Kurma is a mixed vegetable dish that is flavored with garlicky coconut gravy added to vegetables or any kind of meat. This coconut based dish has different preparations and different names across Southeast Asia. Even within India the North and South Indian versions have slight variations, navarathan kurma , slightly sweet with dry fruits, Chetinadu style kurma, Saravana Bhavan kurma 🙂 different with different flavor profiles. Tomato based or Coriander based also defines the the taste of the dish. But the common thread is the coconut, garlic and fennel flavors.
I love kurma for its creamy texture without the heavy cream ( at least in the versions I make) and I love the flavor profile of coconut garlic and fennel combination. A hot bowl of Kurma paired with jeera rice and/or hot rotis makes a satisfying lunch or dinner. Generally this dish is prepared by cooking the vegetables and with the gravy over stove top in medium flame so the vegetable take in all the flavors.
But this Instant Pot recipe is one pot one shot recipe made in the that makes cooking and cleaning a breeze. I love my Instant pot’s ability to take care of all when I get on with my weekday or weekend chores.
I found out that The word korma is derived from Urdu qormā, ḳormā or ḳormah, meaning “braise“, and refers to the cooking technique used in the dish. Typically braising is a technique applied to cooking of meat but for vegetarian dish with relatively soft veggies there is no too much braising involved.
I simply sauteed my veggies and then added in the coconut masala and let the mixture cook for 10-15 mins in instant pot and Wola the dish was ready in no time. Here is the detail recipe…..
The recipe usually has has poppy seeds in the gravy that I have not included in my recipe here. Initially I skipped it because I did not have it but then the recipe turned out pretty good so I continue making with it. I love serving it with some fried green chills and sliced onions on the side.
Vegetable Kurma | Green coconut curry
Ingredients
Mixed veggies
- 1 cup peas.
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup cauliflower florets optional
- 1 cup chopped Potato
- 1 cup chopped beans
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup thick coconut milk use regular milk instead if you like
- 3 tbs oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
For Masala paste
- 1 1/2 – 2 tsp – fennel seeds
- 2 green cardamom
- 4-5 cloves
- 1 cinnamon small
- 1 cup fresh coconut
- 10 nos almonds
- 1 cup coriander and mint leaves
- 3-4 pods of garlic
- 1 small piece ginger
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 to mato
- Grind all the above ingredients into a smooth paste and set it aside.
Instructions
- Turn on the Instapot to the saute mode and let the pot heat up.
- Once the message turns to ‘Hot’ add in the oil and add the funnel seeds. once it starts to splatter add the whole masalas.
- Now add in the chopped veggies and lightly saute.
- With less water cook the veggies with some salt for 4-5 minutes in the manual mode.
- While the veggies are cooking grind all the masala into a smooth paste.
- When the veggies are well cooked open the Instapot and move to the saute mode.
- Add in the ground paste and let the mixture cook well with the veggies. adjust salt as needed at this point.
- Cook it for10 -15 mins , stiring occationally till the raw smell of the masala is gone
- Add in the cup of coconut milk to the mixture.Cook for about a minute not for too long.
- Garnish with coriander and serve it hot with rotis, chappati, rice or Adai
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Great post 😁