Recipe for Vegetable Kurma (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
Recipe for vegetable kurma - step-by-step instructions to make this healthy restaurant-style rich curry loaded with vegetables, with or without Instant Pot.
Servings 6 people
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- 3/4 cup Carrots* , diced, (125g)
- 1/2 cup Green Beans* , chopped, (100g)
- 1 cup Potatoes* , peeled and diced, (200g)
- 1 cup Cauliflower* , split into small florets and blanched in hot water, (150g)
- 1/2 cup Green Peas* , frozen or fresh, (100g)
For the Masala Paste:
- 1.5 tbsp Roasted Bengal Gram
- 3 tbsp White Poppy Seeds
- 10 whole Cashew Nuts
- 30 g Garlic Cloves
- 2 medium Green Chillies
- 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds
- 2 tbsp Shredded Coconut , (50g)
- Water , or as required
For the kurma:
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil , or any vegetable oil
- 4 Cloves*
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick*
- 2 green Cardamom Pods
- 30 g Garlic , chopped
- 1 large Red or Yellow Onion , diced, (200g)
- 2 medium-large Tomatoes , diced, (150g)
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder , or 1 tsp if using regular chilli powder
- 2 cups Water , (500ml)
Instructions
Masala Paste:
- Heat up a sauté pan and add the fennel seeds. Wait until it gets hot (do not burn), remove from heat and transfer to a spice grinder. Add the shredded coconut to it.
- Now add the roasted bengal gram, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, garlic, green chillies to the pan. Reduce flame to low-medium and let all the ingredients get hot. Stir occasionally.
- Once done, transfer to a plate and let it all cool down. Then, transfer the toasted ingredients to the spice grinder.
- Pulse it together once to break it down, add few tablespoons of water and grind it down to a smooth paste. Set it aside until needed.
Making the Kurma:
- Place the Instant Pot inner pot in place. Heat it up by setting it to SAUTÉ mode for 15 minutes. Add the oil to the Instant Pot.
- Once the oil is hot enough (when you notice some smoke), add the whole spices: cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods. Wait until the cloves swell up.
- Next, add the chopped garlic and saute until it turns into nice golden brown bits.
- Add the diced onions on top of the garlic. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
- Add in the diced tomatoes followed by the salt. Let the tomatoes get sauteed until it becomes mushy.
- Now, add the turmeric powder and the chili powder. Mix it once and immediately* add the water.
- Finally, add the vegetables. Cover the Instant Pot with its lid and SEAL it. Set it to PRESSURE COOK mode for 10 minutes.
- After the cooking time, Quick Release and open the Instant Pot. Serve this Vegetable Kurma with Parottas / rotis!
Notes
- Vegetables: This is a very versatile curry. So you can add any amount of vegetables you like or skip some of the vegetables. You can add anywhere between 500-600 grams of vegetables for this curry.
- Cauliflower: Blanching cauliflower is an additional step to remove the worms (if any ) from it. To blanch, bring some water enough to cover the cauliflower florets to a boil. Add the florets and turn off the heat. Leave it be for 5 minutes, then drain the water and set it aside.
- Quantity of vegetables: The quantities of vegetables are only guidance; increase or decrease the quantities of each vegetable as per your liking. In the end, you need about 550g of mixed vegetables.
- Whole Spices: You can substitute cloves, cinnamon, and cardamon with garam masala if you don't have the whole spices.
- Storage: This curry/kurma is best made fresh. But if you really need to, you can keep in the refrigerator for up to a day and freeze for upto a week.
- Serve this vegetable kurma with Chappati/Rotis or South Indian Parottas