Beans Korma (Beans in Onion Cilantro Curry Sauce)

beans korma in the pan topped with cashews

5 from 3 votes

Beans Korma (Beans in Onion Cilantro Curry Sauce)

Beans korma is a plant-based version of the usually meat-heavy dish. This creamy, one-pan Indian Korma curry has an incredible flavor from whole cinnamon and cloves, caramelized onion, cilantro, mint, and curry leaves.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, South Indian

Keyword: beans korma, korma beans

Servings:

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Cashews and Raisins

1 teaspoon oil
2 tablespoon cashews raw or toasted
1 tablespoon raisins or use other dried fruit such as chopped dates, apricots

For the Beans Korma

2 teaspoons oil
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick ( 2 inch)
1.5 cups finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste or 5 cloves garlic, minced, and 1-inch ginger, minced
1 hot green chili such as serrano or Indian chili, finely chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika or Kashmiri chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup chopped cilantro
10 curry leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped mint, optional
¼ cup non-dairy yogurt
1 cup or more water or stock
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons almond flour
15 ounce can white beans such as cannellini, great northern beans, butter beans or chickpeas, drained, or 1.5 cups cooked beans
cilantro, non-dairy cream or yogurt, and lemon juice for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Toast the cashews and raisins.

Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the raw cashews and toast them until just about golden, about two minutes. Then add the raisins, mix them in, and continue to toast until the raisins puff up. Remove the cashews and raisins from the skillet. If using pre-toasted cashews, add them along with the raisins, since they don’t need as much roasting time.

Make the sauce.

Heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Cook until the cloves and cinnamon stick become fragrant and the bay leaves change color, about 30 seconds. Mix in the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions turn golden, adding splashes of water as needed to help the onion cook evenly. 6 to 8 minutes. Stir every minute or so. (The onions need to get golden and caramelized, cook longer if needed. )
Once the onion is golden, reduce the heat to medium. Add the green chilies and mix them in. Then, mix in the ginger-garlic paste with a splash of water. Cook for about a minute. If using minced ginger and garlic, cook for another minute.
Next, add all of the ground spices, tomato paste, and another splash of water. Mix everything well, and cook until the tomato paste is roasted, about 1 minute. Then, mix in the cilantro, curry leaves, mint, yogurt, almond flour, and the remaining salt. Mix in the water or stock, then bring the mixture to a boil, taste, and adjust salt and flavor as needed. 2 to 3 mins. Add more water, if you want it saucier at this point.
Add the beans and mix them in, cover with the lid, and let that simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Once done, open the lid, fold in half of the cashews and raisins, and mix in. Taste and adjust the flavor and consistency. Add more water or non-dairy milk, if you like. Bring the mixture back to a boil, and switch off the heat.
Garnish with the remaining toasted cashews and raisins, a drizzle of non-dairy cream or yogurt, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with naan, flatbread, rice, quinoa, baked potato, garlic bread, or sourdough.

Video

Notes

This dish is gluten-free, and it’s soy-free, if you use soy-free non-dairy yogurt.

This sauce benefits from sitting for a bit for the flavors to meld. Let it cool, then reheat to serve.
Store: Refrigerate for upto 3 days. Freeze for months. Reheat in a skillet or microwave

To make this nut-free, use nut-free non-dairy yogurt and omit the almond flour and the cashews. You can use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds in place of the cashews, if you like.

For higher protein: Use blended silken tofu instead of yogurt for creaminess as well for garnish. You can also top the dish with hemp seeds or blend the hemp seeds into the tofu.

Nutrition