Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
Apr 03, 2018, Updated Oct 01, 2019
Easy Vegetable Korma made in the Instant Pot! This creamy vegan curry pairs so well with naan or rice. Vegan & gluten-free.
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Easy Vegetable Korma made in the Instant Pot – this creamy curry has just the right amount of spice and pairs beautifully with naan or rice. The veggies retain their texture just as they would when cooked on a stove top! Vegan & gluten-free.
If you love all the Instant Pot vegetarian/vegan recipes that I share on the blog, please join me on this Facebook Group – Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes. The group would share/feature vegetarian instant pot recipes and ideas from all around the web!
I often hear people complain that whatever they cook in their Instant pot, it turns mushy and they want recipes with textures. Few veggies I agree easily turn to mush under pressure like broccoli, asparagus but for the rest you can play around with the time/pressure level and get the desired results. This Instant Pot Vegetable Korma has so much flavor and the best part? It has the perfect texture, like you would cook on a stove-top!
Korma is a popular creamy curry originating in the Indian subcontinent. It most often has yogurt, cream or coconut mixed into it. I have a recipe for traditional vegetable korma on the blog but that requires a lot of steps. So after playing around with several alternatives to create an easy recipe, I am finally happy with this! This recipe for vegetable korma comes together really quickly, there are no multiple steps involved and yet tastes amazing.
So what do you do to make sure the veggie remain their texture while being pressure cooked in the Instant Pot?
How much the veggies get cooked under pressure will depend on 5 important things!
amount of water in the instant pot – if you have lot of water in your pot, the pot will take more time to get to pressure > which would result in overcooked/mushy veggies.
pressure level – you have 2 options on your instant pot, you can either cook on high pressure or cook on low pressure. This does make a difference to your final result. Veggies like cauliflower are best cooked at low pressure so that they can retain their texture.
release of pressure – the final outcome will depend on whether you did a quick release of pressure or let the pressure release naturally.
how you dice/chop your veggies – if you chop your veggies like potatoes, cauliflower really small they would turn mushy easily. It’s better to chop them into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces.
time – and of course it all depends on the amount of time you cook your veggies for in the Instant Pot!
So you have to play along with these 5 things in order to get the best results. It doesn’t come easy, I failed so much in the beginning. But as I tested recipes after recipes for my cookbook, I got an idea about how to get the veggies cooked yet not turn mushy. I for one do not like overcooked veggies at all! I know some people do, but its just not for me.
How to make Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
I made this vegetable korma vegan so I skipped on the yogurt which is usually used in korma and used coconut milk only. Let me tell you, this is the like the easiest korma that you can make and it would still taste just as great. To cut short the process, I also used canned tomato puree. You obviously don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. You can very well puree 2 tomatoes and use that in place.
This vegetable korma uses veggies like potato, cauliflower, carrots and green peas. I first cooked the masala and then added the potatoes to the pot. I cooked the potatoes for 3 minutes so that they cook up a bit before I put the instant pot to pressure. Potatoes take most time to cook out of all these veggies so it makes sense to cook them a bit first before pressure cooking. I cooked the remaining veggies at low pressure so that the cauliflower doesn’t turn mushy. The result was perfectly textured veggies!
Make sure to cut your potatoes and cauliflower into large pieces. That’s important so that the veggies don’t turn mushy.
This Instant Pot Vegetable Korma is packed with flavors, the sauce is creamy with just the right amount of spice & perfect texture of veggies! It goes so well with naan or rice. It’s also vegan and gluten-free. In case you don’t care on the recipe being vegan, you can use ghee in place of oil and even use heavy cream in the recipe in place of coconut milk. Enjoy!
Method
To a blender add onions, cashews, ginger and garlic.
Grind to a fine paste and set aside.
Press the saute button on your Instant Pot, once it displays hot add oil to the pot and then add peppercorns, green cardamoms, whole cloves and bay leaf. Saute for few seconds until the spices are fragrant.
Then stir in the prepared onion cashew paste and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Stirring is important else the paste will get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add the tomato puree, mix and cook for another 2 minutes.
Then add in the spices – coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir to combine and then add 1/2 cup of water.
Add in the coconut milk, sugar and mix well and deglaze the pot by scrapping the bottom with a spatula. There should be nothing stuck at the bottom of the pot (no brown burnt bits).
Now add the diced potatoes and mix.
Cover the pot with a glass lid and let the potatoes cook for 3 minutes. We do this so the potatoes are slightly cooked before we put the pot to pressure. Rest of the veggies don’t take much time to cook but potatoes do so this extra cooking time helps in getting the right texture for all the veggies.
After 3 minutes add in the remaining veggies – cauliflower, carrots and green peas. Add addition 1/4 cup-1/2 cup water if your Instant Pot gives BURN message.
Stir, sprinkle cardamom powder on top and then close the instant pot with its lid. Cook on low pressure for 3 minutes with the pressure valve in the sealing position (the Instant Pot would take 8-10 minutes to come to pressure).
Do a quick pressure release. Open the pot, stir the veggies and then add lemon juice and cilantro.
Serve instant pot vegetable korma with naan or rice!
Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
Ingredients
Onion Cashew Paste
- 1 medium sweet onion 155 grams, roughly chopped
- 15 raw cashews
- 1 inch ginger 12 grams
- 4 large garlic cloves 18 grams
Vegetable Korma
- 2 tablespoons oil 30 ml, use oil of choice
- 6-7 black whole peppercorns
- 4 green cardamoms
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup tomato puree canned, use store bought or puree 2 large tomatoes and use
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 cup water 4 oz
- 1 cup coconut milk 8 oz, use full fat or lite from a can
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 large potato 175 grams, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup large cauliflower florets 130 grams
- 2 medium carrots 110 grams, cut into rounds
- 1/4 cup frozen green peas soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
- pinch cardamom powder
- juice of half lemon
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- To a blender add onions, cashews, ginger and garlic. Grind to a fine paste and set aside.
- Press the saute button on your Instant Pot, once it displays hot add oil to the pot and then add peppercorns, green cardamoms, whole cloves and bay leaf. Saute for few seconds until the spices are fragrant.
- Then stir in the prepared onion cashew paste and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Stirring is important else the paste will get stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the tomato puree, mix and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Then add in the spices - coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir to combine and then add 1/2 cup of water.
- Add in the coconut milk, sugar and mix well and deglaze the pot by scrapping the bottom with a spatula. There should be nothing stuck at the bottom of the pot (no brown burnt bits).
- Now add the diced potatoes and mix. Cover the pot with a glass lid and let the potatoes cook for 3 minutes. We do this so the potatoes are slightly cooked before we put the pot to pressure. Rest of the veggies don't take much time to cook but potatoes do so this extra cooking time helps in getting the right texture for all the veggies.
- After 3 minutes add in the remaining veggies - cauliflower, carrots and green peas. Add addition 1/4 cup-1/2 cup water if your Instant Pot gives BURN message.
- Stir, sprinkle cardamom powder on top and then close the instant pot with its lid. Cook on low pressure for 3 minutes with the pressure valve in the sealing position.
- Do a quick pressure release. Open the pot, stir the veggies and then add lemon juice and cilantro.
- Serve vegetable korma with naan or rice!
Notes
- Preferably use sweet or white onion for this recipe.
- You may use full fat or lite coconut milk, just make sure you use the one that comes in a can. I have used full fat coconut milk here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
I finally got around to making this the other day. It is delicious! While it took me some time to prep everything and get it in the instant pot, I imagine as I become more familiar with the recipe the time it takes to make it will lessen considerably and become quick & easy. It’s definitely worth the effort for the first time making it. Had the leftovers today and I think it was even better than straight out of the pot! So good! Thanks for the recipe, Manali!
glad to hear Susie! Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you for the detailed recipe and I really approve fact that you mentioned the weight of ingredients in grams! Makes it easier for a newbie like me
I live in a town in Mexico where canned Coconut milk isn’t available. Can I substitute 1 cup of yogurt?
yes try with that
I have followed many online recipes but rarely follow it up with a comment. I am compelled to do so this time for this Veg Kurma recipe by Manali. I played the video, paused it in places and whipped this dish up in a jiffy before hubby got home. Used frozen mix vegetables as I was pressed for time. The whole house filled up with the aroma and the whole family enjoyed this lip smacking curry with rotis and jeera rice. Thank you Manali, a stellar recipe….quick, easy, delicious. Will surely be trying out your other recipes. So glad I’ve found a Vegetarian, InstantPot recipe place now!!
so glad to know Shubha, thanks for the feedback! 🙂
This is the first of your recipes that I have made so far and I would do it again! I did it with a conventional pot since I do not have an IP. I also added Paneer, and replaced the cardamom with cinnamon since I live in the boonies and cannot find cardamom right now. Absolutely delicious! Looking forward to trying out some of your other recipes.
I make this dish frequently! Looks complicated but it isn’t- great weeknight dish! Thank you for your detailed instructions ❤️
Hello, from where I can buy instant pot? I live in manchester
maybe amazon?
What a delicious recipe! I added a little spoon of water to my cashew/onion mix initially to help it blend better. That may have helped with it not sticking. And the cardamom powder as a sub for whole pods is awesome. A hit recipe as always, Manali!
I made this last night in my Instant Pot Duo 8 quart and the curry was AMAZING even with reduced fat coconut milk and the thickness was perfect.
I was super concerned given all of the BURN messages. I did NOT have any burn messages–I doubled the recipe and was conscious about adding a little bit of water to the cashew/onion/garlic puree and I added some additional water (about 1/2 cup since I doubled the recipe) before I closed the pot for pressure cooking.
I was also super diligent about scraping off the bottom parts of the cashew/onion/garlic puree–it definitely sticks (I think I even added some more oil at some point), so even before the tomato puree, I scraped off all of the bits sticking and did the same before I pressure cooked this.
In terms of veggies, I put in potatoes, carrots and okra and mushrooms–I pretty much followed the weights as suggested.
Wonderful recipe! Thank for for the weights in grams (very helpful). I didn’t have cardamom powder, nor cilantro nor lemon juice and the recipe was still fabulous.
For those who get the “BURN” message often and find it to be super frustrating/annoying, it’d be best to invest in an extra inner pot (for your specific IP model) so that once you do all your saute work, you transfer the contents to the extra pot and then do the pressure cooking there.. And will you pressure cook, clean the previous pot. Its the sauteeing work that leads to the burnt pot and whenever you do sauteeing and pressure cooking in its sequence, you’re prone to getting the BURN message. Or you can do all the sautee work outside the pot and then use the pot only for pressure cook (if you aint wanting to invest in an extra inner pot)
Can almond or soy milk work instead of coconut milk?
coconut milk gives it the needed creaminess, how about cashew cream?
So happy with how this turned out. Cooked this in my crockpot express. Looking forward to trying a few more of your recipes.
Thank you!
We love your recipes, Manali! I make them just as you say; they are perfect and I never have a burn notice!
It is easy to add cooked protein afterwards if you want it. We also add chili powder at the table and it really brings out the flavors. Thank you Manali for sharing all your hard work with us :). After years of failure, we can finally make good Indian food at home.
I had a typo in my info on the above post 🙁 hope you can still see my note!
I SO wanted this recipe to work. I followed it to the letter. Very disappointed. I cut my cauliflower in 2+ inch pieces and they broke down to confetti. While I love my IP for some things, I think I will stick with stove/oven for recipes with veggies. The potatoes and carrots were fine. Also, the sauce was a bit thin. Thanks for all the effort you put into this recipe, but it did not work for me.
sorry it didn’t work out for you. 2 inch cauliflower florets on low pressure for 3 minutes should be totally firm. I cook them for the same time and the same pressure always. I am really not sure what happened.
This is amazing!!! I used chickpeas instead of peas and served with baby spinach and rice. So so delicious ??
good to know! 🙂
3 minutes with quick release is not enough to cook the carrots or the potatoes
hmm Marco it indeed is..I also cook the potatoes little at first before pressure cooking as mentioned in the recipe..so many people have tried it successfully and of course I made it few times before sharing on the blog 🙂 The IP takes time to come to pressure and that’s enough to cook the potatoes..It’s not like we are cooking potatoes literally for “3 mins” only!
Thank you for sharing. Your flavor profile is on point!! I have the foodie so I used the medium-low sautéed option and stirred constantly especially after adding the paste. I also slowly added the coconut milk while stirring. I think I avoided having to use more than the 1/2 cup water as a result. Excellent recipe it is on my go to list for a quick and delicious dinner.
Glad to know it worked for you!
Made this tonight and like someone commented, I got the “burn” indicator 3 times before I decided to dump it in another pot and finish on stove top. The onion/ginger/cashew paste is very thick which I think is the culprit. The flavors of this recipe is outstanding. Next time, I plan to parboil potatoes and carrots (maybe even the cauliflower) so that it doesn’t have to cook too long in the instant pot or just cook it on stove top.
hmm..yeah burn issue is the problem in the newer models…glad you liked the flavor though..
Made this with rice and naan so delicious!!
glad to know!
This recipe just… did not work. At least not as an Instant Pot recipe. The smells and flavors are amazing, but despite employing multiple strategies, I was not able to get this to actually pressure cook–it repeatedly kicked into the “Burn” error state no matter what I tried. Eventually I just gave up and put it on the slow cooker setting. Again–smells incredible, I really, really wanted it to work–and I’m glad it apparently did for other people. For me, not so much.
sorry it did not work for you…this burn issue is a problem in some of the newer models..I wrote few things about the burn issue..check it out https://www.cookwithmanali.com/instant-pot-beginners-guide/ might help to troubleshoot
Any recommendations for the garam masala spice? I went to the store and was surprised when I looked at two with completely different ingredient lists. I’m hoping you can help. I am really looking forward to this recipe and your others for my daughter who recently decided to be vegetarian.
Hello John! Every garam masala recipe is different…in India every state and in fact every home has their own way of making garam masala so it’s difficult to say which one is better. So you stick to one you like. I would suggest buying a good brand of garam masala (I like Deep https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Spices-Garam-Masala-oz/dp/B003WM1LW4) and then using it in all the recipes..hope this helps…
This recipe looks wonderful. My son is allergic to cashews, pistachios and walnuts. Is there something equivalent I could add instead of cashews for the paste ? Or just omit the cashews?
poppy seeds will work!
This recipe is fantastic! So simple and fast. I used a full can of coconut milk (and 2/3 cup tomato puree) just so I would’t have leftover coconut milk sitting in the fridge that might go to waste. Cooking the potatoes a bit first is a great idea. I think with a smaller dice one could almost skip that step. The green peas are so fast to cook, I add them after opening the pot so they stay bright and green. Toasted some cumin seeds and stirred them into the basmati, and bam, amazing meal. Have made this twice this week already, and it’s definitely staying in our regular rotation.
So glad you liked it… one of my favorites too! 🙂
Made this tonight. I was really impressed with how it turned out. My tomatoes weren’t red enough to give the gravy its red color so I added smoked paprika to it for a slight color boost (and smokiness). Veggies were perfect and not mushy at all. My sister (I’ve had to push her to use her IP) found your recipe and recommended it to me. I’m a seasoned IP user but I hadn’t come across your site before. I’m glad I did now! Looking forward to trying other recipes on your site.
So glad you enjoyed it!
My wife, my daughter, and I, love Indian food, and my wife and daughter are both vegetarian. We recently got an electric pressure cooker (not Instant Pot brand). So I will be trying this recipe tonight, and bookmarking this page on my browser too.
Hope you enjoy this recipe Michael!
Oh my! This recipe is delish! No mushy veggies (I suspect cuz I had it on low pressure as stated in recipe). Thanks so much, this will definitely go into the regular rotation.
I hate mushy veggies in my IP!! texture is so important to me! So glad you liked it Talita!
Just ordered your cookbook but I can’t wait until it gets here. I am SUPER happy to have found this site. Thank you for all the wonderful vegetarian options! I can’t wait to try the Korma. It looks GREAT!
Thank you Stephanie!! I hope you enjoy my cookbook 🙂
Just an update. The we followed your recipe to the letter but doubled it in hopes of leftovers and lunches for a few days. I don’t think it’s going to last that long. It was FANTASTIC! Thank you SO much. My husband even came into the kitchen to help. He’s a very picky eater but said your Korma was the best he has had. Now that I have my little masala dabba loaded up with fresh spices and my insta pot, all I need is more recipes like this one. The UPS truck can’t come fast enough. Thanks again!
so glad to hear that Stephanie 🙂
Absolutely fabulous!!!!! I cannot wait to make this again. It turned out looking and tasting like something from a nice restaurant! I served it with some chicken thighs I’d cooked separately. Thanks for the recipe:)
You are welcome! I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Word of caution- the cashew puree even when the tomato sauce is added is very thick and will bubble throwing burning hot thick paste out of the pot. You can’t slow stirring to measure spices so have them premeasured ready to dump in and suggest stirring with a wisk, which i switched to after my flat wood spatula also caused this to jump out of the pot. Got the burn message 4 times in a row, turned off and stored thoroughly every time. Just gave up and dumped it all in a pot hoping it will work on the stovetop. This expensive appliance is not saving me any time!
I am sorry you are disappointed.. IP doesn’t quick anything super fast..it’s no magic..takes time to come to pressure..but its way more convenient and allows hands free cooking which for me is very important. Also this burn message thing is a issue with the newer 8 qt models..several people have successfully made this Vegetable Korma recipe and have been very happy with it.. so maybe it’s just your IP?!
I also got the burn message 4 times in a row and ended up using the stovetop 🙁 I was using an istapot duo. Maybe the newer instapot models require more water? I had quadrupled the recipe, so that may have also made a difference. This was really frustrating. However, the end result tasted really good.
yes I guess their sensor is more sensitive..it’s very frustrating..I make these recipes all time and never get burn message but it’s a problem with the newer models 🙁 sorry you had trouble..
Could you add paneer to the recipe? If so, what step would you recommend?
yes sure, just add it once the korma is done. so once you release the pressure,open the lid and then press the saute mode. Add in the paneer and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes and done!
Does this use the same chili powder I use in Mexican cooking (which is red in color), or is there a different kind I should buy?
Melissa, I am not sure which chili powder you use in Mexican cooking but if its hot, it should work here as well.
I managed to find a huge can of tomato puree at Ralph’s. Left out the ground cardamom and cilantro since I didn’t have any. Got the dreaded burn message despite being diligent about stirring. I opened the lid and did some more vigorous stirring then crossed my fingers and fortunately the pot came to pressure on the second attempt. This dish was delicious – the texture was a little grainier than what I would get at an Indian restaurant but the sauce was much more flavorful and had a pleasant heat to it. Texture of the veggies was perfect – soft but not mushy. The biggest downside was it was a lot of prep and a lot of dishes to clean. Despite that I would make it again. Thank you for the recipe!
Glad to know you liked the recipe! Well when you are making an India mixed vegetable kind of curry, there will always be some chopping and prepping, that’s how it is 🙂
I couldn’t find tomato puree, only tomato sauce. Do you think that will be ok to use?
what kind of tomato sauce? If its like tomato ketchup it won’t work.. tomato sauce is usually pre-seasoned..I am not sure if it will work perfectly well for the flavors but you can give it a try!
You can substitute tomato paste for puree by adding water. Just mix 1 tbsp. tomato paste for every cup of water.
Hello. Do u have an e Cookbook or can I print off your korma recipe?
I love all of your recipes. I’m just getting to know my instant pot
Thank you Mary, I am glad to know you enjoy the recipe! Yes you can print any recipe you want, there’s a print button in the recipe card. If you scroll to the bottom you can see the recipe card and print button there, just click on it and you should be able to print it. I don’t have a e-cookbook but I do have a cookbook releasing it October. You can pre-order it here–> https://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Indian-Cooking-Your-Instant/dp/1624146457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533925481&sr=8-1& 🙂
What size IP do you use?
I have a 6 qt.
Can you make this without cashews? My fiance has a tree nut allergy. Perhaps by replacing the cashews with peanuts? Or just leaving them out entirely? Thank you! This looks delicious.
I will just leave them out…peanuts won’t work the same way in terms of flavor..
Thank you! We made the korma last night and it was delicious. We’re looking forward to trying your Tofu Tikka Masala next!
awesome! let me know how you like the tofu tikka masala 🙂
I bought green cardamoms for the first time and wondered what part the number “4” refers to. Do I use the berries of 4 pods or just 4 berries?
Hi Cindy, you just add the green cardamoms as such, you may slightly crush them before adding to the oil. 4 means 4 whole green cardamoms (with the skin). hope it helps!
Thanks for the help Manali, The Korma was delicious! Everyone loved it. ~Cindy
good to know 🙂
We just got an IP and we are excited to start our journey with a few of your tempting recipes. Quick question…Do we remove the whole spices from Step 2 at any point, or do they go to the table?
no I don’t remove them.. you may if you want to 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
I have ground cardamom and cloves on hand. How much do you suggest I use in place of the whole spices?
pinch of ground cloves and 2 generous pinch of cardamom powder towards the end. hope that helps!
I replaced the cardamom pods with a teaspoon of ground. Delicious dish!
I often ask these replacement questions directly to my browser and find loads of solutions.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!
Looks super yummy and delish…can I double the recipe as such,?
Yes it should work!
Vegetables do get mushy so quickly in the IP so your tips are great! This meal looks delicious Manali and your veggies look perfect!
The flavors are amazing, and the recipe comes together fast, but every single time I have tried to make it (I think I am on four attempts now) it burns like crazy to the bottom before my IP even gets to pressure. Eventually I just give up on pressure cooking it after a few attempts and we just eat mostly cooked veggies. I want to love it, but it is just not working for me.
sorry this burn issue is a problem with newer models. this recipe was tested in a 6 qt older model, maybe that’s why this issue. Try adding some more water and add tomato puree at the end and don’t stir after that.
I had the same issue. Stirred diligently and then it burned once the pressure started. You need to warm people. I just wasted half my night on this.
I am sorry it didn’t work for you. I post tried and tested recipes and definitely don’t want to waste anyone’s time and effort. The newer models of IP are prone to burn message and since I have always used a DUO 6qt, I have never faced this issue.
I’ve heard the same complaints about mushy veggies from friends who have an Instant Pot. Great tips here, Manali! Also, this vegetable korma looks like an amazing comfort food. And that naan! I could make a meal out of that naan by itself! 🙂
Looks like such a cozy meal! Love that flavor combo, perfect for dinner!
Looks super yummy and comforting with those naan!