Korma Coconut Curry

When you think of Indian food, you may think pungent and spicy - a real punch to your senses. Korma is on the other end of the spectrum - it is said to have originated in central Asia and brought to India through various Mughal emperors. The spice mixture, or masala, is very basic and only calls for coriander, chili, and cumin in many of the recipes I found. This is also a dish where the process is not difficult, but takes a lot of time considering the process of braising the meat and or vegetables for several hours then adding yogurt or cream - keeping just under the boiling point so it doesn’t curdle. I found several recipes to have sugar added or ground coconut as this has become more of a sweet dish - more of a sweet-savory delight.
Since we try to offer vegan specials now and then, I decided to use coconut milk and no broth base - by toasting the ginger, onions and garlic it creates a richer flavor than if I were to add straight to the pot. I also make sure to toast the whole spices before grinding to release their oils- it really makes a big difference. The spices used are a bit different than some recipes I found, but I wanted something that would compliment the main ingredient (sweet potato) - so green cardamom, coriander seeds, Kashmiri chili powder and cinnamon is what I used - along with the ginger and garlic aromatics. I also used some of the roasted sweet potatoes to thicken the gravy and used a mixture of orange and white sweet potatoes. I like roasting the potatoes more than adding raw to the braising process since you can get some caramelized bits that add to the flavor of this dish. Lastly, the cashews are added right before serving to provide a much needed texture- cashews are often used by grinding into a paste to thicken a curry- I did not use this method since I already had the sweet potato. We are also adding chicken as an option and it works very well with all of the flavors.

Be safe out there!