Hotel Saravana bhavan style-white korma (vellai korma) (No onion-no tomato-no garlic kurma)

Saravana Bhavan style white korma is a mildly spiced korma prepared with green chilli, mixed veggies simmered in a creamy coconut paste along with cashews and almonds which gives white colour to the korma. This is a no onion, no tomato and no garlic korma, and is prepared easily. It has nice flavour and serves good with idly, dosa, chapati, idiyappam, parotta, appam and poori. This is one of my family’s favorite finger-licking side dish for chapati and idly, so i make it often.

PREPARATION TIME : 10 minutes

COOKING TIME         : 25 minutes 

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4 persons)

• Carrot large size                     - 1
• Beans                                       - 8-10
• Potato large size                     - 1
• Green peas                             - 1/2 cup
• Green chillies                         - 5
• Coconut grated/chopped     - 1/2 cup
• Curry leaves                            - 6-8
• Cashew nuts                           - 8 
• Almonds                                  - 12
• Fennel seeds/sombu             - 1/2 spoon
• Cinnamon stick small            - 2
• Poppy seeds/kasa kasa         - 2 spoons
• Oil                                             - 3 spoons
• Water                                       - 800 ml
• Salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Get ready with all the ingredients. (Tip: Soak potatoes in water unit use, to avoid discoloration.)

2. Pressure cook the chopped carrot, peas, beans and potato in 200 ml water for 2 whistle in medium flame. (Do not over cook.)

3. Heat 2 spoons of oil in a kadai. Add slitted green chillies and saute for a minute. (Tip: Slit the green chillies else it will burst.)

4. Add fennel seeds, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and skin peeled-almonds. Saute for a minute. (Tip: Soak almonds in hot water for 10 minutes and peel the skin of almonds, for getting white color korma.)

5. Add chopped /grated coconut and saute for a minute. Switch off the flame.

6. Cool the mixture and grind to a fine paste in a mixer by adding water.

7. Heat 1 spoon of oil in a kadai. Add cinnamon sticks and curry leaves. Let them crackle.

8. Add the cooked vegetables along with the water. Stir well.

9. Add the freshly prepared creamy coconut paste, 500 ml water and salt. Mix well.

10. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes in low flame. (Tip: Keep stirring occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom.)

11. The mixture slightly thickens up, adjust the required consistency.

12. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

 ADDITIONAL TIPS:

 => The specified amount of spiciness is sufficient for me. If you need more or less spicy adjust the number of green chillies accordingly.

 => You can use either almond or cashews, or combination of both as I used.

=> You can also use roasted gram dal/pottukadalai instead of nuts. It too tastes good.

 => You can also add veggies of your choice.

=> If you like tangy flavour, you can add a spoon of lemon juice at the end after switching off the flame.