# ISO Vegetarian Korma ideas



## Mel! (Dec 18, 2006)

Hello everybody

I am a vegetarian, and my family also like vegetarian food. Therefore, we will not be having a traditional Christmas dinner. 
I am going to make an Indian Korma, with potato dumplings.

I will make the dumplings, with portatoes and eggs.
The korma will be made with fresh cream. 
I will bake it, in the oven.

Please would u give me suggestion, for the following.

1. What else should i put in my potato dumplings, besides pototoes and eggs?
2. What would be a good spice mix, to put in my Korma? I have most Indian spices, in the house. 
3. What side dishes would u suggest?

Mel


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## boufa06 (Dec 18, 2006)

Mel, to answer your questions:

1. Chopped onion and peas can be added to the potatoes which will be diced.  I take it that the eggs will be hard-boiled and cut into pieces and put separately when filling them.

2. The korma mix ideally should have ground ginger, garam masala, chilli powder, salt, cumin, cardamom and coriander.  Or you can simply use curry powder if available.

3.  Side dishes can include Vegetable Pakora (similar to tempura) or Vadai (vegetable fritters) and served with or without yoghurt.


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## YT2095 (Dec 18, 2006)

1) as above with white pepper, turmeric and toasted cummin seeds.

2) you can use ready a Mardas curry powder in a korma, just use much less, korma dishes aren`t suposed to be too hot.

2) as above or vegetable samosas, popadums, naan bread, pilau rice is also good.


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## karadekoolaid (Dec 18, 2006)

Mel! said:
			
		

> Hello everybody
> 
> I am a vegetarian, and my family also like vegetarian food. Therefore, we will not be having a traditional Christmas dinner.
> I am going to make an Indian Korma, with potato dumplings.
> ...


 
I'd add ground almonds, white poppy seeds and a little fennel seed to your korma mixture, in addition to the coriander and cumin seed. 
As a side dish, I'd make: 
Spicy Chick peas, with a tomato sauce
Whole French or Runner beans stirfried with sesame seeds and coconut
Aubergine Masala - or Aubergine Molee
south Indian Carrot Salad - grate the carrots, quickly fry a little fresh ginger and onion in ghee, add the carrots and cook for a minute or two until just barely wilted. Allow to cool, then add a pot of yoghurt, a tsp of salt and a tsp of sugar to the carrot mixture. Heat some more ghee and add a tbsps of black mustard seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida. When the seeds begin to pop, pour over the carrot mixture , stir and allow to cool.
And Basmati Rice, of course! 
That way you will have different kinds of vegetables, different textures, a good balance, and six different colours.


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## Mel! (Dec 18, 2006)

Thanks for the ideas. 
If anybody has anymore, keep em comming. I am going to put them all together, before i make the korma. 

boufa
I am going to use the eggs, to make the dumplings stick together. I though, mash the potatoes, and mix with raw beaten eggs and maybe flour, then roll into balls. Then bake in the oven. Then add the korma sauce to the baked dumplings, and bake some more. Well, this is the basic idea, which i am develping, with the help of ideas from the folks of this forum. 

Mel


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## Michael in FtW (Dec 18, 2006)

Well, Mel - here are some more vegetarian korma/kurma recipe ideas.


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## Mel! (Dec 19, 2006)

Cool!!!

Thanks very much Michael.

Mel


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## BreezyCooking (Dec 21, 2006)

My 2 favorite Indian side dishes (& ones that are easy to make so you can concentrate on your other dishes are curried cauliflower (tumeric makes this look especially festive), as well as plain chopped buttered spinach with a few dashes of your favorite Indian spices - but definitely something different/complimentary to your other dishes.  You don't want everything to taste the same .  I also love yogurt/cucumber raita, & any type of rice.

And if you don't plan on making your own naan bread, either buy some (if they're available) or pick up some other flatbreads or pita & serve them warm for scooping.


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## Mel! (Dec 22, 2006)

Thanks Breezycooking

That buttered spinach sounds delicious. 
Now that i think about it, the cauliflower also sounds delicious. 
I had better keep the side dishes light and small, as we will already have so much to eat, at Christmas. 

Yes, i will be making my own naan. Naan filled with spicey nuts and raisins. 
Also a small serving of rice. I have no safron, in the house at the moment. If i can buy some tomorrow, i will flavour the rice, with safron. 

Mel


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## Mel! (Dec 22, 2006)

Alright, i am getting places, now
Korma recipe has been decided.

Baked potato dumplings, with fried onions and apple in them. 
Korma sauce to go with dumplings: Butter, fresh cream, spices as suggested in this thread, chopped mango, paprikas, honey, salt or a very small amount of stock, ground almonds

Side dishes
naan, stuffed with spicey nuts and raisins
safron flavoured rice
other side dishes depend on which vegetables are available, when i go shopping, tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help. But feel free to improve upon my final receipe, if u want. It is not set in stone, until sunday night. 

Mel


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## Mel! (Dec 22, 2006)

Oh yeah, i forgot.
A few splashes of lemon juice will also go in the korma sauce. 

Mel


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## BreezyCooking (Dec 22, 2006)

Mel! - my only suggestion would be to make sure some of your dishes are savory, since you mention apples in your dumplings, mango, raisins in your bread, etc., etc.  Sounds like a lot of "sweet".  But then again, I'm definitely more biased towards hot & spicy than sweet & fruity, & you probably know your guests' tastes better.


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## Mel! (Dec 23, 2006)

Hello Breezycooking

I do often put a lot of sweet things, in my cooking. 
But for curries, i make sure they are balanced, with sour, salt, hot etc, so the sweetness is not overpowering. 
Apples and mangos, i admit may sound strange. But, tonight(i was going to do it, tomorrow night, but i had some time, tonight), i made the korma sauce(because i think curries taste better, made a few days in advance). I put mangos in. It is delicious. 
I did not get apples, today, as i had hoped i would, so my dumplings are safe from sweet things. 

Mel


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## Aria (Dec 24, 2006)

Mel for Dumplings:
Cheese Dumplings:  Add 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheese (about 1 ounce to the dry ingredients.

Herb Dumplings:  Add 1/2 teaspoon herbs (such as dried sage leaves, celery seed or dried thyme leaves) to the dry ingredients.

Parsley Dumplings:  Add 3 tablespoons snipped parsley or chives to the dry ingredients


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## Mel! (Dec 26, 2006)

Cool ideas Aria

Wouldnt those dumplings u suggest, be great in soup. I think i will make some like that, the next time i make soup.

Mel


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## Yakuta (Dec 27, 2006)

Hi Mel, I read this past Christmas and I am sure your meal turned out great.  I wanted to share some thoughts however that you can use another time for a meal you fix for your vegetarian family. 

Vegetarian Kofta's are what you were referring to.  Kofta's refer to dumplings in Indian cuisine.  Kofta's can be made of veggies or meat.  

Vegetarian Koftas are normally made with mashed potatoes, ricotta cheese (you dry the liquid first then crumble it and add it to the potatoes, peas, finely diced bell peppers, chopped green chili, cumin powder, cilantro chopped and mixed together to form little oval balls.  These balls are then dredged lightly in chickpea flour batter and fried.  

The gravy is made with onions, ginger, garlic, tomato puree, cashew powder, indian spices (especially fenugreek) and then a bit of cream is added to thicken it.  Once the gravy thickens you pour it in a serving dish and add the koftas to it, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with naan. 

Our sides for a vegetarian meal are normally not sides at all.  People make 2-3 main dishes and savor them with naan or home made roti.  The sides could be chickpea curry, eggplant bhurta, some form of rice (fragrant with cumin, and peas or some form of seasoned spiced biryani), raita (yogurt salad made with grated cucumbers) and some crispy papads and sweet and spicy pickle assortment.


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## Mel! (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks Yakuta

Those sound like such delicious idea. Next time i am in an Indian food mood, i will make this.

Mel


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