Vegan Royal Navratan Korma

Luxuriously creamy, full of complex spice flavors and a hint of sweetness, this Vegan Royal Navratan Korma is an incredibly flavorful, easy to make curry that’s loaded with fresh vegetables, fruit, and nuts!

Navratan Korma originated in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire in Northern India, named after the the nine courtiers (jewels) of Emperor Akbar. Navaratna is a Sanskrit word that literally translates to nine jewels: nav means nine and ratan means jewel. The nine “jewels” in in Navratan Korma are the variety of vegetables, fruits, and nuts.

Traditionally this dish is savory and sweet, but if sweet isn’t your thing then omit the pineapple. I also have my favorite veggies listed in the recipe card, but feel free to mix up the vegetable variety however you’d like! Other great options are: cauliflower, green beans, corn, sugar snap peas, carrots, or bell peppers.

Tips for success

• Don’t over-cook the spices. When toasting the cardamom, cloves, coriander, and cinnamon, don’t try to multitask and walk away from the stove!! Toasting will only take a minute or two. Only toast until the spices become fragrant, and if they cook too long there will be a bitter flavor. If you accidentally burn the spices and smell bitterness, toss them and start over!
• Ground spices do expire. I went most of my life thinking ground spices were shelf-stable for an eternity but it turns out I was off by about…an eternity. Ground spices only last about 3 months. They won’t mold or make you sick, but they drastically lose their flavor potency and color, making a dish much more bland than it should be. Buying whole spices and grinding them yourself makes a world of difference in flavor and it’s not a lot of extra work. If you do buy ground spices, make sure you go through it quickly and let those old spices go!
• What if you don’t have whole spices? Highly recommend stocking your spice shelf with whole spices but if you’re in a pinch and you don’t have any, you can always use: ¼ tsp cardamom powder, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground coriander. It won’t be nearly as aromatic and flavorful, but ground spices can be subbed. When toasting ground spices, use lower heat and the toasting time will be quite a bit shorter! Be careful with toasting ground spices and watch it carefully, stirring frequently.

Creamy without the cream

Navratan korma is a creamy, fragrant dish that’s traditionally made with ghee and cream or sometimes coconut milk. Although it’s a plant, I avoid coconut milk because of the incredibly high saturated fat content. So in order to make it creamy, I blend up cashews with the onion and tomato mixture with water and voila! Creamy, without the cream.

Spice for life

Spices are key for flavoring up dishes, but it goes so much further than simply making food taste better! Spices have phytonutrients that provide powerful health benefits including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties as well as being overall mood-boosting.

• Turmeric is considered a superfood for good reason; it’s packed with all of those health benefits! Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric that may help prevent Alzheimer’s, osteoarthritis, improve artery function, and help prevent cancers such as pancreatic and colon. Our bodies don’t easily absorb curcumin…unless you pair it with black pepper! The active ingredient in black pepper, piperine, increases the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%!¹
• Black pepper helps our bodies absorb the curcumin in turmeric, and this is important as the curcumin is what provides the powerhouse of health benefits! The piperine in black pepper increases the bioavailability of curcumin by 2,000%! Black pepper has also been found to be protective against inflammation as well as cancer.
• Cloves are the most antioxidant-rich food by weight.
• Ginger has been found to help cure migraines.
• Cinnamon is packed with powerful antioxidants.
• Cayenne pepper may help boost fat burning and (although it may seem counterintuitive), may also help with irritable bowel syndrome and chronic indigestion.²

Vegan Royal Navratan Korma

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5 from 2 reviews

• Author: The Wandering Veggie
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

Luxuriously creamy, full of complex spice flavors, and a hint of sweetness, this Vegan Royal Navratan Korma is an incredibly flavorful curry that’s easy to make and loaded with fresh vegetables, fruit, and nuts!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Toasted Spices

• 1 green cardamon pod (optional)
• 6 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground and add later with other spices)

Creamy Curry

• 1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2” ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 4 large tomatoes, diced
• 2–2 1/2 cup water (divided)
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4–3/4 tsp cayenne (depending on preferred spice level)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Sautéed Veggies (*See notes below for other veggie options)

• 1 large golden potato, cut into 1/2” cubes
• 2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups eggplant, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup cubed pineapple, fresh or canned (optional for sweetness)
• 1/2–3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

For Serving

• Basmati rice (I cook 2 cups dry)
• garnish with chopped cilantro and cashews

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Instructions

1. Place cardamom pod, whole cloves, coriander seeds, and cinnamon stick in a large dry pot and turn on medium heat. “Toast” spices until they become fragrant, tossing occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Don’t walk away from the stove! Be careful not to overcook as the spices will smell and taste bitter. 
2. Once spices are fragrant, add onion, garlic, ginger, cashews, tomatoes, ¼ cup water, then the rest of the spices: allspice, turmeric, garam masala, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Cook until everything is softened, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if needed, about 10-15 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, chop potato and veggies. 
4. When onion and spice mixture has finished cooking, remove cinnamon stick (don’t forget this!) and set aside to use later, and allow mixture to cool down a bit. Once cooled, place onion and spice mixture in high-speed blender along with 1 ½ cups water and blend until smooth.
5. In same pot, place ½ cup water and cubed potatoes and cook on medium heat with a lid until softened. Add broccoli and eggplant and cook until also softened. Pour creamy sauce from blender into pot and stir in frozen peas, optional pineapple, salt, and the (same) cinnamon stick. Simmer until everything is heated through and flavors meld together, another 10-15 minutes. Add any more salt or spice to-taste. 
6. When ready to serve, stir in raisins. Serve Navratan Korma over basmati rice or with naan or roti bread. Garnish with chopped cilantro and cashews. Enjoy!

Notes

*Feel free to mix up the veggies however you’d like! I put my favorites in the recipe card but feel free to change it up! Other great options: cauliflower, green beans, corn, sugar snap peas, carrots, or bell peppers.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Category: main course
• Method: stovetop, blending
• Cuisine: Indian

Did you enjoy this Navratan Korma? I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below! 🙂

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9619120/
2. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/spices/#:~:text=Spices%20may%20provide%20multiple%20benefits,even%20improve%20your%20overall%20mood.