Navratan Kurma
Photo by Pooja Hanabaratti
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews nuts, soaked in about 1 cup of water for about half an hour
- 3 cups chopped mixed vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, green beans)
- 1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1″ pc ginger
- 1 or more green chillies (optional), deseeded
- 1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
- ¼ – ½ tsp garam masala
- 2 pods cardamom
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup plain soy yoghurt
- Unrefined salt, to taste
- 1 cup tofu cubes (optional)
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, for the garnish
- Cashew nuts and raisins, for the garnish
Method
Drain and rinse the soaked cashew nuts. In a blender, grind them to a fairly smooth paste, adding a little water (a tablespoon at a time), if required.
Steam the mixed vegetables until tender and keep aside.
Process onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and poppy seeds (if using) in a food processor. Process into a coarse paste, or mince them. Add this paste to heavy bottomed stainless-steel pan and sauté, until the mixture becomes fragrant, or until it just starts to turn a little brown. Add the turmeric, garam masala and cardamom and stir. Then add tomatoes and cook, stirring, until tomatoes break down – approximately 3 minutes.
Add soy yoghurt and stir, letting the paste cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt, if using.
Add cooked vegetables, tofu, raisins, and cashew paste and mix well.
When the gravy comes to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes for the flavours to incorporate.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, cashew nuts and raisins.
Serves 6