White Vegetable Kurma | Vellai Kurma recipe

Last updated on May 23rd, 2025 at 11:36 am

Looking for a sumptuous and healthy meal? Make this three-step vegetable kurma to go with rotis and tikkas. A creamy paste enriches this sauce making it the perfect, tasty 30-minute gravy.

Hey guys!

How is your week going? Last Friday was a day of big emotions for me after I attended my first parent-teacher meet. Lil A will be joining playgroup from tomorrow; two hours a day, five days a week. I know she'll be happy to go be with kids her own age. In fact, the whole reason we considered playgroup was because it was more than obvious that she wanted to be with kids.

She never lets my neighbors' kids go home, when they visit us. And she practically wants to go over to the neighbors', everytime she comes out of the house. As much I like company and people, when I am home I become this big introvert. I like my own space and bubble; and I don't wanna go to others' home and disrupt their space. Now how in the world do I make A understand? Actually though I don't wanna make her understand.

It is just adorably cute when she profusely tells guests to sit back down when they get up to leave. It is cute when she invites every kid who passes by the house. Absolutely exciting everytime she calls out to them. Don't ever wanna change that, or at least for now.

BUT sure I'm having a dozen second thoughts. She'll be leaving our special bubble and to be on her own. And I'll miss her terribly! The longest time we've been apart was one day, for about 5-6 hours. Even though it's only for a couple of hours, I wanted to send her after maybe 6 months. After many dilemmas, my husband convinced me that it's just a playgroup and that she'll be happy as a clam.

That being said, I really need some "me" time too. And probably get some time to cook and blog!

Speaking of blogging, I made this vegetable Kurma also called as white gravy. This is a simple south Indian gravy, served in many restaurants. I found this recipe in an ancient Aval Vikatan magazine just lying around among an old pile of clippings. We all love simple yet delicious meals, but some recipes take more time than we had hoped. But no not this Kurma, it literally is a three step process.

Vegetable Kurma / South Indian white curry :

The three steps that make this Kurma are: make masala paste, boil the veggies and boil the veggies together with the paste. The first time I made it, it seemed so ridiculously simple which made me skeptical. But lot of good dishes are actually really simple and this recipe did not disappoint either.

I've been making this for years and it has become one of our family favorites. Also, this Kurma gets a lotta veggie inside our bellies. The poppy seed and coconut in the paste is a simple yet powerful combo. It bursts with mellow and subtle flavours and we won't know what hit us. Every single we make this, we end up so full and satiated.

The paste is similar to coconut chutney except for the addition of poppy seeds. It sure is a game changer. It adds a unique flavor and aroma. The next major ingredient is of course coconut, followed by Cashew nuts. Both add a bit of sweetness and give the gravy its thickness. This gravy goes best with rotis. However, it can be had with dosas or idlis; in that case, you might need to thin it down a bit based on your preference.

How to make this Kurma / curry:

Wash and peel the veggies. Chop them into even pieces. I didn't use peas in this post, but if fresh peas are available go for it. Heat a saucepan with water and a little bit of salt. Bring it to a boil and then add the vegetables. Boil them for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Remove the pan from heat and strain the vegetables. Save that water by placing the strainer above a larger pan.

Make the paste by grinding together coconut, cashews, roasted channa gram, green chillies and poppy seeds. Add water as required to make a smooth and fine paste. Chop some onions into dices.

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Heat a pan and pour some coconut oil. One it's hot enough, add the onions and let it sauté until it's translucent. Now, add the paste and give it a mix. Then add the vegetables and give it a mix. Add water and check salt, add more salt if necessary. Let the curry boil for 10 minutes. You can remove it from heat once it's thick enough. Serve it hot with chapatis, dosas or idlis!

Notes:

• For later use, store it in the refrigerator once the Kurma cools down. Heat it with a little water when you're about to serve it.
• You can also add cauliflower and fresh or dried peas to this. If using dried peas, soak overnight and cook it till soft.

Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!