Vegetable Kurma is a mix of vegetables cooked in a fragrant and creamy sauce. This is vegan South Indian version version made with coconut and cashew nut instead of dairy cream.
Chop the vegetables into bite size pieces. Finely chop the onions. Grate or mince the ginger and garlic.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a pan . When the oil is hot add mustard seeds followed by the whole spices. After the mustard seeds crackle and the spices begin to give off aroma add the chopped onions. Fry for a minute and add the grated ginger, garlic and green chili. Stir fry til the onions are soft. Add garam masala and salt . Mix and add the chopped vegetables. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1/2 C water cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Place coconut , fennel turmeric and cashew nuts in a blender jar and grind to a smooth paste adding a couple of tablespoons of water as necessary.
Add the ground paste to the softened vegetables mix. Add just enough water to get the gravy to the desired consistency. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat as bubbles begin to appear on top.
Notes
Use homemade or store brand garam masala. Here is my home made all purpose garam masala.