This creamy vegan vegetable korma recipe is loaded with vegetables and takes just 40 minutes to make with simple ingredients.

Plate of rice and vegetable korma with potatoes, carrot and celery topped with cilantro and cashews.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Korma, sometimes spelled, kurma, is a South Asian dish with roots in Mughlai cuisine. It’s defined as a dish where meat or vegetables are braised with yogurt, cream or stock and the flavour is based on spices like cumin and coriander.

This simple vegan korma is inspired by traditional korma and uses tomato, a blend of curry spices, vegetables and cashew cream to a create deliciously creamy sauce. It’s perfect for the whole family, especially served with naan or roti to soak up the korma curry sauce.

Indian cuisine is one of my favorites and I love to create recipes inspired by the bold flavours used in Indian food. This Curried Tofu, Vegan Butter Chicken (Butter Tofu), Potato Cauliflower Curry and Coconut Red Lentil Dahl all feature similar flavours.

Ingredients

Visual of all ingredients needed for making a vegan vegetable korma recipe. Each ingredient is labelled with text overlay.
  • Cashews: Use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt. The cashews ca be substituted with coconut milk if you need the recipe to be free from tree nuts.
  • Olive Oil: Can be substituted with water or broth for an oil-free recipe.
  • Crushed Tomato : Any canned crushed or diced tomatoes work here, I prefer crushed tomatoes for a smoother sauce
  • Peas: Frozen or canned works here, if using canned, drain and rinse before use.
  • Potato: You can use russet potato in this recipe. Sweet potatoes or even butternut squash would work as a variation.

Please see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.

Variations & Additions

  • Tofu Korma: To add tofu to this recipe, you can either stir in plain firm or extra firm tofu at the end or for crispy tofu, pan-fry it according to this tofu curry recipe or bake it according to this crispy baked tofu recipe and either serve it on top or mix it in at the end to coat in the sauce.
  • Chickpeas: You can mix 1 can of chickpeas or 1 cup cooked lentils in at the end for added protein and nutrition.
  • Serving: Serve over basmati rice, quinoa, brown rice or any other grain you enjoy, sprinkled with fresh cilantro and/or with vegan naan, roti or pita for dipping.
  • Different Vegetables: Green beans, zucchini, broccoli or diced bell peppers make a nice addition. Chop them up and add them along with the peas and cauliflower. If adding spinach, stir it in at the end until incorporated and wilted.
  • Cashew Alternative: To make the recipe without cashews, substitute 1 14 oz can of full-fat coconut milk for the cashews and water.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cashews soaking in a small dish of water.

Step 1. In a small bowl place the cashews with boiling water and leave them to soak while start you making the curry.

Chopped onions cooking in a skillet with olive oil.

Step 2. In a medium pot on medium high heat, sauté your onions with olive oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

Chopped onion, garlic and ginger with spices cooking in a skillet.

Step 3. Add the garlic and spices, and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. If the mixture starts sticking to the pan, add a splash of water.

Tomato broth with chopped carrots, peas and potato cooking in a skillet.

Step 4. Add the crushed tomato and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, potato, and carrots and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are starting to get soft.

Cashew cream in a blender container.

Step 5. While the potatoes are cooking, blend the soaked cashews and water until smooth and creamy.

Blender pouring cashew cream into a skillet of tomato, cauliflower and peas.

Step 6. Add the green peas, cashew cream and cauliflower and simmer until the cauliflower softens and the potatoes are cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

Overhead view of vegetable korma in a skillet.

Your vegetable korma is ready to enjoy! Serve over white or brown rice topped with fresh chopped cilantro and toasted cashews, if desired.

Recipe FAQs

Can I freeze vegetable korma?

This recipe isn’t ideal for freezing due to the change in texture after thawing but it can be frozen if needed. Let cool then store in an airtight container or heavy duty freezer bag up to 3 months in the freezer.

How do you store leftover korma?

Let cool before covering and storing in a sealable container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can store it on its own or mixed with rice.

Reheat the korma on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave in individual portions until heated to your preference.

If overly thick after storing, you can thin it out with a little water or vegetable broth to adjust the consistency.

Can I soak the cashews overnight?

It’s fine to soak the cashews for a few hours up to overnight instead of doing the quick soak in boiling water.

If you’re not doing the quick soak in boiled water and don’t have a high-speed blender, I would recommend at least an 8 hour soak so the korma comes out smooth and creamy.

Is vegetable korma spicy?

This korma is not particularly spicy but it does have a bit of heat to it. If you’re quite sensitive to spice, omit the chili flakes. For more spice, you can add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or increase the red pepper flakes to 1 tsp.

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function. Heat the oil and add chopped onions. Sauté until translucent.
  2. Add the garlic and spices. Sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients except for the peas.
  4. Close the Instant Pot lid and set the vent to the sealing position.Select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” function and set the timer for 5 minutes at high pressure.
  5. Once the cooking time is over, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Then, carefully perform a quick pressure release by turning the vent to the venting position.
  6. Open the lid carefully. Stir in the peas and enjoy.
A bowl of creamy vegetable korma and rice topped with cilantro and cashews.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.

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Description

This easy veggie korma recipe is ready in about 40 minutes with minimal prep time. Enjoy a tasty blend of vegetables and spices in a creamy korma sauce. Serve with rice for a delicious dinner.

Cashew Cream

  • 1 cup cashews (150 g)
  • 1 cup boiling water (250 ml)

Korma Sauce

  • 1 medium onion diced (1 cup, 150 g) 
  • 2 clove garlic (1 tbsp, 10 g)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (12 g) 
  • 1 tsp chilli powder 
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 
  • 1 tsp ginger 
  • 2 tsp cumin 
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp curry powder 
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced (2 cup, 275 g)
  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomato (796 ml)
  • 2 cup water or vegetable broth (500 ml)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 medium russet potato, peeled and diced (4 cups, 700 g) 
  • 2 ribs celery, washed and sliced (1 cup, 145 g) 
  • 2 cups small florets of cauliflower (225 g) 
  • 1 cup frozen peas (125 g)

  1. Soak Cashews: In a small bowl place your cashews with boiling water, leave to soak while you start preparing the korma.
  2. Cook Onions: In a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté your onions with olive oil until translucent, stirring often, approx. 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add Garlic and Spices: Add the garlic and ground spices, and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to toast the spices, stirring frequently. Add a little water if you notice the spices sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add Liquids: Add the crushed tomatoes and water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the potato, celery and carrots. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are getting tender.
  5. Blend Cashew Cream: While the potatoes are cooking puree the soaked cashews by placing the nuts and water into a blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth in texture. 
  6. Add Cauliflower, Peas and Cream: Once the potatoes are nearly cooked, add the cauliflower, peas and cashew cream. Cook for an additional 10 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and potatoes are fork tender, remove from heat.
  7. Serve: Serve on its own or over a bed of steamed basmati rice, naan, topped with toasted cashews and freshly chopped cilantro.

Notes

Storing: Let cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Nut-Free Option: Substitute the cashews and water with a 14 oz can of full-fat coconut milk. Oil-Free Option: Substitute the onions with water or vegetable broth.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
  • Calories: 318
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Carbohydrates: 41 g
  • Protein: 12 g

Keywords: vegetable korma, vegan korma recipe