South Indian style Veg Kurma is packed with flavors from the spices and a paste made from coconut, cashews and poppy seeds! Best enjoyed with parotta, poori!
2teaspoonswhite poppy seeds also known as khus khus
10cashewsraw
1tablespoonchana dalroasted
1/4cupwater
For the curry
2tablespoonsoil
1bay leaf
3cloves
4wholegreen cardamom
1strandmace
1inchcinnamon stick
1mediumyellow onionchopped
2teaspoonsginger-garlic paste
2mediumtomatoespureed
2teaspoonscoriander powder
1/2teaspoon garam masala
1/2teaspoonturmeric powder
1/2teaspoonred chili powder
3/4teaspoonsaltor to taste
3cupswater24 oz, divided
1/2cupcubed carrots1/4 inch in size
1/2cupgreen beanschopped
1cupcauliflower floretssmall sized florets
1cupcubed potatosmall cubes, 1/2 inch or less
1/3cupgreen peasI used frozen
cilantroto garnish
Instructions
To a blender add shredded coconut, poppy seeds, cashews and roasted chana dal (make sure to roast the chana dal beforehand). Add 1/4 cup water.Grind everything together to a smooth paste. Set it aside.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil it hot, add the whole spices- bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and strand of mace.Saute for few seconds until the spices are fragrant.
Add in the chopped onions and stir. Cook the onions for 3 minutes until soft and translucent.
Then add in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another minute or so.
Stir in the tomato puree. Cover the pan and cook the tomatoes for around 5 minutes.
Then add the powdered spices- coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder. Also add the salt and mix.Cook the spices for a minute.
Add in all the veggies and mix. Remember to chop veggies small so that they don't take a lot of time to cook and also cook at the same time.
Add in 2 cups water. Then cover the pan with a lid and cook for around 6 minutes.
Open the lid after 6 minutes and stir in the prepared coconut-cashew-poppy seed paste and mix. Veggies are almost cooked at this point. I also added an additional cup of water at this point.
Cover and cook the veggies for another 3 or 4 minutes or until all the veggies are cooked.Taste test and adjust the salt and spices at this point.
Garnish with cilantro and serve veg kurma with paratha, naan or rice!
Instant Pot Instructions
Chop the veggies into big pieces (more than 1 inch).Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil and then follow all the steps until adding the powdered spices. Then add the potatoes first with 1 cup water, cover the pot with a glass lid and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the remaining veggies along with 1/2-1 cup more water. Low pressure 3 minutes with quick release. Open lid, press saute, stir in the cashew-coconut paste and stir. Let the kurma simmer for 2-3 minutes. If needed, add more water at this point.
Notes
Adjust spices levels to taste. This kurma had enough heat for me but if you prefer spicy food, add more of the red chili powder.
You can add a little yogurt to the curry if you prefer a tang in your kurma, I did not add any.
If you don't have white poppy seeds, you may skip them.