Navratan korma is a very popular Indian vegetable curry and commonly served in restaurants with Indian bread like naan. It can be served for lunch, dinner, parties and potlucks. As it is mild in spiciness and has a bit of sweetness, it is enjoyed by kids too!
If you are looking for a mixed vegetable curry then this navratan korma recipe in white gravy is a must try. It is made on festive or special occasions.
Although it may look very complicated to make it at home, it is very easy to make navaratan korma in instant pot. Once all the vegetables are chopped, it can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. This instant pot navratan korma is gluten-free and can be easily made vegan.
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What does navratan mean?
Navratan is a Hindi word and is made of two words, "nav" meaning nine and "ratan" means gems. Navratan mean nine gems.
What is navratan korma made of?
Navratan korma is an Indian vegetable curry made with nine gems or ingredients like vegetables, fruits and nuts. Navratan korma is a mixed vegetable curry made in a creamy white gravy. Some heavy cream or coconut milk is add for additional creaminess.
The white gravy is made from cashews and onions. A few basic spices like coriander powder, cumin powder and some basic whole spices. Adding a little bit of sugar gives a perfect sweet taste to the curry. Some serrano pepper or green chilies are added as per taste.
The nine gems or ingredients can be easily adapted based on what you have at hand. I like to use cauliflower, potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans, cashews, raisins, pineapples and pomegranate seeds.
You can always add more or less vegetables than just nine. Sometimes, I add paneer and bell pepper too and skip the pineapple if I don't have it. Overall navaratan korma is a versatile Indian curry and any combination of veggies, fruits and nuts taste amazing!
Can I use frozen vegetables for navratan korma?
While fresh vegetables are always preferred, navratan korma curry can be made with frozen vegetables easily. Many times I use the store-bought ones, however, I also like to chop my fresh veggies and store them in the freezer for later use. I use them to make this delicious vegetable curry and other dishes.
Is navratan korma vegan?
Navratan korma is made in a cashew onion curry with some spices and vegetables. Some heavy cream is added for a creamy taste, however, it can easily be substituted by coconut milk. So it is very easy to make navratan korma vegan.
How to make navratan korma in instant pot?
To make sure the vegetables cook perfectly, chop them about bite size. Potatoes must be cubed to about a centimeter in size so that it cooks evenly in the instant pot. Once all the vegetables are chopped, navratan korma can be made in the instant pot in about 30 minutes
The pot in pot method works great to speed up the process of making navratan korma in instant pot! In the liner, pour two cups of water, chopped onions, and cashews. Place a trivet in the liner.
Steam cook vegetables in instant pot
Place all the vegetables (no nuts or fruits) in a steamer basket and place it on the trivet. Lock the lid of the instant pot with the pressure valve in sealing position. Select high pressure mode for zero minutes.
For zero minute pressure cooking, once the instant pot will come to pressure the silver pin will rise up and then the instant pot will turn off. Perform a quick release by turning the pressure release knob to venting position and allow the pressure to release until the silver pin drops.
Open the lid and remove the steamer basket. All the veggies will be well cooked, if the potatoes or any vegetable is a little hard, it will be fine once it is simmered in the gravy.
Making white curry paste
Transfer the onions, water and cashews from the instant pot liner into a blender like Vitamix along with some serrano pepper or green chilies. Blend everything into a smooth paste.
As the paste is ready and the veggies are cooked, now it is relatively easy to make the white gravy for navratan korma. At this point the gravy can be made in the instant pot or on the cooktop in a saucepan.
Cooking navratan korma
Turn the instant pot on saute mode on normal setting and once it is hot, add some oil. Add some cashews and raisins and saute them for a few seconds and then add a bayleaf and a few cloves.
Pour the blended cashew onion paste along with some ginger garlic paste and saute it for a few minutes. Mix in the spices and stir it with a spatula. Allow the gravy to come to a boil. Now add all the vegetables except pomegranate seeds and continue to cook for about five minutes.
Ensure that all the veggies are cooked well, mix in some heavy cream or coconut milk and then press cancel to come out of saute mode. Navratan korma in creamy white gravy is now ready. Garnish it with some cilantro leaves and pomegranate seeds.
What to eat with navratan korma?
Navratan korma is best when served hot with naan. It can be served with a variety of other Indian bread like roti, poori, or paratha as well. Mixed vegetable korma can also be served with plain rice or rice dishes like cumin rice and pulao.
How to store navratan korma?
Navratan korma can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It is a nutritious curry with lot of vegetables and can be made ahead of time for meal planning. Just reheat the curry before serving.
Navratan korma can also be stored in the freezer for a month. When you are ready to eat, simply thaw it in the microwave and then reheat it either in the microwave or on the cooktop. If it ends up less liquidy, you can add some water and cream to get the desired consistency.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like these
- Instant pot kid-friendly vegetarian recipes
- Mixed vegetable casserole
- Grilled paneer tikka
- Veg paneer wraps
- Vegan pasta soup
- Matar paneer
- Palak paneer
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Navratan Korma
Ingredients
Vegetables, fruits and nuts for navratan korma
For the gravy
- 300 grams Onion (¾ large yellow onion)
- 15 count Cashews (raw, unsalted)
- 2 cup Water
- ¼ cup Heavy cream (or coconut milk for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Serrano pepper (or green chili as per taste)
Spices and Oil
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2-3 Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ tablespoon Organic cane sugar
Instructions
Pressure cooking veggies
- Pour 2 cups of water, chopped onions and 15 cashews (for the gravy ingredients*) in the instant pot liner.
- Place a trivet in the liner.
- In a steamer, place all the chopped veggies - green beans, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and peas
- Place the steamer on the trivet
- Close and lock the instant pot lid with pressure valve in sealing position.
- Cook on high pressure mode for 0 (zero) minutes.
- Perform a quick release and release all the pressure until the silver pin drops.
- Remove the steamer from the instant pot liner.
Making the curry
- Blend the cooked onions, cashews, water, and some serrano pepper into a smooth paste uring a hand blender or a blender like Vitamix.
- Turn the instant pot on saute mode on normal setting.
- Add the bay leaf and cloves.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, onion and cashew paste. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes
- Add coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, sugar and salt and mix with a spatula.
- Allow the gravy to boil and then add all the veggies except pomegranate seeds.
- Let it simmer for about 5 minutes and then remove the instant pot container to stop the cooking process. Press the cancel button.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds while serving.
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