Navratan Korma - Vegetarian Korma

Happy Easter!  When I was growing up, we would spend the Saturday before Easter looking for our Easter baskets in the morning and then hiking in the desert in the afternoon.

On Easter, we would go to church and eat something like stew or pot roast afterwards for dinner.  Pot roast and stew were common Sunday dinners.

Many of my family members went hiking yesterday.  I was not nearby, so I did not join them.

I went on a quick two day trip to Boston.  I had never been before, and a couple of friends invited me to join them.  I'm glad they did.  I really enjoyed the town.  It has history, scenic views, and delicious food.  I ate myself into a food stupor.  

One of my favorite things was the JFK library.  He was president during a very tumultuous time.  He had a tough job.  The architecture and location of the building is dramatic.

The most delicious food I ate was a lobster tail.  It wasn't actually a lobster tail but a crusty, hollow pastry filled with vanilla pastry cream.  It was amazing.  I'm sure it had around 5,000 calories, but it was worth it.

Our flight left really early this morning.  Instead of staying at a hotel for a few hours, we stayed out late and went directly to the airport.  We attempted to sleep at the airport.  I'm pretty sure I was the only one who slept at all.

Needless to stay, I came back to my apartment, took a shower, and went to bed.  What a fun weekend!  

The word korma is derived from an Urdu word which means to braise.  The dish originated in South Asia or Central Asia, modern day India and Pakistan.  It is traditionally cooked in a pot over low flames.  Navratan korma is made with vegetables and either paneer or nuts.

This vegetarian or Navratan korma recipe came from allrecipes.  I made it as directed.  

The ingredients for this recipe are 1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 small onion, 1 teaspoon minced ginger root, 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 potatoes, 4 carrots, 1 jalapeno pepper, 3 tablespoons ground cashews, 1 4-ounce can tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 green pepper, 1 cup heavy cream, and cilantro for garnish.

I sauteed the onion in vegetable oil over medium heat until the onion was tender.  This took around 4 minutes.  I added the minced garlic and ginger root and sauteed for another minute.

I added the diced carrots and potatoes.

I added the chopped jalapenos.  I keep the seeds, and the korma wasn't too hot.  If you don't like any heat, you could remove the seeds.

I added the tomato sauce and ground cashews.  I just chopped my cashews finely, but using a blender or food processor would create a finer texture.

I seasoned with salt and curry powder.  I cooked the mixture for 10 minutes.

I added the green pepper, peas, and cream.

I lowered the heat and simmered for 15 to 20 minutes.  The recipe said to only simmer for 10 minutes, but my carrots were still too crunchy after ten minutes.

 I covered the pan while the korma  simmered.

 I garnished with fresh cilantro.

 This was savory and aromatic.  The flavors were exotic.  It had warmth and depth of flavor.

It was a mouthwatering and toothsome combination.  The dish was hearty and substantive even though it was vegetarian. 

The nuts, cream, and tomato sauce created a smooth and slight tangy sauce.

The cilantro gave the dish some color and freshness.  Overall, I give this recipe two thumbs up.  I recommend it.