Vegetable-Chickpea Korma

vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free (potentially), refined sugar-free

Adapted from a recipe on Vegan Richa

I love Indian food, but it's taken me a long time to find a recipe that tastes as good as what you might get in an Indian restaurant yet doesn't require too many complicated spices. Sure, there are still a few spices listed, and if you don't have all of them, don't worry it will still be good. 

Serves: 4-6  / Prep time: 15 min / Total time: 45 min

Ingredients:​
For the Purée:

• 1/4 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, tough peel removed
• 1 green chile or jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut

For the Sauté:

• 1 tsp oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• a dash of black pepper and cayenne for additional heat
• 1/2 head small cauliflower, chopped into bite-size florets*
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 1/2 to 1 cup other chopped veggies such as carrots, zucchini, bell peppers
• 2 cans chickpeas
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup water, canned coconut milk, or unsweetened vegan creamer
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar or sweetener, optional

For serving:

• rice or other grain
• flatbread like roti or chapati
• optional garnishes: roasted cashews, cilantro, garam masala, cayenne

Directions:

1. Blend onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, chile, fennel seeds and coconut until smooth. Add a few tbsp of water if needed. Blend for a minute, then let sit for 5 mins, then blend again. This will help the coconut and fennel seeds to break down and blend.
2. Add oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add bay leaves and cook for a few seconds. (you can add other whole spices such as 2 cloves or 1 slightly opened cardamom pod here for variation). Add the ground spices and mix in. Quickly add the blended mixture (so the ground spices don't burn) and mix in. Add a dash of salt, Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally so the onion gets well roasted.
3. When the onion tomato mixture is thick and starts to get fragrant, add the veggies and chickpeas and mix in. Add water or coconut milk and salt and cover and cook for 13 to 15 minutes or until the veggies are cooked to preference. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
4. Add in the peas. Add more coconut milk/creamer if needed or some cashew cream for creamier. Simmer for a few minutes. Add 1/4 tsp sweetener if needed and mix in. Serve hot over rice or alongside a flatbread with the optional garnishes.

*To slice a whole head of cauliflower quickly (without throwing tiny florets all over the floor!), first cut off the green stem as close to the base as possible, then use a paring knife to cut the florets away from the center. Keep cutting the white stems and avoid cutting the outer part as it tends to break into tiny pieces. Once you've cut away everything from the center, use your hands to break apart the large florets. Save the other half of the head for another dish like Cauliflower Gratin or Lemonade Cauliflower.