
This vegetarian korma recipe was one of the very first recipes I ever created. It’s based on a lamb korma recipe that my husband loves. I’m a bit more vegetarian than he is, so I was challenged to convincingly convert one of his favourite recipes into a meatless meal.
The result is one of my family’s favourite dinner. Rich, creamy and satisfying, I always make a double batch then freeze the leftovers. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
Vegetarian Korma Serving Options
The best thing about this korma recipe is that it’s actually a complete vegetarian meal without any added rice or grain. Serve it with a salad and you’ve got a nutrient-packed grain-free dinner. Here are a few more serving suggestions.
- Rice: The traditional option for this saucy korma.
- Cauliflower rice: I’m not a huge fan of rice so I usually make rice for the kids then have cauliflower rice myself. I make a large batch, whenever cauliflower’s on sale and freeze it in individual servings.
- Naan bread: I’ll admit that I’m a huge fan of warm naan, especially my homemade gluten-free naan.

Vegetarian Korma with Black Bean and Mushroom

This rich and delicious korma is made with black beans and almonds for a complete vegetarian protein. It’s perfect on rice, with naan or all on its own!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Paste
- 1 ½ cups onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp ginger, chopped
- 1/2 cup of almonds
- ½ cup of vegetable oil (divided)
Spices
- 2 tsp cumin seed
- 6 green cardamom pods (whole pods)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground mace (the outside of a nutmeg, can be replaced with nutmeg)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp paprika
Remaining ingredients
- 3 cups of button mushrooms
- 2 cans of black beans (1 1/2 cups dried beans, cooked)
- 1 cup cream (could use coconut cream as a vegan option)
- 2 tsp salt, to taste
- 1 cup plain yogurt (optional)
Instructions
- Place the almonds, garlic, ginger and onions into a food processer. Grind until they become a smooth paste. Add oil as needed to bring it all together.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large pot. Lightly fry the cardamom pods and cumin seed for 1 minute.
- Add the paste and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the rest of the spices. Cook the spices for another 2 minutes, stirring them into the paste.
- Add the mushrooms and saute with the spices, stirring while they cook for 5 minutes.
- When the mushrooms have started to release their liquids, add the cream, beans and salt and bring everything to boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
- When the korma is finished cooking it will have a nice, thickened sauce. Remove from the heat and serve with a spoonful of yogurt.
Notes
- If you can’t find bite-sized button mushrooms, then it’s fine to halve or quarter larger mushrooms.
- Korma freezes really well. I like to freeze it in pint-sized mason jars for a quick and healthy lunch option.
- For a less spicy korma reduce the amount of garam masala and chilli powder. My kids LOVE the less spicy version of korma!
- Coconut cream is a perfect replacement for the dairy in this dish. You can even use coconut yogurt instead of yogurt.
Keywords: meatless, vegetarian, healthy, grain-free, low carb, fall, winter
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