• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Piping Pot Curry logo
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Instant Pot
    • Air Fryer
    • Indian
    • Cooking 101
  • Resources
    • Amazon Store
    • Instant Pot 101
    • Air Fryer 101
    • Meal Plan
    • Holiday Gift Guide
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Instant Pot
  • Air Fryer
  • Indian
  • Shop
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Curry

    Instant Pot Vegetable Korma

    September 7, 2022 . By Meeta Arora . 73 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan
    Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan

    Easy & Creamy Vegetable Korma made in the Instant Pot. This restaurant style creamy vegetable korma curry is a perfect blend of vegetables with a creamy coconut based sauce. A vegan & gluten free curry that pairs perfectly with naan or rice.

    Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan

    I was never a fan of korma curry, until I made this creamy coconut based vegetable korma curry. Either the korma curries that I had tried used to be too sweet or too coconut-y for my taste. However when I made this curry, my husband said this is the best Vegetable Korma he has ever had. So here it is for you all as well!

    This Vegetable Korma is made in the Instant Pot. If you are new the to the instant pot, check out this beginners guide to the instant pot.

    You might think that pressure cooker is not the right gadget to cook vegetables and they can get mushy. However I have made so many vegetable curries such as Aloo Gobi, Cabbage Peas and Aloo Beans in the instant pot, that I know the right amount of time to pressure cook them. The veggies hold their shape and have the right texture.

    This curry is so flavorful and also nutritious will all the veggies we are adding in it. Look at this full platter of veggies I added in this curry..so colorful!

    To make thus curry vegan, I have added coconut milk in place of yogurt or cream. But the best part, this korma can be made in just 30 minutes. So a perfect weeknight or Meatless Monday dinner!

    A verity of vegetables on a platter

    What is Korma?

    Korma (also known as Kurma) is a dish originated in the Indian subcontinent, consisting of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt or cream, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick creamy sauce. Korma is a popular curry to order at Indian restaurants.

    Korma can be made in many different ways - with cashews, fresh coconut, coconut milk, or with yogurt. In this recipe, I have used coconut milk to make a vegan vegetable korma curry. In my Chicken Korma curry, I used only cashews to get the creamy texture. Vegetable Korma is usually not a spicy dish.

    This recipe is super easy with not many steps, so it can be prepared in 30 minutes. This curry goes well with roti, paratha, naan or basmati rice.

    Why you will love this Instant Pot Vegetable Kurma

    • It is flavorful and creamy
    • It is mild, and not too spicy. You can always add more spice to taste.
    • Incorporates a variety of vegetables.
    • Vegan & gluten free
    • Ready in under 30 minutes

    How to make Vegetable Korma in the Instant Pot?

    • Start with gathering all the ingredients and chopping the vegetables to make the Korma.
    • Blend cashews with ¼ cup water to a smooth paste and set aside.
    • Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode and let it heat. Add oil and whole spices. Sauté for 30 seconds.
    • When the cumin seeds change color, add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes until the onions become golden brown while stirring frequently.
    • Add tomato puree and spices. Stir and saute for 2 minutes. I used canned tomato puree, but you can also blend 2 tomatoes to make a puree.
    • Add potatoes and 1 cup water. Stir and saute for another 2 minutes. We add potatoes first, as they take the most amount of time to cook, so we want to cook them for a few minutes before adding other veggies.
    steps to cook a curry with onions, tomatoes and potatoes in the instant pot
    • Add all the other vegetables and stir them in. Make sure to cut cauliflower into large pieces. That’s important so that the veggies don’t turn mushy.
    • Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position.
    • Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 1 mins. After the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.
    • Open the pot. Add cashew paste, coconut milk and lime juice. Stir well.
    Vegetable korma curry with coconut milk in the instant pot

    Garnish with cilantro and enjoy Vegetable Korma with naan, chapati or rice.

    Oh...that looks so good. I am getting hungry as I write this post. It is so creamy and so flavorful!

    Vegetable Curry in an instant pot with a ladle

    How to make Vegetable Korma on the Stovetop? 

    This vegetable korma can be easily made on the stovetop too.

    • Follow the same steps as for the instant pot recipe, but cook in a large wok (or kadhai) on the stovetop on medium-high flame.
    • After the step to add all the vegetables in the pot, cover with a lid and cook the vegetables for 6-10 minutes until they are tender.
    • Add cashew paste, coconut milk and lime juice. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
    Vegetable Korma Curry in a bowl with naan on the side

    Can frozen vegetables be used to make Vegetable Korma?

    I have tried this Korma with frozen vegetables and it works well. Just make sure to use large cauliflower florets, else it can become mushy.

    You can also use the vegetables you have on hand or add other veggies of your choice. Just make sure to adjust cooking time accordingly.

    Can I add some protein to this korma?

    Yes, that is a great way to make this a complete meal. Add precooked chickpeas or black eyed peas or other precooked protein options.

    Pro Tips to make the perfect Vegetable Korma

    1. Cut the veggies such as cauliflower in larger size florets about 1.5-2 inch, so that they don't get mushy.
    2. Pressure cook the veggies for just a minute, so they do not overcook.
    3. Puree the tomatoes, which gives a smooth texture to this curry. Store bought paste will give a more reddish color than tomatoes pureed at home, but the taste will be as good in both cases.
    4. Increase or decrease the spice level by adjusting the amount of red chili powder. I love to add mild Kashmiri red chili powder which adds to the wonderful color of this curry.

    Hope you enjoy this Vegetable Korma Curry!

    Tried this recipe?Give a rating by clicking the ★ below
    Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan

    Vegetable Korma

    Meeta Arora
    Easy & Creamy Vegetable Korma made in the Instant Pot. This restaurant style creamy vegetable korma curry is a perfect blend of vegetables with a creamy coconut based sauce. A vegan & gluten free curry that pairs perfectly with naan or rice.
    4.85 from 84 votes
    Print Save Saved! Pin
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 277
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten-free, Vegan
    Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 30 mins

    Equipment

    • Electric Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 15 Cashews
    • 1 ¼ cup Water divided
    • 2 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 ¼ cup Onions diced
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
    • 1 cup Tomato puree or 2 tomatoes pureed
    • ½ cup Coconut milk
    • 1 tablespoon Lime juice
    • Cilantro

    whole spices

    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
    • 6 Black Peppercorns
    • 3 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
    • 5 Cloves (Laung)
    • 1 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
    • 1 inch Cinnamon (Dalchini)

    Spices

    • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
    • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
    • 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
    • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
    • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder optional, adjust to taste

    Vegetables

    • 1 Potato cut into ½-1 inch pieces, about 7.4 oz
    • 1 cup Cauliflower (Gobi) large florets, about 5oz
    • 1 cup Carrots cut into rounds
    • ½ cup Green peas frozen
    • ½ cup Green Beans cut into 2 inch pieces
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Blend cashews with ¼ cup water to a smooth paste and set aside.

    Instant Pot Method

    • Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode and let it heat. Add oil and all the whole spices. Sauté for 30 seconds to release the aroma of the whole spices.
    • Add onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes until the onions become golden brown while stirring frequently.
    • Add tomato puree and all the spices. Stir and saute for 2 minutes.
    • Add potatoes and 1 cup water. Stir and saute for another 2 minutes. Make sure there is nothing stuck to the bottom of the pot.
    • Add all the other vegetables and stir them in. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position.
    • Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 1 mins. After the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.
    • Open the pot. Add cashew paste, coconut milk and lime juice. Stir well. (Note: if the vegetables are not tender enough to your liking, put on saute mode for 2-3 minutes)
    • Garnish with cilantro and enjoy Vegetable Korma with naan or rice. 

    Stovetop Method

    • Follow the same steps as for the instant pot recipe, but cook in a large wok (or kadhai) on the stovetop on medium-high flame. After the step to add all the vegetables in the pot, cover with a lid and cook the vegetables for 6-10 minutes until they are tender.Add cashew paste, coconut milk and lime juice. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

    Notes

    Frozen veggies: You can also use a frozen medley of veggies. I have tried this curry with the one from Trader joes. 
    Coconut Milk: I used full fat coconut milk in this recipe. Make sure you use the one that comes in a can. 
    Cauliflower: Make sure to cut cauliflower into larger florets so they don't get mushy when pressure cooking. 
    Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Programmable Pressure Cooker.

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 655mgPotassium: 970mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 6031IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword instant pot vegetable korma, veg korma, vegetable korma
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

    More Curry Recipes

    • Mushroom Matar Masala (Instant Pot & Stovetop)
    • Bharwa Karela
    • Lauki Kofta
    • Bhindi do Pyaza
    5.3K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maneesha says

      January 05, 2023 at 5:36 pm

      amazing!! I made this stovetop, and it turned out great, thank you Meeta!!

      Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        January 09, 2023 at 11:42 am

        Hi Maneesha - So happy to hear that 🙂

        Reply
      • Piping Pot Curry says

        January 12, 2023 at 11:44 am

        Hi Maneesha - Happy to hear that. 🙂

        Reply
    2. MJ WALLS says

      October 24, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      This sounds delicious. If I don’t have whole spices what is the amount of ground? I have whole bay leaf, but that’s it. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        November 02, 2022 at 1:55 pm

        Hi MJ - I would suggest to skip the whole spices if you don't have them. They add mild flavor and aroma, but the ground one's could be too strong in the curry. You can add a little more garam masala at the end if you prefer. Hope you enjoy the curry!

        Reply
    3. Douglas Leed says

      September 20, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      What about the whole spices? You can’t just leave them in there whole can you?

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        October 04, 2022 at 12:44 pm

        Hi Douglas - We do leave them in, and typically eat around it and take them out as we are eating the curry. However I totally understand if you would like to take them out before serving. In this case, you can use a spice pouch and take it out once the curry is cooked - https://amzn.to/3rwEmGY

        Reply
        • Chas says

          October 28, 2022 at 10:12 am

          How do you saute them in oil inside this pouch though? Do you said them, then put them into the pouch before adding the onions, etc?

        • Meeta Arora says

          November 02, 2022 at 2:24 pm

          Thats a great question. It won't be possible to saute in this case. So I just add the spice pouch in the pot once everything is ready for pressure cooking.

    4. Sweta Rebollar says

      August 26, 2022 at 8:14 pm

      Hello! Love your recipes. What can I substitute for cashews? My daughter has bad allergies with nuts. Thank you

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        September 03, 2022 at 11:34 am

        Hello Sweta - Thank you. You can skip the cashews and add extra coconut milk and/or a seed butter at the end. The cashews mainly help to thicken the sauce.

        Reply
    5. Amy says

      July 02, 2022 at 12:10 am

      Thank you so much. This was a superb dish!! Everyone loved it! Everything about it was perfect 🙂
      I would say better than many restaurants--great recipe you present! thank you!

      Reply
      • Meeta Arora says

        July 05, 2022 at 9:33 am

        Hi Amy - So glad to hear that you all enjoyed the korma.

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Meeta Arora of Piping Pot Curry

    I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. Here you will find easy & delicious recipes using Instant Pot & Air Fryer.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Air Fryer Roasted Sweet Potatoes
    • Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry
    • Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips
    • Instant Pot Chana Masala (Punjabi Chole Masala / Chickpea Curry)
    • Indian Dal Tadka / Dal Fry with Basmati Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Perfect Basmati Rice - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    AS FEATURED ON

    Piping Pot Curry Featured on websites

    Footer

    AS FEATURED ON
    Piping pot curry Featured on sites

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Meeta
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Recipes

    • Instant Pot 101
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Indian Food Recipes
    • Cooking 101
    • Web Stories

    Resources

    • Shop
    • Gift Guide
    • How to start a blog?
    • Subscribe

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Piping Pot Curry