This creamy vegan kurma is packed with spring vegetables

Kurma, a south Indian version of korma, is known for its slurpable gravy, often made with a blend of coconut, cashews and spices. It's one of my favourite tiffin meals to order when I go back for a visit.

This version, packed with spring vegetables, uses coconut milk to keep it vegan. The result is a meal that’s vibrant, comforting and best served with warm rotis, pooris or dosas to sop up all the sauce. 

Ingredients

Coconut spice blend:

• 4 tbsp fresh or frozen grated coconut
• 10 to 12 cashews, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp water

Vegetables:

• 2 cups (200 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
• ½ cup (100 g) fresh or frozen green peas
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 small (50 g) potato, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes (about ½ cup)
• ¼ medium head of cauliflower, trimmed, cored and cut into bite-size florets (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup (100 g) carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

Kurma base:

• 2 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
• 1 (½-inch) cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 (½-inch) piece ginger, grated
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or paprika)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sea salt, or more to taste
• ½ cup water
• 1 (400 ml) can coconut milk

To garnish (optional):

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

Add the coconut, cashews, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and water to a blender and process until smooth and homogenous, adding up to ¼ cup more water to thin out the mixture as needed. Set aside.

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Then, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the beans and peas and blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water.

Add turmeric and potatoes to the boiling water, and cook for 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and carrots, and cook until all of the vegetables are just tender, around 3 to 4 minutes more. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, and cook until aromatic, about 20 seconds.

Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, coriander and sea salt, and cook until tomatoes are soft and jammy, around 3 to 4 minutes.

Add all the vegetables back to the pan along with the coconut mixture, water and coconut milk. Stir to combine, then simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked and potatoes are fork-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rotis or rice.

Serves 6 to 8

Produced in collaboration with CBC Creator Network.