Navratan Korma is a melting pot of ingredients you never thought would fit so well together.
But they do! This Indian recipe is delicious all around, one of our favorite curries to date, and excellent for a family dinner and meal prep.
Table of Contents
Introduction
You guys, I never knew this combination of flavors would work so well together. This recipe is such a comforting one; it’s rich, creamy, mildly spicy, and veggie-packed. It has it all.
You can serve it with fluffy basmati rice or warm naan bread. For an even more intense flavor experience, try it with aromatic saffron rice. It’s so so good!
Navratan means “nine gems” in Sanskrit, and this delicious dish uses nine vegetables to create a perfectly balanced symphony of colors, textures, and flavors.
Take our ingredients list as a guideline, and feel free to swap vegetables and spices with what you have available.
After all, this is our interpretation of this delicious Indian dish, which has been adapted to our cooking style.
If you are into Indian food, some similar recipes to try are our tofu tikka masala, vegan butter chicken, and tofu curry.
Instructions
Cut vegetables into similarly-sized pieces.
To a blender, add chopped onion, peeled ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes and blend into a paste.
Heat the oil or ghee in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the spice paste and sauté on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add 3 tablespoons of water to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan.
Add the diced potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and cauliflower, and season with salt and black pepper.
Stir for a minute to combine the veggies with the spices.
Add coconut milk and water, cover with the lid cracked open, and simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
Tip: It’s okay if the potatoes overcook slightly so the starch leaches into the sauce, making it extra creamy.
While the korma simmers, drain your firm or extra-firm tofu, pat it dry with kitchen towels, and cut it into small bite-size dice.
Heat the oil in a large skillet (best if non-stick). Add diced tofu and salt, and sauté for 5 minutes, turning the tofu around often so that it browns on all sides.
Add cashews, raisins, garam masala, asafoetida (optional), and fenugreek leaves (optional), and cook for 2 more minutes or until the nuts are golden.
When the Korma is almost done and slightly thinner than you’d like, stir in the protein mix and the frozen peas.
Finish cooking for a couple more minutes or until you reach your desired consistency, then taste and adjust for salt and spices.
Serve with basmati rice or naan bread. Top with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lemon juice, and pomegranate seeds.
Navratan Korma
Ingredients
FLAVOR BASE (MASALA)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil substitute ghee or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
VEGETABLES
- 2 medium potatoes cut into ½ inch or 1.3 cm dice, 2 cups/300 grams
- 2 medium carrots cut into ½ inch or 1.3 cm dice, 1 cup/130 grams
- ½ red bell pepper cut into ½ inch or 1.3 cm dice, ¾ cup/100 grams
- ½ small cauliflower cut into florets, 2 cups/200 grams
- ⅓ cup frozen peas 55 grams
- 1 can coconut milk 14 ounces/400 grams + ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt + 2 twists black pepper
PROTEIN MIX
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil substitute ghee or coconut oil
- 8 ounces firm tofu cut into ½ inch or 1.3 cm dice, 250 grams.
- 16 cashew nuts
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon garam masala substitute curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) + 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) both OPTIONAL
GARNISH
- 1 sprinkle fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 squeeze lemon juice or 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- PREPARE VEGETABLES: Cut 2 medium potatoes, 2 medium carrots, ½ red bell pepper, and ½ small cauliflower into similarly-sized pieces.To a blender add 1 medium onion, 1 inch ginger, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and blend into a paste.
- MAKE FLAVOR BASE: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the spice paste and sauté on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.Add 3 tablespoons of water to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan.Stir in the diced vegetables, and season with 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
- COOK VEGETABLES: Add 1 can coconut milk and ½ cup water, cover with the lid cracked open, and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.
- MAKE PROTEIN MIX: While the korma simmers, pat 8 ounces firm tofu dry and cut it into bite-size dice.Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (best if non-stick). Add diced tofu and salt, and sauté for 5 minutes, turning the tofu around often so that it browns on all sides.Add 16 cashew nuts, 1 tablespoon golden raisins, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves and asafoetida (both optional), and cook for 2 more minutes or until the nuts are golden.
- ADD PROTEIN: When the Korma is almost ready, stir in the protein mix and ⅓ cup frozen peas.Finish cooking for a couple more minutes or until you reach your desired consistency, then taste and adjust for salt and spices.
- SERVE: with basmati rice or naan bread. Top with 1 sprinkle fresh cilantro and 1 squeeze lemon juice.
Video
Notes
Substitutions
- Vegetable oil: we use olive oil. Substitute coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil.
- Onion: substitute shallot.
- Ginger: substitute ginger paste.
- Red pepper flakes: substitute chili powder or fresh chilis.
- Spices: sometimes, other spices, such as cloves, cardamoms, cumin seeds, and cinnamon, are added to the spice blend, but we don’t do that here.
- Potatoes: always use potatoes for Navratan Korma because they add creaminess to the gravy.
- Carrots: substitute any winter squash.
- Cauliflower: substitute broccoli.
- Frozen peas: substitute snap peas, green beans, or edamame beans.
- Coconut milk: substitute heavy cream or cashew cream.
- Tofu: substitute paneer.
- Cashews: substitute almonds.
- Raisins: substitute 2 tsps sugar or 1/2 cup diced pineapple or mango. If using fresh fruit add it in at the end.
- Garam masala: substitute curry powder or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Asafoetida or Hing: a traditional Indian flavor and umami enhancer; hard to find in Western supermarkets but easy to find online. You only need a pinch in each recipe.
- Dried Fenugreek Leaves or Kasuri Methi: a traditional Indian herb hard to find in Western supermarkets but easy to find online.
Tips
- Cook the flavor base well, at least 5 minutes, to build flavor and make sure the onion doesn’t taste raw.
- Cut vegetables in similarly-sized dice to ensure even cooking.
- Mix tender and crunchy veggies.
- For a creamy korma, you need either coconut cream, cashew cream, or heavy cream, not milk or yogurt.
- Serve it with saffron rice for an even more aromatic experience.
- Let it cool down 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Don’t like tofu? No problem! You can substitute diced paneer (an Indian cheese) or diced chicken breast.
Storage
Make ahead: Navratan Korma is an excellent recipe for meal prep as it keeps well for days, and its flavor improves the next day. Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezer: Let the Korma cool down completely, transfer it to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw & Reheat: Defrost in the fridge over several hours. Stored Korma will thicken up, so you must add a few tablespoons of water when you reheat it. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or in a saucepan on the stovetop for 5 minutes.Nutrition
More Indian Recipes
I hope you guys love Indian-inspired recipes as much as we do! Here are some of our reader’s favorites: lentil curry, chickpea curry, dal, and curry lentil soup.
delicious <3
This looks delicious! Can I use regular or another type of milk in place of coconut milk? I’m allergic.
Hi Kim,
Thanks for your message 🙂
I would probably use heavy cream or a non-dairy cooking cream to replace coconut milk.
You can also use blended cashews. If you have a high speed blender (like Vitamix) simply blend 1/3 cup of cashews with 1 cup of water/milk until smooth.
If you have a regular blender, I’d recommend soaking the cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes before blending them.
I hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other question.
Best,
Nico