Recipe: ALOO / VEGETABLE KURMA

Vegetable Kurma ready to eat!

This recipe is from the region of Tamil Nadu and taught me by my sister Jayashree. It’s not very difficult to make and tastes yummy with rotis, puris or jeera rice.

It may be made with just potatoes or a combination of potato and other vegetables such as peas, beans, carrots and cauliflower.

Ingredients:

Boiled Potatoes – ½ kg (peeled and cut into cubes)
Shelled peas – 50 gm
Beans – 50 gm (stringed and chopped)
Carrots – 100 gm (peeled and cut small)
Cauliflower – 250 gm (cut into flowerets)
Onions – 2 (medium – chopped fine)
Tomato – 1 (small – chopped fine)
Oil – 2 tsp
Salt to taste


Masala for gravy:

Scraped Coconut – 1 cup
Green chillies – 4 (you may increase number if you like spicy food)
Garlic – 5-6 cloves (peeled)
Ginger – ½ inch piece
Poppy seeds (खस खस ) (கசகசா) – ½ tsp

Fennel seeds (सोंफ) (சோம்பு) – ½ tsp

Star Anise – ½ a piece

Cardamom (इलाइची) (ஏலக்காய்) –1

Clove (लवंग) (கிராம்பு) – 3

Cinnamon (दालचीनी) (லவங்கப்பட்டை) – 1 very small piece

Cumin Seeds (जीरा) (ஜீரகம்) – ½ tsp

Pepper (काली मिरी ) (மிளகு) – 5-6

Boiling Gravy

Method:

1.    Boil the peas, beans, carrots and cauliflower in salt water for a few minutes and drain the water.
2.    Take a saucepan and heat the oil in it. Add chopped onions and stir till golden in colour. Add the tomato pieces and cook for a couple of minutes.
3.    Add all the masala ingredients in the mixer and grind to a fine paste. Now add this paste to the pan. Add a cup or two of water to make a thick gravy. Add salt.
4.    Allow it to boil for about 7-8 minutes before adding the cubed potatoes and the other vegetables in the pan. Add salt and mix well.
5.    Stir gently till the vegetables soak in the gravy well. Switch of the stove after 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves. The kurma is ready.
6.    Serve hot with roti or rice as you please.