Navratan Curry is a luxurious and creamy dish made with vegetables and nuts. It is mildly sweet in flavor, and it is made by adding a variety of ingredients. It goes great with Indian flatbread like naan.
This is a colorful dish, so I add as many vegetables as I can to make it more vibrant. All vegetables go so great in the dish because of their creamy flavor.
Other Curry Recipe that you can try like Cauliflower Tikka Masala, Butter Paneer, etc.
The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks to make Navratan Curry. But if you're in a hurry, you can also click "Jump to Recipe' under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card, or click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.
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ABOUT NAVARATAN CURRY?
Navratan means nine gems, meaning this recipe is made by using 9 different ingredients. Navratan Korma is a vegetarian korma made with vegetables and paneer, along with some nuts.
Navratan Curry has roots of Muglai cuisine and originated from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt (dahi) or cream, water or stock, and spices in a creamy sauce.
I make it using many different ways - by adding cashews, coconut milk, yogurt, or cream. You can use any of the ways to make thick & creamy Korma sauce. For making it Vegan, you can use Coconut milk or add fresh coconut for extra creaminess in the recipe.
Navratan Korma is usually a very creamy and aromatic dish with a little sweetness. As it is so rich in flavor, this dish is served in most restaurants in many parts of India, especially in North India.
Everyone has different variations in making the recipe some like adding Paneer or nuts, or using cashews while making masala, saffron, rose water, etc. I sometimes add cashews with tomatoes or add cashew paste at the end.
INGREDIENTS & SUBS
- TADKA: Any Indian curry starts with Indian Tadka ( onion-tomato masala). You can make it fresh by sauteing onions or use a frozen one.
- VEGETABLES: Use as many vegetables as you want to make the curry more colorful. I usually add potatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, etc. As it is a Shahi (luxurious) curry, I also like adding paneer.
- WHOLE SPICES: All Indian curries are aromatic, so I add cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon to the curry. This elevates the flavor and gives great flavor to the korma.
- NUTS: I either add cashew paste or almond flour to the curry. I also add some fried or roasted cashews, almonds, and raisins to the curry.
- SPICES: As the curry is so creamy, I don't usually add many spices. The milder the spices, the more flavorful the curry gets.
- CREAM: To make the curry creamier, add cream or coconut milk, or yogurt to the curry. To make it vegan, I add Coconut Milk instead.
- SWEETNESS: Vegetable is a little sweet in flavor, so I add Honey or Sugar or Sweetener or Agave Syrup in the korma.
See the recipe card for quantities.
HOW TO MAKE NAVRATAN CURRY
** For the full recipe, check the recipe card below, but you refer here for step-by-step photo instructions.
Add onions, ginger, garlic, cashews, almonds, cardamom, and cloves in a skillet. Add 3 cups of water and simmer it for 10-15 minutes. Then add in a blender and pulse it until smooth and creamy.
You can also make the cashew and almond paste. Then fry the sliced onions in the oil until golden in color and mix the cashew-almond paste to it.
Meanwhile, add water to a pan and let it boil. Once the water is boiled, add potatoes first, and boil them. Once the potatoes are partially boiled, add cauliflower, carrots, green beans, etc. and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Strain the veggies and keep them aside.
Add oil to the skillet and transfer the pureed onion mixture.
Next, add the spices, including turmeric powder, garam masala powder, saffron milk/oil, sugar, red chili powder, and amchur/mango powder. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the boiled veggies and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until well combined.
Next, fry some cashews until golden in color. Add fried cashews, peas, pineapple, and raisins to the curry and let it simmer.
Season with salt and if needed, add cream. Serve it with Roti of Naan, and enjoy!
PRO TIPS
- The most important tip in making Navratna korma is not to overcook the vegetables. Otherwise, they'll turn mushy, and the recipe will not taste great.
- You can blend some whole spices with the masala, which makes the recipe very aromatic. I usually add some green cardamoms and cloves to the recipe.
- Add honey or sugar for a little sweetness. But if you want, you can also skip it too. Also, adding pineapple cubes brings extra sweetness to the curry.
- If you don't want to add cream and want a healthier option, add 1-2 tablespoon of Almond Flour to the masala and simmer for a couple of minutes. Adding Almond Flour gives a creamier texture to the curry.
HOW TO STORE IT?
You can store it in the refrigerator or the freezer, and the taste will remain the same. You can store leftover Navratna Korma (Vegetable Korma) in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. And in the freezer in a container for 1-2 months. Before using the freezer-stored Navratan Korma, just thaw and heat it in the microwave or pan on the stovetop until hot.
You can also use leftover Navratna Korma (Vegetable Korma) to make a pulao by leftover curry to rice. Or you can also make rolls from the leftover Navratan Korma. Mash the korma using a potato masher or fork and then add in the Indian Flatbread Or Burrito and serve with some Green Chutney.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
You can serve this Navratan Korma with Indian flatbread like roti or naan. it also goes great with some steamed rice. Serve it with green chutney or Indian salad like chickpea salad with a big glass of lassi.
FAQS
This recipe of Navratan Curry can easily be converted into a vegan recipe. Just replace cream with Vegan yogurt or coconut milk.
You can add any or all the vegetables you like including potatoes, french beans, bell peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, peas, etc., to the recipe.
Yes, you can definitely use frozen vegetables in the recipe.
Yes, you can make it nut-free. Just add cream or yogurt to the curry. But taste may vary as you will not get the same rich flavor.
OTHER CURRY RECIPES
- BUTTER PANEER
- KADAI PANEER
- SHAHI PANEER
- PANEER TIKKA MASALA
- MATAR PANEER
- PALAK PANEER
- CAULIFLOWER TIKKA MASALA
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Instant Pot Navratna Korma
Ingredients
- 1 medium Onion sliced or cubed
- ½ inch Ginger
- 1 cloves Garlic
- 3 Cups Water
- 10-12 Cashews
- 10-12 Almonds
- 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
- 1 Cup Cauliflower Florets
- 1 Cup Carrots
- 1 Potato cubed
- ½ Cup Green Beans
- ½ Cup Peas
- Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt
Equipment
Method
- Cashew Almond Paste: Take Cashews and almonds in a bowl and add water, soak them in water for 30 minutes and then grind them smoothly. Grind the nuts with ⅓ - ½ cup of water. Or you can also microwave cashews with water for 2-3 minutes, let them rest for 15- 20 minutes, and grind them smoothly.
- In a skillet, add onions, ginger, garlic, cashews, almonds, cardamom, and cloves. Add 3 cups of water and simmer it for 10-15 minutes. Then add in a blender and pulse it until smooth and creamy.
- Meanwhile, add water in a pan and let it boil. Once the water is boiled add potatoes first and boil them. One the potatoes are partially boiled, add cauliflower, carrots, green beans, etc. and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Strain the veggies and keep them aside.
- Next, add the spices including turmeric powder, garam masala powder, saffron milk/oil, sugar, red chili powder, and amchur/mango powder. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add oil in the skillet and transfer the pureed onion mixture. Also add bay leaf and cinnamon.
- Add the boiled veggies and let it cook for 3-4 minutes until well combined.
- Next, fry some cashews until golden in color. Add fried cashews, peas, pineapple, and raisins to the curry and let it simmer.
- Season with salt and if needed, add paneer and cream. Serve it with Roti of Naan and enjoy!
George says
This turned out really good! I've always liked Navratan Korma, and my whole family loved it. I replaced the cauliflower with green bell peppers since I wanted to cut the vegetables small, and cauliflower florets are rather big! I also sauteed some cashews and raisins and added them instead of honey to give the Korma a touch of sweetness. All in all, a very tasty dish.
Monumetric says
Thank you so much that means a lot. I'm really glad you liked it