Mixed vegetables baked in a creamy cashew-yogurt korma sauce, finished with crisp fried chile for a spicy crunch on top.
Vegetable korma is normally a stovetop dish, a mild, creamy curry built from a cashew-yogurt gravy that coats potato, carrot, cauliflower and peas. This baked version takes the same korma base but finishes it in the oven so the top forms a slightly caramelized layer, then adds a topping of oil-crisped green chile for anyone who wants to cut through the sauce's richness with a sharp, spicy bite. The cashew paste is the backbone of a good korma — raw cashews are soaked and blended smooth with a little water until they turn into a thick, pourable cream that replaces the need for heavy dairy while still giving the sauce body. Vegetables are parboiled first so they finish cooking gently in the oven without turning mushy, and the sauce is poured over just before baking so it thickens slightly and clings rather than pooling thin at the bottom of the dish. This is a comforting vegetarian main for a dinner table that also has meat dishes, mild enough for kids but interesting enough with the crispy chile topping for anyone who wants heat.
Serves 4
Blend soaked cashews with warm water until completely smooth. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook onion until golden, 8 minutes, add ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute.
Reduce heat to low, add whisked yogurt, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and salt, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Cook 3 minutes.
Stir in the cashew paste and simmer gently 5 minutes until thickened. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).
Combine parboiled vegetables and peas in a baking dish, pour the korma sauce over, and stir to coat. Bake uncovered 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly caramelized on top.
While the bake finishes, heat remaining oil and fry green chiles 1 to 2 minutes until blistered. Scatter over the baked korma just before serving.
Whisk the yogurt smooth and add it off high heat, stirring constantly, or it will split into curds in the hot pan.
Parboil the vegetables until just tender before baking — fully raw vegetables won't finish cooking through in the oven time given.
Blend the cashews thoroughly until silky; a gritty paste will give the finished sauce an unpleasant texture.
Add paneer cubes in the last 10 minutes of baking for a protein-rich version.
Use coconut milk instead of cashew paste for a dairy-free, slightly sweeter korma.
Skip baking and simmer everything on the stovetop for a more traditional, quicker korma.
Refrigerate up to 4 days; the sauce thickens further when cold. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or milk to loosen.
Korma developed within Mughal court cuisine as a technique for braising ingredients in a rich, nut-based sauce, and vegetable versions became common in Pakistani households as an affordable, meat-free variation on festive korma dishes.
You can use blanched almonds instead for a similar creamy texture, though the flavor will be slightly less sweet.
The yogurt was likely added over heat that was too high or wasn't stirred constantly; always whisk yogurt into a hot pan gradually over low heat.
Yes, use coconut yogurt in place of dairy yogurt and stick with the cashew cream base, which is already dairy-free.
Per serving (320g / 11.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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