This Shrimp and Vegetable Korma is an Indian dish of Shrimp, Cauliflower and Carrot braised with spices in a creamy Coconut Milk based Sauce.
In Indian cuisine, a Korma (which can be spelled many different ways, including Qorma, Khorma, or Kurma), is a braised dish to which either stock, yoghurt, cream, or coconut milk is added, to yield a smooth and rich finished dish. There are all sorts of variations on the basic theme, and, though the end-result can be quite fiery, in restaurant versions they are typically very mild. The version pictured above rendition, using shrimp, cauliflower and carrot, falls into the mild category.
The Method
The first step is to prepare the main spice blend. Grind together all the spices except the Garlic Salt and Chili and set aside. The Recipe Card below calls for a quarter teaspoon of Cardamom Seeds. These can be purchased as is in some places, or else you can purchase whole Cardamom pods and remove the seeds yourself.
Melt the butter in a pot over a low-medium heat and add the onion. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and let the onions sweat until softened and just beginning to darken slightly.
Add the ground spice mixture and stir into the onions. Allow this to cook for a minute or so, to take off the raw taste of the freshly ground spices, and to infuse the onions and butter with flavor.
Now add the vegetables and coconut milk and stir well. Allow this to come to a low simmer and cook until the vegetables are just tender. At this point, you may wish to turn up the heat briefly and allow the sauce to thicken, or, conversely, if it is a little too thick (canned coconut varies in consistency), you may wish to add a little water.
Finally, add the shrimp and the chili and cook a little longer until the shrimp are pink. You can serve now, but the flavor will improve if the dish is allowed to cool and sit overnight in the refrigerator for rewarming the next day. Ideally, this would be one of several dishes served with rice as part of an Indian meal.
Your Recipe Card:
Shrimp and Vegetable Korma
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb medium Shrimp peeled and de-veined.
- 2 cups Cauliflower florets
- 10-12 Baby Carrots sliced lengthwise into halves or thirds
- 1 small Onion minced
- 5 Tbsp. Butter
- 1 tsp. Garlic Salt
- 1 can Thick Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp. coarsely ground Chili
- 1 tsp. Fenugreek Seed
- 1 tsp. Coriander Seed
- 2 Cloves
- ¼ tsp. Cardamom Seeds
- 1/3 tsp powdered Ginger
- 1/3 tsp. White Pepper
- 1 Tbsp. Turmeric
Instructions
- Grind together all the spices except the Garlic Salt and Chili and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pot over a low-medium heat and add the onion. Sprinkle with the Garlic Salt and let the onions sweat until softened and just beginning to darken slightly.
- Stir the ground spice mixture into the onions. Allow this to cook for a minute or so.
- Add the vegetables and Coconut Milk and stir well. Allow this to come to a low simmer and cook until the vegetables are just tender. Reduce over higher heat to thicken, or add a little to water if thicker than desired.
- Add the Shrimp and the Chili and cook just until the Shrimp are pink.
- Serve immediately, or chill overnight to better blend the flavors and re-heat gently for service.