Serves 16
When I made this, I thought it was pretty easy. But now that I’m writing out the directions I’m like “Oy gevault.” I hope you’re not deterred by the long directions, it makes so much food and it is so incredibly worth it. There are a few steps here but each one isn’t exactly complicated, try it out on a Sunday when you’ve got a potluck to go to. It will feed 16 people easily. And those 16 people will love you forever. If you’re not serving a small army then just halve the recipe.
I came up with this because I was invited to a Diwali party over the weekend and of course I wanted to bring something Indian inspired. I wasn’t sure what the rest of the meal was going to be, and I really wanted my dish to measure up. So I went for something super creamy! Korma is usually swimming in cream or yogurt, but just because food is vegan doesn’t mean that it can’t be creamy. I used a combo of cashews and coconut milk to achieve the perfect amount of rich, creaminess.
I also used a traditional method for curry, which is a puree of aromatics that’s sauteed for a good amount of time to bring out all the complex flavors and sugar. Both of these methods are really important foundations for a million other dishes, so work them into your repertoire if you haven’t already!
Anyway, when I got to the Diwali party I found out what else was on the menu…it was pizza! Conclusion: pizza and korma go together pretty darn well. But you can serve with some basmati rice, instead.
Notes: Tamarind concentrate is available in Indian markets or at Whole Foods kinda stores. If you don’t have it/can’t find it/don’t care, then just use lime for some tartness. I’d try juice from 2 and go from there.
You’ll need 2 really big pots to get this done kinda quickly, or you can boil the veggies and then rinse that pot out and use it again to make the base. You also need a food processor fit with a metal blade.
Oh and to crush coriander seeds, I place them in a plastic bag and steamroll them with a rolling pin. Works like a charm!
For the cream:
2 cups raw cashew pieces (plus water for soaking)
2 cups vegetable broth
Veggies to boil:
2.5 pounds yukon gold potatoes (1 1/2 inch chunks)
2 lbs cauliflower in large florettes (don’t cut em too small or they will fall apart)
2 lbs carrots, sliced on a bias 1/2 inch thick
Puree:
2 medium sized yellow onions
2 inch nub of ginger
8 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Everything else:
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon coriander, crushed
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
Fresh black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate (see note)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
2 cups frozen peas
1 large caramelized red onion
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
First, soak the cashews. This will get them really soft and make them easier to blend really smooth. Place them in a bowl and submerge in water. Set aside for at least an hour. In the meantime prep everything.
Boil the veggies. Place them in a big ass pot (8 quart is ideal), and cover them in cold water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer (so you don’t overcook the veggies), for about 15 minutes. Potatoes should be fork tender. Drain and set aside.
Next, puree the onion, ginger and garlic. It shouldn’t be completely smooth, some texture is good. No need to wash the processor bowl just yet, you’re going to puree the cashews in a bit.
Preheat another big pot over medium heat. Cook the puree in the peanut oil with a sprinkle of salt for about 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s nice and browned.
This is a good time to puree the cashews. Drain them and place them in the food processor along with 2 cups vegetable broth. Puree until smooth. This can take up to 5 minutes to get it as smooth as possible.
Back to the puree. Once it’s browned, add the coriander seed and the red pepper flakes and saute for about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, garam masala, several dashes fresh black pepper and salt and saute for another minute.
Add tamarind, tomato paste and vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Now add the coconut milk and the cashew cream. Let cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, it should thicken a little and be really creamy.
In the meantime, saute the red onion in a little peanut oil in a separate pan with a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes, it should be browned and slightly caramelized. This adds a really nice sweetness and some added texture to the finished dish.
You’re pretty much done. You can shut the heat off then mix in the peas. Now fold in the boiled veggies, put the lid on the pot and let it heat through. Taste for salt and seasoning and serve garnished with cilantro if you like.
I made this last night for a Bollywood party and it turned out great! Thanks for the awesome recipe!..:)
Served this for a birthday dinner tonight and it was a hit. Thank you! I get so nervous cooking for a crowd of non-vegans. Having a dish that I knew would be a sure winner and large enough for nine eased my mind. I roasted the cauliflower and added some sauted mushrooms which turned out nicely. We had your chocolate cupcakes for dessert and everyone was glad I’d doubled the recipe.
Made this for dinner tonight- OMG, yummy! I have it in front of me right now (hubby decided to take a nap when he got home from work so I’m on the couch with my dinner and my laptop). It has just a little bit of heat to it, just right unless you really want spicy- in which case you could easily add a diced jalapeño with the onions, garlic and ginger. I heated up some Trader Joe’s garlic na’an and I didn’t mix the veggies in with the sauce. Hubby wanted to keep them separate so he could try the sauce with other things (like chicken, bleh- since I’ve been pregnant I can’t stand eating meat, hence searching the ‘net for veggie meals and coming across your site). So I poured the sauce over the cauliflower, carrots and potatoes on my plate and have the peas separate from that. All good, very yummy!
Is this the korma served on the Holistic Holiday at Sea Cruise this year?
It is!
i made this last week, and i need to say-this was the most amazing thing that has ever been produced in my kitchen! thank you for posting it!
Made this tonight and served over rice, added some broccoli and took advice of another to roast veggies, sooooo satisfying. I halved the recipe and added only 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, b/c my son is only 16months, so had to be careful with too much heat. He cleaned his plate, I could not believe his unsophisticated palate loved something with such depth and intricacy. Try it you will love it!
wow! so amazing! everything about this works. i simmered my veggie in the ginger-spice mixture instead of boiling them off. worked perfectly and tastes spectacular. kudos, isa!
I made a half batch tonight with a friend and it blew us away. After double helpings, we still both ended up with leftovers to last two or three lunches! My office-mates will be jealous.
I have been making this pretty regularly (once every 6 weeks or so). My meat-eating husband requests this and doesn’t mind in the least that it is vegan. Thanks so much!
Red pepper flakes as in what some Italian restaurants put on their tables in a shaker? I tried an Indian dish a while back and used chili powder for chili instead of red chile powder like paprika. It was bad needless to say. Tx!
Yep, crushed red pepper flakes.
Hi again. 1 can as in a small can ( 8oz) or a regular can (15oz)? Sorry to bug. Thanks for responding. I think I have everything I need to make this tonight.
Regular can!
Wow! Wow! and Wow! This was amazing! Thanks Isa.
I have a friend that has been raving about your “Appetite For Reduction” cookbook, so I thought I’d come to your site and see what you were all about. I’m not vegetarian or vegan, but I am always trying to reduce the amount of meat and increase my veggie intake. I have always thought that Indian food was WAY beyond my abilities and I would never be able to find the right ingredients (or I’d spend hours in Berlin looking for them). How wrong I was! This recipe is super easy and GOSH DARN delicious! Bless you Isa. You have made my husband and I VERY happy. This will go into our ‘regular’ rotation. I’m ordering “AFR” from Amazon today! I may find my inner chef yet! 🙂 You’re an amazing woman!
Wow, thank you!
My best friend and I made this last night & decided it was one of the best things we’ve ever made together!! We decided to steam the veggies instead of boiling them to retain some nutrition and crispness- we then added them to the sauce right before serving. We used carrots, sugar snaps, broccoli, and zucchini. I woke up this morning feeling awesome! Thanks for such a fabulous vegan recipe <3
This recipe is kind of a labor of love, it took me about an hour and a half. I did halve the recipe upon reading the reviews. I still had plenty of food, enough to freeze half the batch, put the other half in the fridge, and serve myself lunch. It’s actually sitting in front of me right now, lol. I left out the cauliflower because my boyfriend doesn’t like that vegetable and I slightly overcooked the potatoes (I folded them in carefully) but the curry didn’t suffer for it. It’s freaking delicious.
I have had this recipe bookmarked for weeks! I got to make it today and it is wonderful! I couldn’t really get the puree to brown. I added a can of chick peas and some nutritional yeast to the recipe. Served it with a lime/cilantro brown rice and some naan. YUM! Thanks.
I’ve made this in a half batch a couple times now and am finally getting around to commenting on it. The sauce is absolutely delicious. I used light coconut milk, but doubled the amount (a full can for a half recipe.) I add more cumin than just the garam masala. I really recommend, if you have one, taking the coriander seeds and cumin seeds and using a spice grinder.
I really do think it tastes a lot better to roast/bake/steam/sautee the veggies with some salt and spices instead of boiling. I recognize if you’re making a full batch and you DON’T have multiple ovens, this is probably impractical. Veggies I used this last time: carrots, sweet potato, beets, green beans, red pepper, cauliflower. I baked the carrot, sweet potato and beet and then sauteed the beans and red pepper, roasted the cauliflower. It’s also a lot healthier without all that potato starch, and I think sweeter and more delicious. (The beet did turn the korma a ridiculous almost pink color though, particularly after a couple days.)
THIS IS THE BEST CURRY EVER! I have tried so many different curry recipes and none have ever felt like The Real Deal until this. This is spectacular! It is so rich, creamy, hearty, fragrant, on and on. I served it with homemade peach mango chutney, naan bread, and cucumber raita. We used broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and cauliflower from our garden and the homegrown taste made it that much better. My man and I were in ecstasy! Thank you thank you!
Yum, peach chutney sounds good right about now.
SO FREAKING DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!
Wow…so yum-o-licious! This was my project for a cold Midwest Sunday. I made my own Tamarind paste, Samosas and this wonderful dish. This is absolutely wonderful. It makes a ton so I think I’ll cut this recipe in half the next time. Thanks for sharing. This was marked as my new favorite recipe!
This looks so good! My boyfriend is allergic to peanuts — what kind of oil would you suggest I use in place of the peanut oil?
I made this dish for the first time last weekend for 10 non-vegans. No pressure! It turned out to be amazing!! Everyone loved it. It was delicious, some people took extra containers of it home! In fact everything that I have made from this blog is so delicious. Thank you!!!!
Each recipe I’ve made from this site has been delicious and unique but the Cashew Korma was truly amazing. I made a half batch for take-to-work lunches but will definitely cook this again when I want to impress guests 🙂
Made this as part of my first vegan Christmas dinner, 2011. Amazing. Worth the time and effort. So enjoyed this – and saving the life of one precious turkey. Thanks Isa.
Hi Isa, as Stephen here I’ve just entered this delicious trip into vegan food. I have prepared this for New Years Eve dinner party along with other indian inspired recipes and have to thank you for your excellent sense for cooking and sharing! Wish to you an excellent year of new delicious insights!
Another lovely contribution to my belly via your tasty blog and by bf’s cooking skills! Solid recipe. Thank you!
We added raisins! So good! Thanks Isa 🙂
Made this for the third time. It really is fantastic. I eliminated the red onions and add a can of chickpeas. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
How large is the can of coconut milk? Here I can get 115g, 230g or 400g – but I’m not sure what size you use?
15 oz here.
Working my way through an enormous cauldron of this delicious curry. Making it second time around this time I soaked the cashew nuts overnight (they blended a lot more smoothly even with my rather rubbishy handheld stick blender) and made it with a can of reduced fat coconut milk.
Absolutely delicious!! I am addicted to this stuff, and it’s inspired me to try cashew cream in other recipes.
Every pot I own is dirty and my kitchen is filthy, but my tummy is very happy and nearly all of my left over dishes are full. I used lime juice in lieu of tamarind and my local grocery doesn’t carry garam masala (damn midwest!) so I doubled the curry powder. Also, since I halved the recipe and didn’t want to have left over canned coconut milk, I added the entire can and cut out an equal volume of stock. Very creamy and delicious. This is a keeper!
Tamarind Substitutes:
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire sauce gets its tangy flavor from tamarind so this condiment makes a natural substitute for tamarind paste. Look for a brand of Worcestershire sauce that lists real tamarind in the ingredients; some low-quality brands might skimp on this flavoring. Each 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce replaces 1 tbsp. of tamarind concentrate.
Citrus Juice
The sour flavor of tamarind concentrate resembles the mouth-puckering taste of citrus fruits. Combine lemon or lime juice with brown sugar to replace 1/6 of the amount of tamarind concentrate called for in your recipe. For instance, use 2 tbsp. of lemon juice with 1 tbsp. of brown sugar to replace 1 tsp. of tamarind concentrate. Adjust the amount of sugar based on your personal preference for sweetness in the dish.
This was wonderful. Is the red pepper flakes in the cashews and the puree a mistake? It was pretty darn hot, but my 2 year old still ate it!
I made this last night. Big hit! I served it over couscous.
By the way, Laura, I thought 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes would be too spicy for me, so I put in slightly less than 1 teaspoon. Just the right amount of kick!
How long do you soak the cashews?
i don’t know if i already commented on this… but i made this AND IT WAS AMAZING. my mind was blown. i never knew i could make something like this at home. <3 <3
This recipe is fab. I’ve made it a couple of times. I’ve used some sweet potatoes in place of the Yukon gold potatoes. It worked beautifully. I had veggie korma at a couple of Indian restaurants and found this exile to be on par with one and better than the second restaurant. Most excellent!
Made this last night… Was deeelish!
IsaChandra do u have the nutritional breakdown for this and other recipes? Just curious to know calorie count… Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Isa, is the 2 teaspoons of red chili flakes mentioned in the puree section and the 2 teaspoons in the everything else section (of the ingredients) a mistake or is there really 4 teaspoons red chili flakes in the dish? they’re not mentioned in the first puree step (just the onion, garlic, and ginger)…
but anyway this sounds really yummy and i can’t wait to try it 😀 i just don’t wanna burn my mouth off! (and sorry if someone else already asked the same question)
I made this last night for seven people, all meat eaters except for me, and everyone loved it. It was a great meal for a dinner party because I could prepare it early in the day and simply reheat it and make the rice once the guests arrived. It was really wonderful. Thank you Isa!
My family frequents indian restaurants where ever the military sends us. Usually I look for hing in the ingredients for a recipe. I like a lot of flavor in my indian food. I’m a vegetarian and my family is not. This -by far- is the best indian cooking I have EVER done at home. I would be very happy to have it served to me in a restaurant. I have been looking for something to bring to potlucks that show vegetarian/vegan food isn’t just bland tofu. Thank you. You have answered my prayers with this recipe. I’m gonna knock their socks off! (btw the gingerbread apple pie is AWESOME!). You might have made this vegetarian a vegan! Thank you and I look forward to your new book!
Isa, I have been a huge fan for years, and your recipes are always my go-to recipes. I have learned (sometimes the hard way!) that if I just follow your directions, all will turn out. I just started experimenting with the cashew recipes, in preparation for my first cheesecake from Vegan Pie in the Sky. I made this and shared with a co-worker who is vegan and gluten-free, and used to run her own catering business. Her feedback? It was the best vegan dish she had ever eaten. Got it? Best. Vegan. Dish. Ever. Go Isa. You are the greatest!!
PS, at a recent work pancake breakfast, I made the gluten free buckwheat pancakes. Similar feedback. Best pancakes ever.
So good I’ve made it about 3 times in a 3 months. It feeds a lot so I take 2 Jelly jars.. one I fill with rice, the other I fill with mixture and put them in a bag and give someone a surprise meal. A lot of people have never had vegan food and this is a great way to make an introduction. Thanks Isa!
I made this once and it was amazing.
How big of a pot do you need to make this in in a full batch…ie once you have everything all mixed together including the veggies, is an 8qt dutch oven big enough? this sounds big.
Can’t wait to try this!! I’m hoping it’ll freeze well since its such a large batch.
I made this the other day for a party. I roasted the veggies as someone else suggested, with some oil and curry powder, and used more potatos and some green beans and less cauliflour. Ended up having to add an additional baby size can of coconut milk because the sauce got so thick. It did take up a lot of dishes but ooooh boy was it good.
It does make a ton, it nearly filled my 8qt dutch oven, and very filled the 6qt crock pot I put the cooked korma in for serving. I had about 13 people over, 2 were vegetarians none were vegan… and they pretty much devoured it, leaving only a small tupperware sized portion left for me. Most people had multiple servings. It was a little hot for some folks but I think that’s because I partly used hot curry powder. I just set out some yogurt for them to mix in if it was too hot.
Excellent dish and I will be making it again.