Tamil Style Vegetable Kurma – a mouthwatering coconut based south Indian vegan mixed vegetable curry with mild aromatics and cashews for richer gravy, perfect with any flat bread or even bread slices or rice!
Growing up in the state of Tamilnadu, in the southern part of India, this lip smacking mixed vegetable curry with a lovely golden yellow hue from turmeric, a mild aroma of basic spices like cloves, cinnamon and coriander and my favorite vegetables in a coconut masala was like a delight for my eyes and palate!
During my hostel days (what they call dorms here in USA), when I was doing my Masters in Biochemistry, every Sunday morning breakfast was a large bowl of golden yellow, delightfully divine Tamil style vegetable kurma with soft, soft slices of bread!
My Tamilian friends hated bread (they considered having bread only when sick!), so I ended up having theirs too with more of the kurma! Now you know how much I love this dish!
I first fell in love with this totally vegan and plant based curry when my Aunt (mother’s sister) made this while spending my school summer holidays in her house every year!
The heady aroma wafting from the kitchen every weekend was like a ray of sunshine for me in the mornings which pulled me up from my bed if it was for breakfast with some pooris (deep fried dough breads) or sometimes for lunch with soft, soft phulkas/parathas and many a times with ghee or plain rice!!
When I was expecting my first son, this dish was a big craving for me to the extent, I had to make a call to my Aunt in Salem, Tamilnadu (I was in Denver, Colorado, USA at that time and making calls on landline with no cell phones was an expensive and rare effort!), to get the recipe, make it and satisfy my craving!
I don’t know whether that has anything to do with it but my older son still loves vegetable kurma to this day; go figure!
Well, enough of this ranting! Let me share this easy dish with you and hope you make it your favorite too!
With ingredients almost always in most pantries (with allowable changes to suit your personal family's palate) like coconut (preferably fresh or even frozen or dry unsweetened desiccated), whole and powdered spices and a handful of vegetables like green beans, potatoes, carrots, peas etc. (again freshly chopped or even frozen) either on a stove top or in one my favorite appliances, the Instant Pot!, this Tamil Style Vegetable Kurma can be made in less than 30 minutes!
Add any combination of vegetables of your choice or if you have frozen mixed vegetable packets, you can use that too!
Use coconut milk instead of the coconut paste or even dry desiccated unsweetened coconut if you do not have fresh coconut, switch spice powders and masala powders to suit your personal taste and make it your own version!
Well if you love paneer or even tofu (if vegan), then you can add cubes of that too! I did just that one day when I had made my favorite Pressure Cooker Tomato Rice!
That combo of PRESSURE COOKER TOMATO RICE with veg or in this case PANEER VEG KURMA is to die for!
It involves just 4 steps:
- Cook vegetables until tender, if making in a saucepan on a stove top.
- Make the coconut masala/paste (coconut, cloves, garlic and cashews)
- Sauté the coconut masala in oil, cumin, turmeric,, coriander powder and garam masala.
- Add the cooked vegetables, mix and heat until combined.
If using the pressure cooker (the stove top one or Instant Pot), vegetables can be cooked along with the masalas, after sautéing onions and coconut paste. One step less to do.
Easy peasy, isn’t it?
The aroma that hits you is to be experienced for yourself; guaranteed to make your mouth water!
Just dip you parathas, rotis, puris or like I said even soft or toasted bread slices in this heavenly south Indian delight and enjoy!
Goes amazingly delicious with some pulao, ghee rice or even plain rice!
It is a perfect dish to make for parties, get togethers, festivals special occasions or of course as a treat for your family any day!
You gotta try this soon. Totally delicious, easy to make, vegan and absolutely healthy with all those veggies, coconuts, nuts etc.
If you love curries like this, here are some more that may interest you:
- Vegan Mushroom Masala Curry
- Vegan Kaju Matar Masala
- Spicy Stuffed Baingan/Eggplant Curry
- Vegan Pineapple Curry
Let’s rustle up some south Indian version of Mixed Vegetable Kurma, shall we?
A mouthwatering coconut based south Indian curry with mild aromatics and cashews for a richer gravy, perfect with any flat bread or even bread slices!
Make it on a stove top or in your favorite pressure cooker!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup grated coconut (fresh /frozen/dessicated unsweetened)
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves
- 2 to 3 cloves (whole spice)
- 2 green chilies/1 Serrano/1 jalapeno
- 8 to 10 cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
- 1 large onion, sliced or chopped (about 1 cup sliced)
- ¼ cup chopped carrots
- ¼ cup chopped green beans
- ¼ cup chopped potatoes (peeled)
- ¼ cup cauliflower florets
- ¼ cup green peas
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- Freshly chopped coriander leaves/cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Chop vegetables into bite sized pieces and pressure cook in a little water for 1 to 2 whistles. If making on stove top, boil in plenty of water until the potatoes are tender.
- You will need about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of vegetables.
- If using pressure cooker, you can do this step later after sautéing the masalas and before pressure cooking.
- In a small blender jar, make a fine paste of all the masala ingredients with a little water: 1/4 cup grated coconut, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 2-3 cloves and 1-2 green chillies/jalapenos along with 8-10 cashew nuts. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large, deep saucepan and once hot, add 1 tsp cumin seeds.
- Once the seeds are sizzling, add 1 cup sliced onions and sauté on medium heat until they soften and become translucent.
- At this stage, add the coconut paste, 1/2 teaspoon haldi, 1 tbsp. coriander powder and 1 tsp. garam masala powders, mix well and fry on medium low heat for a few seconds until the oil starts to glisten on the sides.
- As soon as you see that, add the cooked vegetables (along with the water) to the sautéed masala.
- Stir in more water (if needed) to make the curry to the consistency you want.
- Add salt to taste and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Sauté 1 cups sliced onions and 1 tsp. jeera in oil until onions start to turn color.
- Add coconut paste along with spice powders - 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 1 tbsp. coriander powder and 1 tsp. garam masala powder. Fry a few minutes, stirring continuously until the oil starts to glisten from the sides.
- Add the chopped veggies, 1/2 cup or so water (just enough to cover), salt to taste and close the lid.
- Make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot so as not get the "BURN" signal while pressure cooking!
- Pressure cook for just 2 minutes on "LOW" on seal and then quick pressure release.
- This ensures the veggies do not over cook.
- Open, adjust consistency and seasonings, simmer 2-3 minutes.
- (IF USING STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER, pressure cook on high for 1 to 2 whistles, remove from heat and open when pressure drops).
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve hot with any Indian flat bread like rotis, parathas, naan, poori etc.
- You can even enjoy them with fresh or toasted slices of bread, with some plain rice or like I have with ghee rice!
- A fresh salad on the side and your meal is totally sorted out!
- ENJOY AND HAPPY COOKING!!
Notes
Use any combination of chopped vegetables you prefer; fresh preferably or even frozen if you are short on time!
If you love paneer or tofu, you can use cubes of that too.
Adjust the amount of spices according to your taste.
If you cannot find fresh or frozen grated coconut, you can make this curry using coconut milk too. Just make a paste of soaked cashews with garlic cloves and cumin with some coconut milk and use in recipe.
Unsweetened desiccated coconut works fine too.
Enjoy!
PIN or SHARE here:
Join the party at Angie's FiestaFriday along with Antonia at Zoale.com!
If you like my posts and recipes, do not forget to Pin, Share, comment in the box below or like my Facebook page
For more such easy and delicious recipes, follow me on:
Facebook @ curryandvanilla
Pinterest @ curryandvanilla
Instagram @ curryandvanilla16
Twitter @ curryandvanilla
Google Plus @ Vanitha Bhat
Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!
Hi! What garam masala did you use? Was is homemade? If it is could you share the recipe pls as I prefer to make homemade masala podi than store bought.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Sara,
I used a store bought brand and I keep changing mine 😀 I do not remember that brand here.
I do not have any homemade recipe for garam masala powder.
If you have your own, you could use it.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts 🙂
Hope you make this easy peasy and delicious kurma soon. It is one of our favorites quick south Indian curry!
I adore healthy and delicious food like this! It looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!