A creamy spiced curry packed with vegetables. This decadent meatless main dish is sure to be the star of your menu.
What is Vegetable Korma?
It has been four years since I shared my stovetop recipe for my rich and creamy Navratan Korma and since then, it has become an all-time blog reader favorite! This dish is much better than what you’ll find in any restaurant – it’s sweet, creamy, nutty and so very flavorful. Many of you have asked me how to make vegetable korma in an Instant Pot and today, I’m going to tell you exactly how to do that! 🙂
The Instant Pot version of my vegetable korma is also in my cookbook, Indian Food Under Pressure. If you don’t have my book yet, make sure to check it out – it has 60 delicious Indian recipes from both North India and South India and all recipes are adapted for an electric pressure cooker.
Navratan korma translates to “nine-gem” curry and the “gems” are the fruits, veggies, and nuts that make up this dish. This gem of a dish was created in imperial kitchens and served to royalty during the Mughal era in India so when I say it’s a royal dish, I mean it quite literally. Mughlai dishes are always a treat because they are so decadent, which is why I consider them special occasion recipes.
“Hi Ashley, We just wanted to extend our thanks for sharing part of your life, family, and culture with us. We have made the Vegetable Korma several times and have shared it with family and friends.
We always make more to share with our neighbors because they enjoy it so much! We enjoy it even more than the Indian restaurant we frequent. This will be forever on our menu :)”
John
I have a lot of Indian vegetarian recipes on my website and while they are all delicious, most of them are simple, everyday recipes (like Dal or Sabzi). When it comes to special occasion vegetarian dishes, this korma or Egg Biryani are my go-to recipes. They’re the recipes you want to make to impress friends. Serve this korma with Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice.
Enjoy 🙂
Looking for more Mughlai Recipes?
Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
Instant Pot Vegetable Korma
Ingredients
Onion Tomato Sauce
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2- inch ginger roughly chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- ½ Serrano pepper or green chili
Cashew Sauce
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cashews
- ¼ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Spices
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 cups chopped potato 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup water
- 5 cups chopped vegetables peas, carrots ,green beans, bell pepper, broccoli
- ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves kasoori methi
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- To prepare the onion tomato sauce, add the onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and Serrano pepper to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Set this aside.
- Prepare the cashew sauce by blending 1 cup water, ½ cup cashews and heavy cream until smooth. Set aside.
- Press the sauté button, add ghee, ¼ cup cashews and golden raisins to the pot. Stir-fry until the cashews turn golden. Remove the cashews and raisins from the pot and set aside.
- Add cumin seeds to the pot. Once they begin to brown, add the onion and tomato mixture and stir-fry for 7-8 minutes, or until the onion and tomato mixture has thickened. Add all of the remaining spices along with the potatoes and mix well.
- Add 1 cup water, secure lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Open the valve to quick release any remaining pressure.
- Add the remaining chopped vegetables. Secure the lid and cook for an additional 2 minutes at high pressure.
- Open the valve to quick release any remaining pressure.
- Stir in the cashew sauce and fenugreek leaves.
- Garnish with cilantro and ghee-coated cashews and raisins.
Uma says
Hi- wondering if you recommend roasted or raw cashews for this sauce? Really appreciate all your recipes. Thanks so much!!
patrice says
Hi Ashley- I have some frozen onion masala on hand and would like to make this recipe. Can you tell me how much would be needed for this particular recipe? Thank you!
Jennifer Bartee says
This came out perfectly!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jennifer, I’m so glad to hear that!
gvsrinivasan says
excellent recipe. How many persons can eat according to the above schedule cfm
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you! I’d say this will serve 4 to 5.
Sigrid says
Is this vegetable korma the same as navratan korma or are there differences?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Sigrid, navratan korma is a luxurious vegetable korma. Vegetable korma can be simpler depending on the recipe.
Kiran says
Another great recipe. Love the fact it uses the onion masala which makes life so much easier. Very tasty. We omitted the golden raisins and it still turned out amazingly. Thank you 😊
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Kiran! I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Ushma Joshi says
Your recipes are blessings to me. My family loves it and it comes out so perfect. Thank you so much for your hard work and efforts. I have used onion masala a lot of time to save time. it turns out perfect.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Ushma, thank you for the kind words! That’s so nice of you to say. I’m happy to hear that you and your family are enjoying my recipes 🙂
Malathi Utukuri says
Great and easy making recipes
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you! Happy to hear that 🙂
Anitha John says
What can I use to substitute for cashews? My family has nut and dairy allergies.
John says
Hi Ashley,
We just wanted to extend our thanks for sharing part of your life, family, and culture with us. We have made the Vegetable Korma several times and have shared it with family and friends.
We always make more to share with our neighbors because they enjoy it so much! We enjoy it even more than the Indian restaurant we frequent. This will be forever on our menu:)
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi John, thank you so much for the kind words. I’m so glad to hear that you like this recipe so much! Thanks for sharing it with friends and family – that’s the best compliment 🙂
Mads says
If I were to double the recipe, can I use a 6qt IP to cook it? Or do I have to do it in two batches?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I haven’t tried doubling this recipe, but I think it’ll work. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Diya says
Really good recipe. Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Diya, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how you liked it 🙂
Aparna says
The picture looks delicious. But I can’t find the recipe. Is it only in the cookbook?
I love all your recipes and my sis and me follow u very regularlyiness.. Thanks for the yumminess!!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Aparna, I switched recipe plugins today so my recipe card looks a bit different – do you mind refreshing? Hopefully you see it!
Arya says
everyone raved about how the vegetables came out fresh and perfectly cooked! thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Arya, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Barbara says
made this with your onion masala and saved a step – delicious! You should definitely include this in the list of onion masala recipes 🙂
Thank you for this and all the other great recipes!
My Heart Beets says
Barbara, thank you for sharing! I keep meaning to test this using the masala – how much did you end up using? I’ll put this on my to-do list 🙂
Varvara says
sorry for the delay – I didn’t get a notification for your reply
I don’t remember! But I must have used at least 2 (freezer “cubes” like yours”) because I love onion 🙂
I’ll pay attention next time and keep you posted!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you for reporting back! Great to know 🙂
Vidya says
Thanks for testing it out with the ready made onion masala…..that would make this recipe even easier! Do you think you used 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup?
Anne says
Absolutely delicious. I used one cup of onion masala otherwise followed the recipe. Yummy. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.
My Heart Beets says
Anne, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how the korma turned out for you 🙂
Maddy says
Can we use yogurt in place of heavy cream/coconut milk? If so, would the quantity be the same?
Katherine says
In recipes that call for blended cashew/water, is it just as good to use cashew butter to avoid the blend step? What would the substitution be?
Amita says
I tried the chicken biryani recipe and LOVED it so I tried this one today and it did not taste very good and I couldn’t figure out why. I followed the recipe EXACTLY and it just tasted off. I cut my veggies about the size as those pictured on this page and they didn’t cook all the way through so I had to cook them a little longer. I hate to leave a bad review but it’s just my honest experience and I hope it helps someone else.
Jo says
Made this last night for dinner and it was a HIT. I added coconut milk and Costco’s mixed frozen veggies.
Everything was perfect with this recipe. Thank you!!
My Heart Beets says
Jo, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how the korma turned out for you 🙂
Gretchen Davies says
I have tried 3 of your recipes and have fallen in total love with them. I love Indian food (tasty and healthy!) but the nearest restaurant is 1.5 hours away! So I must make my own. Yours reminds me of my favorite Indian restaurants back in my home state of California. Your korma here…well I’ve always loved korma but I’m picky about it, and this was spot-on. My son who says all vegetables taste like the devil’s gym socks had 5 big bites of this korma, a miracle in itself!
My Heart Beets says
Gretchen, I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes so much! And LOL – that’s so great that your son had a few bites of this 😂 I understand the win – I’m getting a lot of pushback these days from my threenager (about pretty much everything), haha. Let me know what you think of any other recipes you try!
Amanda says
Can I freeze this?
My Heart Beets says
You can but it’ll be best fresh! You can keep it in the fridge for a couple days! If you freeze it, the texture of the potatoes may also change. Let me know what you think 🙂
Manjini says
Can I double the recipie? Would I need to double the water or or just the other ingredients? I am guessing I will have to double the sauce. Please let me know as Inplan to make this for a party.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Manjini, yes double all of the ingredients including the water but keep the cook time the same. I actually doubled it when I hosted a dinner party not too long ago (you can see it in one of the pictures in this post): https://myheartbeets.com/how-to-create-indian-dinner-party-menu/ Let me know how it goes!
Kate says
Excellent recipe and delicious. I made this at my office kitchen for a group lunch. The recipe is superbly written and so well I was organized I had everything I needed. Probably add three times the spice, when I cook at home, but everyone really enjoyed it.
My Heart Beets says
Kate, I’m so happy to hear that you like my veggie korma recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Maria says
I followed this recipe exactly and for some reason mine is not at all similar in colour to yours. It is very brown. It tastes delicious though. Was I supposed to leave the peel on the tomato?
Thanks!
Jenita says
Made this for dinner potluck party last weekend. Was fantastic! I had only light cream on hand, so it wasnt as viscous I would have liked. Will be making again with heavy cream. I’ve tried so many of your recipes by now, I can honestly say, I haven’t come across one that wasn’t fantastic!
My Heart Beets says
Jenita, aww I’m glad you’re liking my recipes so much, thank you!!
Shalini says
Hi Ashley,
Love the recipe and really looking forward to try it. My question is if I have to prepare the same for say 8-10 people do I have go accordingly change the sauté and pressure cooker time as well? I have been fairly confused about the increase in time required in insta whenever you want to double or triple the quantity as in comparison to the timings suggested on the website. Thanks
Anita says
Hi Ashley, thinking of tryin this today and wondering about the protein content. The cashew sauce should be good or should dI add some tofu as well?
Thank you,
anita
Krisie Batra says
Love this recipe! It worked wonderfully with some fresh and frozen veggies (I cooked a bit longer, 5 mins). I also used butternut squash rather than potato. Amazing! Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Krisie, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know how the veg korma turned out for you 🙂
Dianne says
Would it be okay to substitute sweet potatoes for the ‘regular’ potatoes? Any difference in the cooking time?
My Heart Beets says
Dianne, you can do that – it’ll be just fine 🙂 And nope, the same cook time should work. Let me know how it goes!
Sarah says
I’m terrible at cooking and it’s only my 3rd time using my 6 quart Instant Pot.
Today I made this and I’m definitely using this recipe for potlucks at work and church! That’s how proud I am at how this turned out. I can’t believe I was able to produce such a deliciously filling meal. I felt overwhelmed at first due to my inexperience with spices, ghee, and pureeing. But all that went away when I tasted the result!
For vegetables, I added okra, broccoli, carrots, and yellow bell pepper. I added a block of extra firm tofu (I’ve never cooked tofu before). Because my husband likes soft mushy vegetables, I added them all in at step 4 with the tofu (which I didn’t press). After 5 mins of pressure cooking and addition of cashew sauce the gravy turned out watery (maybe because I didn’t press the tofu) so I had to add cornstarch. But overall, I’m so encouraged to be able to make this quality of food at home. Husband is satisfied as well. Thank you so much for making this recipe!!!
My Heart Beets says
Sarah, that’s awesome!! I’m so happy to hear that you liked it so much 🙂
marcy koeze says
Yummy! One suggestion…instead of adding one cup of water to the cashew cream add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and then just process the cream with the cashews.
Diana Preshad says
Loved the flavor, but made my husband and I very gassy. Not sure what it was.
Gina says
Hi Ashley,
I had a question, don’t have golden raisins, can I use regular raisins or sugar instead?
Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Gina, regular raisins will work just fine 🙂 Let me know how it turns out for you!
Melissa says
Planning to do this recipe to bring to Thanksgiving dinner – wondering if it would be okay to replace the fresh tomato with puree or diced canned tomato? Would love to hear thoughts on this – I’ve seen other korma recipes where puree was used to replace chopped tomato…
My Heart Beets says
Melissa, sorry I’m just now seeing this! If you made this for Thanksgiving, I hope everyone loved it! You can use canned tomato – since canned tomato is already cooked down you won’t need to sauté it as much. Hope that helps!
Marie Zhitkov says
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!! Just switched to vegan from being paleo for so long and needs recommendation for ghee alternative. Would coconut oil work for this recipe instead of the ghee?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Marie, yes you can definitely use coconut oil 🙂
Isha says
what are your thoughts on making this recipe with frozen veggies? I am new to instant pot, and cannot figure out if I have to make any adjustments when using frozen over fresh veggies.
thank you!
My Heart Beets says
I’ll sometimes use a mix of fresh and frozen but you can use all frozen if you’d like 🙂
Liz says
I’m curious if you ever tested how much onion masala to substitute? I’ve been thinking of making a big batch and then freezing for quicker dinners!
Chitra says
Tried this recipe yesterday, was delicious! i should have read the comments, had answers to the questions i had 🙂 i had 30 min, so decided to use the onion masala i had in the freezer to speed it up & it worked great.
My Heart Beets says
Chitra, that’s great! Glad you made this – great to know the onion masala made this easy to make!
Maddy says
In the past, grinding raw onion has turned it bitter. I’m hesitant to have that happen again. Can I sauté onion before grinding with raw tomatoes? Or is there a better alternative?
My Heart Beets says
The recipe calls for cooking the sauce which should get rid of any bitterness but you can certainly sauté the onion first to be sure 🙂 Let me know what you think of the dish!
Rachel says
Very delicious, thank you! The method for blending the onion-tomato sauce was new to me and I totally loved it! This recipe used just the right amount of cream to be flavorful, but not too heavy. My one recommendation is to try to let it sit in the fridge for a day or two to accumulate flavor, if you can…it’s fairly mild to start, Day 2 was much tastier, and Day 3 was HEAVENLY!
My Heart Beets says
Rachel, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the korma so much!! And yes, Indian food is always best after a day or two – so glad you enjoyed it!
Swati says
Hi Ashley!
I just wanted to let you know that this recipe turned out great! Most definitely going to make it again! Thanks so much!
My Heart Beets says
Swati, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked the veggie korma 🙂
Laura says
I made this recipe exactly as written and the flavor was excellent and very rich. I am sure I will expose my ignorance of Indian cuisine when I ask if the potatoes are supposed to dissolve into the sauce or if they are meant to stay intact? Also, my green beans and carrots were still very crunchy afterward, which I assume is because I cut them into pieces that were too big. I’m still figuring this IP out. Regardless, it was very tasty! 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Laura 🙂 No the potatoes should not dissolve into the sauce – they should be fully cooked but still in-tact… as for the green beans and carrots, yes my guess is the pieces may have been too large. Let me know if you try it again or if you try any other recipes on the site!
Shaz says
Hi Ashley,
This sounds delicious, but my son is allergic to cashews and most tree nuts (except almonds and brazil nuts). Is there anything you would recommend as a substitute for cashews in this recipe?
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Shaz, since he can have almonds, I would soak them then peel them and use them in place of the cashews. It’ll turn out great! Let me know what you think 🙂
Heather says
I made this substituting in 3/4 cups of onion masala for the onion tomato sauce. I was just guessing on amounts, but since onion masala is so tasty, I figured having more than was called for really wouldn’t be a problem. I also used a nice frozen vegetable mix I picked up for cheap at the grocery store. I’m pretty lazy about cooking so having the onion masala premade and using frozen vegetables instead of needing to chop them all, really helps make this dish much more quick and easy. Even with my shortcuts, it was fantastic! The ghee coated cashews and raisins are so delicious. I had to stop myself from just munching on them all while the rest of the dish was cooking.
My Heart Beets says
Heather, that’s awesome!! Thanks for sharing the amount of onion masala you used! Also, tasty cooking shortcuts are the best 🙂
Liz says
I used broccoli and green beans. Really fantastic! Thank you for the recipe!!
My Heart Beets says
Liz, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Ganesh says
Hi, thanks for the recipe. What is the serving size on this please?
Freny says
Can I make this in the mini duo (3qt) or should I halve the recipe? Can’t wait to try
GK says
Thank you so much, One small suggestion, can you include the serving size on your recipes 🙂
If the above recipe is not for 4 people, how do i change this to serve 4?
My Heart Beets says
GK, I’ll work on that! I’d say this feeds 4-5 🙂
GK says
Thanks so much. We sometimes have 2 people and sometimes have 4 🙂 so it is always good to know what serving size it is. Also i have seen it in another website where there is a drop down – where you can choose the serving size like 2-4-6 etc and then the cooking portion changes accordingly. That is super fancy and super helpful as it helps novice cooks like me know how much i should modify the portion size for different serving sizes.
PS: You and your recipes are awesome!
My Heart Beets says
That’s a great idea, I will ask my web team about how to add that feature. Thank you! 🙂
Ellen says
My son is allergic to nuts. Would sunflower seeds work in place of the cashews? If not, could you recommend something else?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Ellen, I haven’t tried it with sunflower seeds, but I’d think that or pumpkin seeds could be a good substitute – though it’ll of course change the flavor. If you experiment, please report back!
Jessica says
How many does this serve? I’m having a few people over for dinner and want to make sure it is enough.
Thank you!
My Heart Beets says
Jessica, I’d say 4-5 but depending on what else you are serving it could possibly feed more 🙂
Donna says
This recipe is so delicious. I used green beans, carrots, and potatoes for the vegetables and I used heavy cream. Perfect recipe, thank you, I’ve been looking for recipes for my instant pot and this will be a regular for us.
My Heart Beets says
Donna, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks so much for letting me know how this turned out for you 🙂
Bharat says
Looks delicious. I make cashew kurmas often on the stovetop, and this looks faster 🙂 Question: How big do you cut the veggies? I only have a Lux and high pressure, and my veggies have fallen apart with even 2 minutes of pressure
Thanks
B
My Heart Beets says
You can leave them in bigger chunks if you prefer them to have more bite – let me know what you think of this recipe if you try it!
Enakshi Singh-Gutkowski says
Hi Ashley,
Planning on making this tomorrow but have a couple of questions – How many potatoes equate to 2 cups and second question – If i use frozen vegetables (mixed vegetable bag), how many mins of pressure will be needed? Would it still be 2 or would it be 1?
Thanks for your help!
Enakshi
My Heart Beets says
Hi Enakshi, it depends on the size of the potato but I’d say about 2 medium potatoes. Are you planning to only use frozen vegetables? Since most frozen veggies are already blanched you can even just hit sauté for a minute and stir them into the pot until warmed through. Let me know how it goes!
MJ says
Do you think it’s possible to use the onion masala recipe as a substitute for the onion -tomato sauce?
My Heart Beets says
MJ, yes definitely! I haven’t tested it yet though to determine the exact quantity yet but will update the post when I do. Let me know if you try it as well 🙂
Amy says
I’m eager to try this and have a big batch of your fab onion masala in the freezer – any idea on the quantity? Seems like 3/4 cup or so?
My Heart Beets says
Amy, I haven’t made this with onion masala yet but my guess would be ½ cup. Since the masala is cooked, you can always stir in a cube at the end if you feel it needs more flavor. Hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!
Maneesha says
This is such a winner recipe! I made this from your cookbook and then shared the recipe with my family and bough two more cookbooks so that they too could enjoy this recipe!
What a deeelicious and easy recipe! Perfect for parties or also for a weeknight treat! This is definitely one of my go-to vegetarian recipes when hosting dinner parties!
My Heart Beets says
Thank you so much, Maneesha! I’m so happy to hear how much you like this dish 🙂 Thank you for sharing my blog and my cookbooks with your family – I appreciate it a lot!!