Veg Kurma – Mixed Vegetable Kurma

Veg Kurma / Mixed Vegetable Kurma is a perfect side dish for chapathi/poori. This combo is most popularly served in restaurants. Its a good blend of vegetables in a coconut based gravy. This appears in my kitchen quite rarely as most of the time I end up making Paneer Butter Masala, Methi Matar Malai etc.. I usually make this Veg Kurma when I have left over vegetables, in the sense very little of each veggie that is not enough to make a side dish of its own.. 🙂 Post updated with video on 04/06/17

Here is the video..

[Preparation Time-15 mins : Cooking Time-30 mins]

Veg Kurma Ingredients:

• Mixed Vegetables – 1 cup ( I used potato, carrot, beans and green peas)
• Onion – 2
• Tomato – 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
• Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Curd – 2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – handful

To Temper 

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Cloves – 2
• Cinnamon Stick – a small piece
• Bay leaf – 1

To Grind

• Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
• Khus Khus / Poppy Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Onion – 1/2 (See Step 1 in method below)
• Cashews – 5

Method:

• Wash and cube the vegetables and keep it ready. In a pan or pressure cooker heat oil and temper with the items mentioned under “to temper”. Add sliced onions and saute until transparent. Reserve some fried onions (say 2 tbsp for grinding). Add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes off.

• Add chopped tomatoes and saute. Add required salt, chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well. Let it cook in medium flame until tomatoes become mushy and oil oozes out.

• Add cubed vegetables and water upto immersing level and mix well. Cook and cover for 10 mins until the veggies are soft yet firm. U can alternatively pressure cook for 1 whistle too.

• Add garam masala once the veggies are cooked and let it boil for a min. Meanwhile take all the ingredients under “to grind’ in a mixer (Dont forget to include the fried onions that we had reserved from step 1) and grind it into a smooth paste.

• Now add the ground coconut paste and let it boil for 3-4 mins until the raw smell goes off. The gravy will start thickening now. Finally add curd mix well and switch off the flame.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.  Veg Kurma/Mixed Vegetable Kurma is ready.

Serve hot with chapathi or poori.

Tips:

1. Choose the veggies as per your choice. U can add or skip any veggie as per your taste buds.
2. The veggies must be soft yet firm. Take care not to turn it mushy.
3. Once u add the coconut paste, the gravy will start thickening. Do not let it boil for a longer time.
4. U can skip curd in the final step and squeeze half a lemon instead.

– By Sundari Nathan