Navratan Korma - Mixed vegetable gravy with coconut milk

My mornings usually start at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m whenever my kid (Raaghav my adorable son) wakes up to have milk. He is 14 months so usually feels hungry around this time but would again fall asleep after having milk and I then utilize that time to prepare meals b'fast and lunch and click some pics so that I could share whatever I have prepared with you all . So I would say it is " Ek panth do Kaaj" :-).Today I prepared Navratan korma a gravy my husband , father , didi, jiju , nephew :-) I must say everyone adores . I am not boasting when I am saying so, the gravy is really yummy. So lets start with how different kormas like vegetarian korma or non vegetarian korma are actually prepared the traditional way.

As stated by wise geeks - " To make a basic korma sauce, we should soak nuts such as almonds and cashews along with several crushed cardamom pods in water for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Then blend the soaked nuts with coconut milk for a vegetarian korma, or mix them with yogurt, milk, and white pepper for non vegetarian korma. The blended mix should be set aside while the we cook ingredients such as minced garlic and ginger, saffron, and vegetables, if desired, in oil. Then slowly add the creamy mixture, stirring carefully, and allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes."

However the rustic home version can be cooked the way explained in the recipe below and believe me it is a real success and would become your favorite too.

Ingredients :-

1. Onion thinly sliced 1
2. Tomatoes finely chopped 2
3. Green chilies deseeded and cut into strips 2-3
4. Ginger julianed 10-12 julians
5. Cashews 5-6
6. Raisins 2 tbsp
7. Mixed vegetables chopped into small pieces 4 cups (carrot,cauliflower,capsicum - red , green , yellow,peas,potatoes, beans,paneer)
8. Cumin 1 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Red chilie powder 1 tsp
11. Turmeric 1 tsp
12. Maggie Coconut milk 1 pack
13. Fresh coriander 2 Tbsp
14. Oil 3 Tbsp
15. Green cardamom powder 1/8 tsp
16. Garam masala 1/4 tsp

Method :-

• Wash the vegetables thoroughly and pat dry and then chop them finely.
• Slice the onions thinly and finely chop the tomatoes . Also deseed the green chillies cut them into thin strips and julian ginger.
• First heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and then add sliced green chillies and ginger cook for a minute and then shallow fry all the vegetables on medium flame, for 8-10 minutes. 
• In another pan take 1 tbsp of oil and when the oil is hot add the onions and when onions turn pink in 3-4 mins add cashews and fry for another minute by this time onion would have turned golden brown. Take out the onions and cashews in a mixie jar and keep aside.
• Put the tomatoes in the same pan and let them cook for 4-5 minutes or untill they turn mushy.Now add salt, red chillie powder and turmeric. Cook for another minute and take out this mixture in the same mixie jar in which we had  earlier put onion.
• Once the mixture cools down puree it.
• Prepare the coconut milk by adding the coconut powder to 1 1/4 cups of room temperature water and then let the mixture come to boil.
• Add the raisins to the coconut milk so that they plump up. Also add the cardamom powder.
• Add this puree to the pan in which we were shallow frying the vegetables . Cook for 2-3 minutes and now add the coconut milk.



• Let it simmer for 10 minutes and then put off the heat. Garnish with freshly cut coriander , garam masala and enjoy with roti or naan.

Notes:-

• While frying cashews take utmost care not to burn them else they would give a very taste to the gravy.
• The vegetables should be all chopped the same size so that everything cooks evenly.
• Thickness of the coconut milk could be adjusted to the consistency of the gravy we need. If you plan to have korma with rice use thinner coconut milk