Puducherry vegetable kurma

This vegetable korma with coconut, chilli and turmeric celebrates the vegetarian food of the Puducherry region, located on the Bay of Bengal. Serve it up with dosai or rice for a lovely home-cooked Indian meal.

Puducherry vegetable kurma. Credit: Quadrille / Haarala Hamilton

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) cinnamon stick
• 2 green bird’s eye chillies, slit lengthways
• 200 g (7 oz) onions, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2.5 cm (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger root, chopped
• 200 g (7 oz) tomatoes, finely chopped
• ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
• 100 g (3½ oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 200 g (7 oz) carrots, peeled and roughly diced
• 600 ml (20 fl oz/2½ cups) water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 100 g (3½ oz) green beans, quartered
• 100 g (3½ oz/2⁄3 cup) frozen peas
• ½ tsp garam masala
• handful of chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
• salt

For the korma paste

• 50 g (1¾ oz/1⁄3 cup) cashews
• 3 tsp white poppy seeds
• 100 g (3½ oz) freshly grated coconut
• 120 ml (4 fl oz / ½ cup) water

Soaking time: 1 hour

Instructions

1. First, make the korma paste. Soak the cashews and poppy seeds in hot water for 1 hour, then drain and transfer to a food processor with the coconut and water. Blend to a smooth, fine paste and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the whole spices and as they sizzle, add the greens chillies and onions. Fry for 8 minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Now add the tomatoes and fry for 6–7 minutes, mashing them with the back of a spoon. Add the chilli powder, turmeric and ground coriander, stir well and add the potatoes and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the water and sugar, season with salt, cover and simmer over a low heat for 8 minutes.
4. Next, add the green beans and peas and simmer for 2–3 minutes until cooked. Finally, add the kurma paste, cover and cook over a low heat for 6 minutes, stirring halfway through, until everything is cooked through. Finish with the garam masala and coriander, then serve.

Note

My first trip to Puducherry in my teens left a massive imprint on me, not only because of the people there but also the diverse food, which includes French colonial influences sitting comfortably alongside local favourites. I have visited many times since and this is one dish I love cooking at home that celebrates the very best of vegetarian food in the region.

This is an edited extract from Curry by Maunika Gowardhan (Quadrille, HB$55). Photography by Haarala Hamilton

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.