Vegetable Korma

Serves: to serve 4 - 6

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 50 mins

FOR THE MASALA

½ cup - coconut powder

6 - green chilies

1 - onion

about 1 inch - fresh ginger

½ teaspoon - turmeric

1 tablespoon - aniseeds

½ inch - cinnamon bark

6 - cloves

2 pods - cardamom

1 tablespoon - poppy seeds

3 - 4 stems - coriander

- water

FOR THE KORMA

4 tablespoons - vegetable oil

1 - bay leaf

4 oz - green or string beans

3 - carrots

2 - potatoes

1 tablespoon - ghee (clarified butter or drawn butter)

- water

- salt

3 oz - peas (fresh or frozen)

1 large - tomato

As with all Indian (or Chinese) cooking; where you have many ingredients, it's always better to prepare them first so they are at hand when you need them. So peel and roughly chop the onion and ginger, chop the tomato, peel and finely dice the potatoes and carrots - about ½" (1cm) cubes - and chop the string beans.
To prepare the masala (the mix of spice powders), place the grated coconut, green chilies, chopped onions, chopped ginger, turmeric powder, aniseeds, cinnamon bark, cloves, cardamom pods, poppy seeds and the leaves from the coriander into an electric blender or food processor, adding just a very small amount of water. Blend the ingredients into a fine paste and set aside.
Set a deep, heavy saucepan over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the bay leaf and the finely diced green beans, carrots, and potatoes plus 1 tablespoon of ghee. Roast the vegetables for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the masala mix (spicy paste) and sauté.
Wait until the raw masala smell vanishes then add sufficient water to just cover the vegetables, and a pinch of salt. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Once they are cooked, add the peas, chopped tomatoes and more salt to taste. Simmer for few minutes longer, remove the bay leaf, garnish with a few coriander leaves and serve the Vegetable Korma with Indian bread like naan or paratha.