Cozy Veggie Korma! A boatload of comforting vegetables like potatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, and a creamy golden sauce with onion, garlic, ginger, warming spices. So comforting!
Cozy Veggie Korma
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Yum! This was so easy to make, and smelt divine whilst being cooked. A very tasty korma 🙂 I used halloumi instead of paneer (as that’s what I had in the fridge already) and added some cashew nuts. Definitely adding to my ‘to make again’ list, particularly as it could be so easily adapted for whatever veg are in season.
Let the record show: if I could eat this creamy, cozy, veggie korma for every cold-weather meal, I’d be a very happy person.
(Which, honestly, is kind of what I’ve been doing lately. A little here for lunch, a little there for dinner, a little the next day with some added paneer because I love myself…)
It’s important to know that this recipe has so much flavor, but it’s also not LOUD flavor. It’s like rich, cozy, mellow, could-keep-eating-forever flavor.
The base of this veggie korma is a boatload of comforting vegetables like fork-tender potatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, but the thing that makes it feel like a hug is that creamy golden sauce. We’re giving a gentle sauté to a careful amount of aromatic onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, coriander, and other spices, and then adding a bit of cream and yogurt to make this the kind of recipe that lands in the perfect exciting-but-gentle flavor zone.
Scooped up hot over a pile of steamy basmati rice… oof. Game over. We can survive winter with this.
It’s the kind of big-flavor-cozy recipe where you can practically finish the entire pan in one sitting.
Direct quote from a family member on his second? third? plate piled high with veggie korma: “I feel like I could just keep eating and eating and eating this.”
Yes, me too, amen.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
I based this recipe off the Vegetable Korma recipe from a 2008 cookbook called Best Ever Indian Cookbook by Mridula Baljekar, which is just a gem of a book. It has always been one of my favorite sources for Indian recipes because of the step by step photos, and every recipe I’ve tried over the years has been awesome (and there have been many). The changes I made from the original include subbing some ground spices in place of whole spices and adjusting the veggie-to-liquid ratios a bit. For a more in-depth look at Indian food including influences, methods, definitions, and more, check out this amazing post called Indian Cooking 101 by our friend Anu from Simmer to Slimmer!
Common Questions About Veggie Korma
Can I substitute the heavy cream?
Yes! Canned coconut milk works well as a sub.
Could I make any spice substitutions?
The cookbook I studied up on recommended using whole spices when possible – for example, cinnamon sticks and dried red chile peppers, as this is the traditional way to build the flavor base in a lot of Indian cooking. I often don’t have cinnamon sticks or whole dried red chile peppers on hand, so I’m just sharing what I use instead which is ground cinnamon and red pepper flakes. But if you have the whole spices, go ahead and use them!
I can’t find paneer. What else can I use?
Tofu can work as an alternate vegetarian protein option.
Cozy Veggie Korma
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Cozy Veggie Korma! A boatload of comforting vegetables like potatoes, bell peppers, and green beans, and a creamy golden sauce with onion, garlic, ginger, warming spices. So comforting!
Ingredients
Units
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The Base:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- one 1-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon each turmeric and cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
The Veggies:
- 2 gold potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1–2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups cubed paneer (optional)
The Sauce:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 cup of water (if needed)
- cilantro to garnish
- rice for serving
Instructions
- Cook aromatics: Melt the butter in a large soup pot or skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger; sauté 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add spices: Add cardamom, coriander, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon; sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Simmer the veggies: Add potatoes and water; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add green beans and bell peppers; simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Add paneer (optional).
- Make it creamy: Bring the heat down to avoid curdling. When cooled slightly, add cream, yogurt, salt, and garam masala. Add the extra water if necessary to loosen it up.
- Prepare to feast: Season with salt and pepper, serve over rice, and top with cilantro. Creamy, comforting, and heavenly.
Equipment
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- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: veggie korma, korma recipe, paneer recipe, vegetable korma
Filed Under: All Recipes Bell Pepper Dinner Dutch Oven Fall Legume Main Dishes Quick and Easy Recipes Rice Stovetop Sugar-Free Vegetarian
November 30, 2020
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Love the Paneer! Where are you able to find it? I’ve had no luck.
We found it at a local Indian grocery store!
My Costco carries Paneer!
I couldn’t find the paneer anywhere either. I Googled substitutions for paneer and found something called halloumi. It is made from goat and sheep milk and is a product of Greece. It cost me $9 for half a pound. I plan on making this recipe tonight.
Another commenter just mentioned that she used halloumi with great results. Enjoy!
I made the paneer with whole milk and vinegar. It was easy. You have to plan ahead because it does take some time.
We loved the cozy veggie korma! Please keep sharing your great recipes!
So glad to hear it, Wendy!
This looks so good! Is there a substitute you would recommend to use instead of heavy cream for the sauce? Something not as heavy?
You could use coconut milk
Canned coconut milk would be a great substitute!
I’m going to try this tomorrow with tofu, it looks so good! Quick question about the calories does that 480 count the paneer and the rice?
Hi Kay! The calorie count includes the paneer, but not the rice. Enjoy!
Could you make this with tofu instead of paneer?
I’m gonna try it!!
Absolutely! Tofu would be great in this dish!
Could I substitute extra yogurt or coconut milk for the heavy cream?
What do you think about adding chicken and/or peanuts to this. Would I need more liquid? Thanks.
Both would be great additions! You may need more liquid, which can be added in at the end.
love you guys but is it really right to be sharing cuisines that are not your own, especially at this moment in time and especially when there are so many Indian food bloggers out there?
The implication that sharing this recipe is wrong seems a little unfair to me. It’s hard to think of concrete ways in which this may hurt other bloggers or speak to the (important) issues at the center of the current race discourse. More personally, as a Latin American, I love seeing Latin American food (e.g., arroz con pollo) represented in this space—and executed so well too. Keep up the good work!
Amen 😉
Give me a break! We’re talking about food and so YOU have to interject some P.C. STUFF?????????
Is it right to cook Indian food if you are not Indian then? Should I refrain from cooking any food that is not Spanish because that is where I am from, so I do not hurt anyone? Please, lets be a little more open minded. Cooking is a great way to embrace other cultures and traditions, but that is just my opinion.
I am an Indian food blogger living in India cooking everyday in my Indian kitchen and 80 percent of the recipes that I share on my site are NOT INDIAN! I share recipes that I like and I think Lindsay is doing the same thing? How is that a bad thing if someone wants to share recipes that they enjoy?
Personally, I appreciate seeing recipes from different cultures and know that I’ve tried dishes that I normally wouldn’t have because of it.
I really appreciate that on POY’s Instagram stories they always have a slide that contains a disclaimer about the origins of the recipe and gives credit to the culture from which it originates–it would be cool if they would do that here, too, rather than just the very small print explanation of the recipe source at the bottom of the post.
It looks so yummy and easy!
Do you have a recommendation for how much ground cardamom to use if we don’t have whole cardamom pods?
I have the same question! I actually made this tonight and loved it, but not sure I added enough. I only had ground cardamom and I used cream cheese instead of yogurt! My husband and I loved it 🙂
So glad you and your husband loved the recipe, Samantha! We’d use 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.
Yes! 6 cardamom pods equals about 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.
Thank you!! Can’t wait to have this for dinner tonight.
This looks so good!!! I can’t wait to make it. But I am torn between buying paneer or making it. We are lucky enough to have an Indian grocery store, so I will probably take the easy way out.
How cool that you know how to make paneer! Hope you enjoy the korma!
Absolutely delicious! Subbed cashew cream for heavy cream and it turned out great.
So glad to hear it, Jillian! Great idea for a heavy cream substitute!
Sweeten up our life with these creative sweet cozy-veggie- korma recipes. I like it
This was delicious and will definitely be made again! I had to do some substitutions based upon what was in the fridge/pantry and it still turned out great. Perfect way to use up extra veggies!
My subs for reference: chickpeas instead of paneer, subbed one potato for a sweet potato, turned out I had no cardamom, and low fat yogurt.
Meant to add 5 stars!
Those sound like amazing substitutions, Cal! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I cannot find paneer anywhere. Online it says that I can also use halloumi cheese which I can’t find anywhere or Panela cheese which I can’t find anywhere either.
It’s not like I live in a remote area.
You can try making it. It’s pretty simple. Milk, lemon juice, and salt is all you need.
I plan to make this tonight but I have 2 questions:
1. What would you add to make it a little spicier? My husband likes spicy foods.
2. Can this be frozen??
A pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes would give it a spicy kick! We haven’t tried freezing the korma, so we can’t say for sure. If you give it a try, know that the coconut milk may separate. Enjoy!
This was so easy but still tasted so authentic. I subbed in tofu for the paneer and used kohlrabi and sweet potatoes, since thats what I had, and it still tasted amazing. Thank you for a great recipe!
Great substitutes, Meredith! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This looks so good! Love that you combine heavy cream with yogurt for the creaminess. And all those yummy spices–mmm!
Thanks Molly! We also love the heavy cream/yogurt combo for the rich, tangy kick it gives the korma!
Wow, such a delicious dish. I am gonna try it. Can’t wait for taste this recipe.
it’ really a simple and unique recipe. But where to find gold potatoes? Can you please tell me that how much time it will take to prepare?
I made this for dinner on a whim tonight, without all the ingredients but did some substitutions based on what I had and even with those substitutions it was DIVINE. Here’s what I subbed:
– soy milk instead of heavy cream
– sour cream mixed with water instead of yogurt
– broccoli instead of green beans
– tofu instead of paneer
The spice blend and aromatics combined to make a warm, cozy, comforting sauce that blanketed everything and made my soul happy. If you’re thinking about making this tonight, just do it. You won’t regret it!
Great substitutions! So glad you enjoyed the korma, Emma!
Yum! This was so easy to make, and smelt divine whilst being cooked. A very tasty korma 🙂 I used halloumi instead of paneer (as that’s what I had in the fridge already) and added some cashew nuts. Definitely adding to my ‘to make again’ list, particularly as it could be so easily adapted for whatever veg are in season.
Great substitutions Jo! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
wow.. followed the recipe exactly except for paneer… substituted halloumi. It was a TEENY bit spicey hot, so would even use less red pepper flakes. Suggestion: make sure you really salt the potatoes when adding, as it was super bland at that point. Yum!
Great tip, Susan!
I can’t wait to make this with coconut milk instead of the cream. I think that’ll taste incredible. We’re trying to eat a lot more veggies, and this will very a yummy way to accomplish that!
Thanks – am loving all your recipes so much. 🙂
Coconut milk would be a great substitution. Enjoy!
Thanks a lot for sharing a great Blog. i like your work
Made this tonight- delish!!! Substituted with a (jersey) sweet potato, coconut cream and coconut yogurt. Didn’t have bell pepper SO Added zucchini, carrots, green peas and chicken broth. The spices make this so warming and flavorful! Definitely a feel good “cozy” dinner
Also added some crispy tofu!
So glad you enjoyed it, Devon!
This was fantastic!
We’ve tried and enjoyed a few of your recipes now and so far this one has to be our favorite. Definatly going into the rotation. Just wish paneer was easier to find.
Happy to hear it, Chris!