cuisine. With so many Korma recipe variations out there, I am sharing two super delicious South Indian korma recipes made with mixed veggies, coconut and spices.

veg kurma in a white bowl on a dark green wooden tray with a side of poori
  1. A Hotel Style Veg Kurma made in a pressure cooker on the stovetop. You can also make it easily in pan.
  2. An easy Instant Pot Korma recipe that is vegan.

Both my korma recipes are with step by step photos and taste awesome. Make any of them with the gadgets you have.

What is Korma?

Korma, also called as Kurma is an aromatic gravy or sauce based dish that is popular in India as well as in Central Asia. Korma is a specialty from the Mughlai cuisine.

The base gravy or sauce varies with the region the Korma recipe comes from. The North and Central Indian have their korma base sauce made with curd (yogurt), stock or water, cream, spices, nuts and seeds, onions and meat or vegetables.

The South Indian regions include coconut with the addition of yogurt, onion, tomatoes, spices, nuts and seeds with vegetables or meat.

So you see depending on the ingredient included, the taste and flavor will vary. Example a curd based korma will have a slight sour taste to it. While a kurma made with coconut, will have the mild sweetness of coconut in it.

About My Recipe

After having tested plenty of vegetarian kurma recipes which lacked flavor, depth and taste, I am presenting to you this perfect Korma recipe which has the right balance of taste, flavor and aroma.

Testing and developing veg kurma recipes have made me an expert in them. My awesome tasting veg kurma is not sweet or mild but has lovely complex flavor coming from the nuts, seeds, coconut and spices.

It is spiced but not spicy. I include some green chillies to add some heat to the dish. If you do not have green chillies, you easily can add dry red chilies.

I also add coconut and yogurt in my veg kurma recipe. The slight sourness of the yogurt balances the sweetness of the coconut beautifully.

I have shown making this South Indian veg kurma in a stovetop pressure cooker as it saves time.

Fret not, if you do not have a pressure cooker. The recipe can easily be made in a pot or pan. I have included instructions in the recipe card below to cook veg kurma in a pan.

Which vegetables to add in Veg Kurma?

Kurma is generally made with a combination of vegetables like – carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, french beans, green peas.

Yet there is no limit, to the type of veggie you can add in a kurma. I often include button mushrooms – which by the way is not a veggie but an edible fungi. You can include paneer (cottage cheese) or tofu as well.

More ideas are including corn, baby corn, aubergines, broccoli, parsnips, zucchini.

My korma recipe is vegetarian. To make it vegan substitute dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt or skip yogurt.

You can choose to make kurma with a combination of mix vegetables that I have mentioned above or with just one or two veggies.

My veg kurma recipe is forgiving and highly adaptable, so you can simply make it with just one veggie, say cauliflower or a mix of the evergreen Indian combination – potato and green peas or your favorite veggie.

If like us, you like to have sumptuous and healthy curries on your dinner table, then do have a look at some of these kurma recipe variations

I make this hotel style veg kurma as a weekend lunch on occasions. We like Vegetarian Curry Recipes a lot, so I make them often.

These are easy, healthy and nutritious. Steaming hot veg kurma with some soft roti or naan is such a satisfying meal.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Veg Kurma

Before you begin making this delicious veg kurma, there is some prep work like soaking cashews and making coconut paste. When you have completed these, you only need to sauté and pressure cook.

Prepping cashews and veggies

1. Soak 12 to 15 cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later drain and set aside.

cashews soaking in water to make veg kurma

2. Rinse and soak 1 to 1.25 cups medium sized cauliflower florets in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.

TIP: This step is optional and only to get rid of any insects or worms in the cauliflower. After blanching the cauliflower, drain them and set aside.

cauliflower being blanched in water for kurma recipe

3. Rinse, peel and chop the rest of the veggies – 1 medium potato, 7 to 8 french beans and 1 medium carrot. Chop 1 medium sized onion finely and 1 medium sized tomato. Set the chopped veggies aside.

chopped potatoes, carrots, french beans and green peas in a yellow bowl to make veg kurma

Making kurma paste

4. Now we begin to grind spices, nuts and seeds to make an aromatic kurma paste. These ingredients add so much flavor. So try to include all of them and in the exact proportions.

TIP: I know you may not have a few of these like poppy seeds, kapok buds and stone flower. So simply omit adding these.

You will need:

  • 5 tablespoons desiccated coconut or fresh or frozen coconut
  • 2 teaspoons white poppy seeds (optional) (khus khus)
  • ½ tablespoon roasted chana dal
  • ½ tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 4 to 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 marathi moggu or kapok bud (optional)
  • 1 small tiny piece of stone flower (optional)
spices, nuts and seeds on a white plate to make kurma paste

5. Take all the above ingredients in a good blender or mixer-grinder.

spices, nuts and seeds in a blender

6. Add the soaked cashews, 2 green chilies (chopped), 3 to 4 medium sized garlic (chopped) and 1 inch ginger (chopped).

cashews, green chillies, garlic and ginger added to blender

7. Add ½ cup water and grind to a smooth fine paste. Keep aside.

TIP: The korma paste consistency should be fine. You don’t want a chunky paste here.

korma paste ready

Sautéing

8. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-litre pressure cooker. Add the chopped onions.

onions added to hot oil in a pressure cooker

9. Stir and sauté until the onions turn translucent or a light golden. Add 7 to 8 curry leaves (medium to large sized) and mix.

curry leaves added to sautéed onions in pressure cooker

10. Next add the chopped tomatoes.

chopped tomatoes added

11. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon red chili powder. Mix well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on a low to medium-low heat.

ground spices added

12. Add the ground korma paste.

korma paste added to make veg kurma gravy

13. Mix thoroughly.

kurma paste mixed evenly

14. Sauté stirring often for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium heat or until you see the oil releasing from the sides and the paste becoming glossy and thick.

korma paste sautéed

15. Add 2 tablespoons fresh curd (yogurt). If you want, you can skip yogurt too.

TIP: Do not use sour yogurt as this may make the gravy taste sour.

curd added

16. Mix the curd very well with the rest of the masala.

curd mixed evenly

17. Add the chopped mix vegetables.

veggies added

18. Mix the veggies with the rest of the masala and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

veggies mixed evenly to make veg kurma

19. Add 1.25 cups of water. For slightly thin gravy you can add 1.5 cups water. If cooking in a pan, then add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Mix well.

water added

20. Add salt according to your taste preference.

salt being added

Making Veg Kurma

21. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles or for 8 to 9 minutes on medium-high heat. When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid. The consistency of veg kurma gravy is medium – neither thin nor thick.

TIP: If you find the gravy to be thin, then you can simmer for some more minutes. If the gravy looks thick, then add some water and simmer for a few more minutes.

veg kurma recipe ready and cooked

22. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and give a stir.

chopped coriander leaves added to veg kurma

23. Serve hotel style veg kurma hot or warm.

korma in a white bowl on a dark green wooden tray with a side of poori

Serving Suggestions

  • Indian flat breads: Kurma pairs greatly with some soft roti. A chewy naan or a flaky paratha is also a great side. My favorite is to have it with kerala parotta that is soft and flaky.
  • Indian fry bread: Poori which is the most popular Indian fried bread is again a best choice to have korma.
  • Rice: Plain steamed rice or flavored rice like ghee rice, biryani rice make easy yet tasty sides with a kurma gravy.
  • Dosa: Veg kurma tastes too good with a soft dosa like neer dosa, poha dosa or a lacy, soft appam.
Tips

Expert Tips

  • Whole spices: I would recommend to keep the quantity of spices, nuts and seeds as mentioned in my recipe. Do not increase or decrease the amount as this would alter the taste greatly. Moreover blending whole spices add so much flavor that cannot be achieved by adding ground spice powders or curry powder or garam masala.
  • Stone-flower: Include a tiny piece of stone flower (about 0.5 cm in size) as it is a highly aromatic spice.
  • Consistency: You can alter the consistency of the kurma gravy by adding less or more water. But do not make it too thick or thin or runny.
  • Cooking in a pan: Simply follow all the steps listed for the pressure cooker version. Only add 1.5 to 2 cups water. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the veggies are fork tender.
  • Vegan version: Dairy yogurt can be replaced with vegan yogurt to make vegan kurma. Or you can skip adding yogurt entirely.

Ingredient swaps

  • Cashews: Replace with almonds.
  • Roasted chana dal: If you do not have roasted chana dal, then skip it
  • Poppy seeds: Use melon seeds or omit adding poppy seeds entirely.
  • Stone flower: Adding stone flower is optional and skip if you do not have it.
  • Kapok buds (marathi moggu): Skip this aromatic spice if you do not get it.
  • Curry leaves: Replace curry leaves with 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf).

More Indian Vegetable Curries

About Instant Pot Korma

This Instant Pot Korma is an aromatic, delicious and lightly spiced red gravy. It is made with mixed vegetables, coconut, cashews, dry red chillies, herbs and spices.

Making korma in the instant pot saves cooking time and gets done quickly. This red korma recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

instant pot korma served in an off-white bowl with a plate of indian flatbreads and a bowl of chopped lemons on a black slate board

Why this recipe works

  1. Taste & flavor: This kurma recipe has a complex taste and flavor. It is not an overly sweet version but a spiced one. Dry Kashmiri red chillies impart a lovely red color to the korma. The addition of coconut also gives a nice subtle sweetness that gets balanced with the pungency and heat of the spices.
  2. One pot cooking: The entire recipe has been cooked in the instant pot. If you have time then you can also cook the korma in a pan.
  3. Vegetables: Can be of your choice (cauliflower, broccoli, corn, carrots, eggplant, green peas, baby corn, beans, potatoes). You can also add paneer (Indian cottage cheese) or tofu or white button mushrooms. I personally love the taste and texture of mushrooms in korma gravies.
  4. Water proportion: When cooking thick gravy recipes like korma, it is important to add enough amount of water so that you do not get the burn sign. The amount of water added in this recipe is perfect and you do not get the burn sign when pressure cooking.
instant pot veg korma served in an off-white bowl with a plate of Indian flatbreads and a bowl of chopped lemons on a black slate board

Step-by-step Instant Pot Korma

Preparation

1. Take all the following ingredients for making the spice paste or masala paste in a grinder jar.

  • Nuts and seeds: 6 tablespoons grated fresh coconut or desiccated coconut, 6 whole cashews, 1 teaspoon poppy seeds.
  • Spices: 1-inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 3 to 4 Kashmiri red chillies and a tiny piece of stone flower (optional).
  • Herbs: 3 to 4 medium-sized garlic (chopped) and 1-inch ginger (chopped).
  • Lentils: 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted split and husked chickpeas).
spices, nuts and seeds for vegan korma in a blender

2. Add ½ cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. You can add more water if required while grinding.

ground to a fine consistency

3. Rinse, peel and dice all the veggies. I added carrots, french beans, potatoes, cauliflower, peas and some white button mushrooms (optional).

chopped carrots, green beans, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and button mushrooms on a chopping board

Sautéing in instant pot

4. Switch on the instant pot. Press the sauté button on less mode or normal mode for 10 to 15 minutes. When the instant pot displays hot, add 3 tablespoons oil.

Add ⅓ cup chopped onions and 8 to 10 curry leaves. You can also add 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf) instead of curry leaves.

add oil, curry leaves and onions in instant pot

5. Sauté onions until they soften and turn translucent. No need to brown the onions.

Sauté onions

6. Add ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.

Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder

7. Mix very well and sauté tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes.

sauté tomatoes

8. Add the ground coconut & spices paste.

Add the ground coconut spices paste to make veg korma

9. Mix very well.

ground kurma paste mixed evenly

10. Sauté masala paste for 8 to 9 minutes on the low mode of the sauté option. Keep on stirring often so that the masala paste does not stick at the bottom of the steel insert. The masala paste will thicken and look glossy.

sauté masala paste for 8 to 9 minutes

11. Add the diced vegetables. You can also add 2 tablespoons curd (yogurt) at this step. You can use either dairy yogurt or almond yogurt or cashew yogurt.

added diced vegetables and salt

12. Stir and mix very well. Deglaze after adding vegetables. Stir very well and scrape any ingredient stuck at the bottom of the steel insert pot. The moisture from the veggies will help in deglazing.

mixing and deglazing after adding vegetables

Adding water

13. Press the cancel button. Add 1.5 cups water in the mixer-grinder or blender jar. Close lid and swirl and shake the jar. So the masala stuck beneath the blades and the sides get mixed with the water. Set aside.

water added in blender jar

14. Add this masala mixed water to the veggies. Mix very well and deglaze if required.

masala paste mixed water added to veggies

Cooking in IP

15. Cover IP with its lid. Turn the valve to its sealing position. Use the pressure cook or manual mode and set the timer to 5 minutes on high pressure.

IP front panel with timer display

16. Wait for 3 minutes once you hear the beep after the pressure cooking is done. Then give a quick pressure release (QPR). Open the lid.

vegan veg korma ready to be served

17. Give a stir. Check taste and add more salt if required.

check taste of veg korma

18. Serve this vegan korma garnished with some coriander leaves.

instant pot korma served in an off-white bowl with a plate of Indian flatbreads and a bowl of chopped lemons on a black slate board

Serving Suggestions

Drizzle some lemon juice on top of the red korma before having it with Indian breads like roti, paratha or poori or rumali roti or naan bread.

It also tastes delicious with cumin rice or steamed rice, cumin rice or Kashmiri pulao. You can also have this curry with bread or dinner rolls.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

veg kurma or korma in a white bowl on a dark green wooden tray

Veg Kurma (Hotel Style)

Absolutely flavorsome and delish is this Vegetable Kurma – a warming, spiced and complexly flavored curry from the Indian Cuisine made with nuts, seeds, spices and mix vegetables.
4.91 from 94 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Cuisine South Indian, Tamil Nadu
Course Main Course
Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 5
Units

Ingredients

For kurma paste

  • 5 tablespoons desiccated coconut (unsweetened) or fresh/frozen coconut
  • 12 to 15 cashews – soaked
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus khus) – optional
  • ½ tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted split & husked bengal gram)
  • ½ tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 4 to 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 kapok bud (marathi moggu) – optional
  • 1 tiny piece stone flower (pathar phool) – optional
  • 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or 2 green chillies
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoons finely chopped garlic or 4 to 5 small to medium-sized garlic
  • 1.5 teaspoons finely chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger
  • ½ cup water for blending or add as required

Veggies

  • 1 to 1.25 cups cauliflower florets (medium sized)
  • ¾ cup chopped potatoes or 1 medium potato – diced
  • cup green peas fresh or frozen
  • ¼ cup french beans or 7 to 8 french beans
  • ½ cup chopped carrots or 1 medium carrot

Other ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil – any neutral oil or coconut oil
  • cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium sized onion
  • cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium tomato
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves (medium to large) or 12 to 15 small sized
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons Curd (yogurt) – optional
  • 1.25 cups water – for slightly thin gravy, add 1.5 cups water
  • salt as required
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Soak in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Later drain and set aside.
  • Rinse and soak cauliflower florets in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. This step is optional and only to get rid of any insects or worms in the cauliflower. After blanching the cauliflower, drain them and set aside.
  • Rinse, peel and chop the rest of the vegetables.
  • Add the the ingredients mentioned under 'for kurma paste' in a in a blender or mixer-grinder.
  • Pour ½ cup water or as required and grind to a smooth fine paste. Set aside.

Sautéing

  • Heat oil in a 2-litre pressure cooker or a pan. Add the chopped onions.
  • Stir and sauté until the onions turn translucent or light golden. Add curry leaves and mix.
  • Next add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the ground kurma paste. Stir and mix well. Sauté stirring often for 6 to 7 minutes on a low to medium flame or until you see the oil releasing from the sides and the paste becoming glossy and thick.
  • Then add fresh curd (yogurt). If you want, you can skip yogurt too.
  • Mix the curd very well with the rest of the masala paste.
  • Add the chopped mix vegetables. Stir and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Then add 1.25 cups water. For slightly thin gravy you can add 1.5 cups water. If cooking in a pan, then add 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Mix well.
  • Season with salt according to your taste preferences.

Making veg kurma

  • Pressure cook for 2 whistles or for 8 to 9 minutes.
  • When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid. If you find the gravy to be thin, then you can simmer for some more minutes. 
  • If the gravy looks thick, then add some water and simmer for a few more minutes. The consistency should be medium – neither thin nor thick.
  • Add chopped coriander leaves and give a stir.

Serving suggestions

  • Indian flat breads: Korma tastes great with some soft roti or a chewy naan or a flaky paratha.
  • Indian fry bread: Poori which is the most popular Indian fried bread is again a best choice to have korma.
  • Rice: Plain steamed rice or flavored rice like ghee rice, biryani rice make easy and tasty sides with korma.
  • Dosa: Soft dosa like neer dosa or poha dosa or a lacy, soft appam tastes nice with korma gravy.

Video

Notes

Ingredients Swaps

  • Cashews: Add almonds instead. 
  • Roasted chana dal: Omit adding roasted chana dal if you do not have them. 
  • Poppy seeds: Replace with melon seeds or skip adding them.
  • Stone flower: Skip if you do not have stone flower.
  • Kapok buds (marathi moggu): Omit this spice if you do not get it.
  • Curry leaves: Add 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf) instead of curry leaves.
 

Cooking notes

  • Whole spices: I suggest to keep the quantity of spices, nuts and seeds as mentioned in the recipe. Do not alter the amount as this would change the taste.
  • Stone-flower: Include a tiny piece of stone flower (about 0.5 cm in size) as it is a highly aromatic spice.
  • Consistency: You can change the consistency of the kurma gravy by adding less or more water. But do not make it too thick or thin or runny.
  • Cooking in a pan: Follow all the steps as listed for the pressure cooker version. Simply add 1.5 to 2 cups water. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the veggies are fork tender.
  • Vegan version: Replace dairy yogurt with vegan yogurt to make vegan korma. Or you can skip adding yogurt.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Veg Kurma (Hotel Style)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 155 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 271mg12%
Potassium 256mg7%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 2456IU49%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 17mg85%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 46mg56%
Vitamin E 3mg20%
Vitamin K 11µg10%
Calcium 62mg6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 192µg48%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 36mg9%
Phosphorus 83mg8%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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instant pot korma

Instant Pot Korma

This vegan instant pot korma is an aromatic, delicious and lightly spiced red curry made with mix vegetables, coconut, cashews, dry red kashmiri chillies, herbs and spices.
4.89 from 44 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Cuisine South Indian
Course Main Course
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 5
Units

Ingredients

For ground paste

  • 6 tablespoons fresh grated coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut
  • 6 cashews
  • 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted split & husked black chickpeas)
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 3 to 4 garlic (small to medium-sized) – chopped
  • 1 inch ginger – chopped
  • 3 to 4 dry red kashmiri chilies or byadgi chilies – broken and deseeded. Replace with 1 to 2 green chilies or 1 to 2 dry red chillies of any other type depending on hotness, pungency
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus) – optional
  • a small tiny piece of stone flower (dagad phool or patthar ke phool) – optional
  • ½ cup water for grinding or add as required

Other ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons oil – sunflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral tasting oil
  • cup chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves or 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
  • cup chopped tomatoes or medium-sized tomato
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup chopped carrots or 1 medium to large carrot or 80 to 90 grams carrots
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped french beans or 40 to 50 grams french beans
  • ½ cup green peas – fresh or frozen
  • 1 potato (medium to large) or 80 to 100 grams potatoes
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper) – optional
  • 4 to 5 white button mushrooms – optional
  • 1.5 cups water
  • salt as required
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – for garnish

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Take all the ingredients mentioned under the list “spice paste” in a grinder.
  • Add water and grind to a smooth paste. If required you can add more water while grinding.
  • Keep the ground paste aside.
  • Rinse, peel and dice all the veggies.

Sautéing

  • Switch on the instant pot. Press the sauté button on less or normal mode for 10 to 15 minutes. When the instant pot displays hot, add 3 tablespoon oil. Add the chopped onions and curry leaves. You can also add 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf) instead of curry leaves.
  • Sauté onions till they soften and turn translucent. No need to brown the onions.
  • Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder. Mix very well and sauté tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the ground coconut & spices paste. Mix very well.
  • Sauté masala paste for 8 to 9 minutes on the Low mode of sauté option. keep on stirring often so that the masala paste does not stick at the bottom of the steel insert pan. The masala paste will thicken and look glossy after it gets cooked well.
  • Add the diced vegetables. At this step you can also add 2 tablespoons curd (yogurt). You can use either dairy yogurt or almond yogurt or cashew yogurt.
  • Stir and mix very well. Deglaze after adding vegetables. Stir very well and scrape any ingredient stuck at the bottom of the steel insert pot. The moisture from the veggies will help in deglazing.
  • Press the cancel button. Add 1.5 cups water in the grinder or blender jar. Close lid and swirl and shake the jar. So the masala stuck beneath the blades and the sides of the jar gets mixed with the water. Keep aside.
  • Add this masala mixed water. Mix very well and deglaze if required.

Instant pot cooking

  • Cover ip with its lid. Position the valve to its sealing position. Use the pressure cook or manual mode and set the timer to 5 minutes on high pressure.
  • Wait for 3 minutes once you hear the beep after the pressure cooking is done. Then give a quick pressure release. Open the lid.
  • Give a stir. Check the taste and add more salt if required. If the consistency of red korma looks very thick, then add some hot water. Mix well.
  • Serve this mix vegetable korma garnished with some coriander leaves with roti, paratha or poori or rumali roti or steamed rice. Also serve some lemon wedges.

Notes

Cooking tips

  • Consistency: you can make a thick or medium consistency gravy by adding less or more water.
  • Burn sign: while pressure cooking if you get burn sign on the display, then lift the valve and release all the pressure. Remove the lid. Add ½ cup water. Mix very well and pressure cook for 4 minutes on high pressure.
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh curd or yogurt can also be added with the raw vegetables. You can even use vegan yogurt like almond yogurt or cashew yogurt. 
  • Consistency: if the korma gravy has a very thick consistency after pressure cooking, then add some hot water. Mix very well.
  • Instant pot 6 quart: The recipe is made in a 6 quart instant pot. You can easily make it in a 3 quart instant pot. For making in a 8 quart instant pot, you will need to add more water. 
  • Stone-flower: Since stone flower is strongly aromatic spice, use a very tiny piece.  

Substitutions

  • Almonds can be used instead of cashews.
  • Roasted chana dal can be skipped.
  • In place of poppy seeds use melon seeds or poppy seeds can be skipped.
  • Adding stone flower is optional and can be omitted. 
  • Curry leaves can be replaced with 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf).

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Korma
Amount Per Serving
Calories 197 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 499mg22%
Potassium 501mg14%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 2537IU51%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 20mg100%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 63mg76%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 12µg11%
Calcium 81mg8%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 228µg57%
Iron 3mg17%
Magnesium 41mg10%
Phosphorus 104mg10%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This veg kurma recipe from the archives first published in Dec 2015 has been updated and republished on January 2021.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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112 Comments

  1. Extremely tasty and loved by my family 🙂 Tried many recipes from your website and all are perfect.

    Your website is my go to site for any cooking inspiration. Thank you Dassana and God bless you.

    1. Thanks so much for this feedback as well as for your kind wishes. Glad to read!

  2. This is the first thing I made in the insta pot. Very tasty, and learned how to use my ip. Thank you for all your work, your recipes are always perfect.5 stars

    1. Glad to know and thanks for sharing this wonderful feedback. Thanks for the rating too.

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