Vellai Kurma/White Vegetable Korma

If you're wondering..what a white?? korma is...it is from the addition of milk, coconut and poppy seeds. It not only makes this korma white, it also gives it a very rich taste. This korma is a perfect combination to either rotis/chapatis or pulavs/mixed rice varieties. I don't usually make this very often...but maybe because it is an occasional dish, it always gets rave reviews in our house. :)

Warm about 1/4 cup of milk and add the poppy seeds and cashews. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Grind this mixture along with the coconut and 2 green chillies to a fine paste, adding water or milk as necessary.

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat: Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods and bay leaves. Let the spices fry in the oil. Add the onion and fry until soft. Add the remaining green chillies and the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. You can reduce the amount of green chillies here and add more in the paste. I avoided it because it makes the paste and hence the korma take a greenish tint. After all it is a white korma. :)

Add the carrots, beans and potatoes and a cup of water. Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables become soft. Add the cauliflower, frozen peas, the ground paste and any remaining milk. Let this simmer for about 5-10 minutes until thickened. Sprinkle with the cilantro and mint leaves.

Verdict: Mildly spiced...milky and rich. This is one of my favorite side dishes. You may also omit the coconut and use coconut milk instead of regular milk, that would be a variation of the korma, but it would'nt taste the same. Also, you can dice the vegetables smaller, I just prefer this size.

Sending this to 'CWS - Poppy Seeds', event started by Priya.