Vegetable Korma

Happy New Year to all My Readers!
Hope 2011 was a great year for you all. I wish that 2012 has more in store for you and brings happiness in your lives.

What a better way to start the new year than food? So here comes the first recipe from me in 2012. Happy Cooking!

Korma is nothing but mixed vegetables in a nutty yet creamy sauce. The creamy sauce is often a base of yogurt or coconut milk. A variant of Korma is Navaratanam Korma which refers to Nine vegetables in a curry sauce. This dish is often seen on menus at Indian restaurants. This is one simple side dish that doesn't need special culinary attention but will turn out delectable. The AllRecipes website calls this dish an easy and exotic Mughalai Indian dish. It's rich, creamy, mildly spiced, and extremely flavorful.

This recipe below is of Korma (I did not use 9 vegetables)

Ingredients:
1. Cashewnuts, about a fistful
2. Thai green Chili, 3-4
3. Tomatoes, ripe, 2
4. Cilantro leaves, fresh, a small bunch
5. Salt
6. Garam masala
7. Yogurt, whisked, a cup (some people use coconut milk)
8. Assorted vegetables (I used green bell pepper, zucchini, green beans, carrots, peas)
9. Curry leaves, 2 twigs
10. Chana dal and urad dal
11. Mustard seeds
12. Oil
13. Garlic, a few pods
14. Hing

Instructions:
1. Make a paste of tomato, cashews, chili, cilantro, and garlic.
2. Heat a wok then add oil and hing.
3. Add mustard seeds and chana and urad dal.
4. When the mustard crackles and chana and urad dal turns reddish, add curry leaves.
5. When the curry leaves look crisp and coated in oil, add the paste made in step 1.
6. Add in whisked yogurt and water.
7. Add salt and garam masala powder.
8. Mix well and Boil.
9. Add in vegetables.
10. Cover and cook till vegetables are al dente.

Serve with roti or rice.

This recipe was inspired by a Food channel source but not followed to the word. The recipe has been adapted to suit my pantry and convenience.