If you have special occasions, you cannot go wrong with this simple yet flavorful recipe for Instant Pot Vegetable Korma.

Even more exciting is that this can be a one-pot dish, leaving you extra time to take care of other tasks as you entertain your guests.

A black bowl is filled with vegetable korma on the table.

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Fresh aromatic Indian spices, cashew nuts, and coconut milk make up for all the flavors you will need for this dish.

It's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal too. You can customize it to your personal preference by adding your choice of chopped veggies.

The best part is that the recipe is 100% vegan and gluten-free, although the traditional version calls for heavy cream.

I found the right substitute to retain the creamy nature and keep it vegan.

I made this vegetable korma many times and never failed with the results.

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About this recipe
Ingredients note
Instructions
How to prevent burn signs?
Variation
Storage
Serving suggestions
Expert tips
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📖 Recipe
Comments

About this recipe

This recipe is inspired by the traditional korma recipe from north India.

I made a few changes to make it vegan by adding coconut milk and cashews.

This is one of my family's favorite curries for pairing with naan, roti, and cumin rice.

Instant Pot Vegetable Kurma is a great option for weekday meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner.

This kurma recipe was a huge hit with my friends during potlucks and festive gatherings.

Skipping onion and garlic in dishes is common during special festive occasions. This dish is easy to customize without any of that.

Korma comes in many varieties like potato kurma, meat version of kurma, soya chunks kurma, and kurma with one vegetable and a lot more.

But this Instant Pot vegetable korma is our favorite for its simplicity and flavor.

Ingredients note

A table is covered with vegetable korma ingredients.

Mixed vegetables: I used frozen mixed vegetables, which include: green peas, carrots, green beans or french beans, and corn. This comes in handy when you are in a rush. You could also add other veggies like cauliflower florets, bell pepper, etc.
Potatoes: I used 3 medium size red potatoes. (fresh potatoes from my garden)
Tomatoes: Use fresh ripe Roma tomatoes. If you do not have any handy, canned tomatoes are also good,
Whole spices: The list may look lengthy, but you need these spices to bring in all the flavors. I used fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, green cardamom pods, and cinnamon.
Cashew nuts: This is important as it gives a creamy texture to the korma.
Coconut milk: I used full-fat coconut milk from a can. If you are trying to limit calories, you could use light coconut milk. Using fresh coconut is also an option, but the sauce does not get a smooth consistency with that.

Instructions

A blender is with tomatoes, cashews and spices for kurma sauce.

Start by Preparing the korma sauce.: Blend chopped tomatoes, ginger, and all the whole spices, soaked and drained cashew nuts, chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and turmeric powder into a smooth paste. Place it aside.

Prep the veggies: Let the potatoes soak in water for a few minutes until the starch from the potatoes separates.

An instant pot is with oil and bay leaf on saute mode.

Press the saute button on the Instant Pot and add 3 teaspoon olive oil.

As the oil heats up, add bay leaf. Saute for 30 seconds.

An instant pot is with chopped potatoes and korma sauce on saute setting.

Add chopped and drained potatoes and saute for 1 minute.

Add the prepared sauce and mix well. Press the cancel button to stop the heat.

A pot with kurma masala and mixed vegetables.

Add mixed vegetables, salt, and 2 cups of water and stir well.

An instant pot is with vegetable korma on cooking setting.

Close the Instant Pot lid with the valve in the sealing position.

Cook on high pressure for a minute. As the timer expires, let the pressure release naturally.

An instant pot is with vegetable korma and topped with cilantro and coconut milk.

Open the lid and add coconut milk and chopped cilantro.

Give a nice stir, and your vegan Instant Pot vegetable korma is ready to enjoy!

How to prevent burn signs?

The main reason for getting the burning sign is not deglazing the pot after sauteing the spices and sauces.

To prevent this, stop the saute mode after adding the sauce or paste. Add a little bit of water and deglaze the pot well.

I made this korma recipe several times, and only twice did I get a burn warning. During those instances, I press cancel and wait for the pressure to release naturally.

Variation

You can make this korma with any vegetables of your choice.

Suppose you don't have an Instant Pot, no worries. You can easily make this recipe on the stovetop pressure cooker or in a saucepan.

For the saucepan method, skip the pressure cooking part, cover the pot with a lid, and continue cooking until the vegetables are done.

Storage

This veg kurma recipe stays good in the fridge for up to 2-3 days in the air-tight container. In the freezer, it can last upto a month.

When you are ready to serve, serve it hot by thawing it overnight in the refrigerator and then heating up just before serving.

Check out my post on how long curry lasts for more details.

Serving suggestions

Serve this vegetable korma with sona masoori rice, jeera rice, vegetable pulao, and other main dishes like chapathi, roti, and wheat naan.

It is common in restaurants to serve this paired with idli, dosa, and puri! It's a truly versatile dish!

Expert tips

Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 15 minutes. This will help to get a creamy texture of kurma.
You can also use ground spices instead of whole spices. If you do not have any of the various spices on hand, garam masala would be the next best option.
You could use ginger garlic paste instead of adding them individually.
Use any vegetables of your choice.
Adjust the spice level according to your taste with green chilies. If the dish is too spicy, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to tone it down.
Before adding water to the pot, pour it inside the blender jar, so no flavor will be left behind.
If you have poppy seeds, you can use them in this recipe to add to the creaminess. Soak them along with cashew nuts and make a paste. Add the soaked and drained poppy seeds while grinding the spices. This will give an extra flavor too.
Garnish the dish with roasted cashew nuts for extra flavor. You could also garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lemon wedges.