Vegan Chicken Korma Curry
Traditional chicken korma originated in India, although the version most commonly enjoyed in the UK has evolved over time to include ingredients like coconut and ground nuts, creating the mild, creamy curry that has become one of Britain's most popular takeaway dishes.
Whilst delicious, many restaurant-style kormas can be quite rich, containing generous amounts of cream, ghee, and yoghurt. This healthier take swaps the meat for tofu, and the cream for cashew cream creating a vegan alternative that's packed with flavor while being suitable for weeknight meals.
This vegan curry is made with tofu but can work as a cauliflower korma or chickpea korma too. You can even use another protein if you like making it an easy recipe to adapt to whatever you have on hand.
One of the best things about this recipe is how simple it is to make. Everything cooks in a single pot, keeping washing up to a minimum. You could even cook in in a crockpot.
Like most curries, this korma tastes even better the next day once the flavours have had time to develop. Make a big batch and enjoy the leftovers for lunches throughout the week. Serve with rice, naan, or plenty of vegetables for a delicious and satisfying meal.
Dairy free korma curry ingredients and substitutes-
- Tofu- Extra firm tofu is best as it holds its shape whilst simmering in the sauce.
- Ginger garlic paste- You may use fresh garlic and ginger if you prefer.
- Cashew nuts- I use cashew nuts to make a cashew cream but you can also use vegan cream.
- Spices- Garam masala and turmeric are essential for color and flavor
How to make crockpot korma
Add all of the ingredients apart from the tofu & corn starch to the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours. You may need to add water as you go if it dries out. Blend the sauce with a stick blender until smooth. 30 minutes before serving, coat the tofu in corn flour and fry until golden. Add this to the curry sauce and heat on high for 30 minutes.
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Troubleshooting curry
- Curry sauce too thin- To a small bowl add a tablespoon of corn starch and 3 tablespoons of water, mix well and add to the curry sauce. Cook for 10-15 mins longer stirring often.
- Curry tastes bland- Add salt to bring out the flavor and lemon juice to brighten it up. If the curry is lacking spices add some more garam masala.
- Curry needs heat- Korma is usually very mild but if you like spice, add some chili powder gradually until desired spice level is achieved.
Healthy Vegan Tofu Korma Curry
Ingredients
- 280 g Tofu extra firm
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tbsp Corn starch
- 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- 30 g Raw cashew nuts + 60ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp Plain flour
- 100 ml Water
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Add the cashews to a high speed blender cup, cover with 60 ml of boiling water and leave to soak.
- Unpackage the tofu and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Then rip the tofu up into even bite sized chunks, ripping instead of cutting gives more jagged edges to catch all of that lovely sauce.
- Pop your tofu pieces into a big bowl and sprinkle on the cornflour, giving the pieces a toss to make sure all pieces are evenly coated.
- Add 2 tbsp oil to a pan then add the whole spices and toast for a minute. Then add the tofu and cook until golden. Remove the tofu leaving the whole spices in and set the tofu aside.
- Add the diced onion into the same pan with the whole spices and cook until soft. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Then add the powdered spice mix and flour and stir well to coat the onions.
- Next blend the cashews in the high speed blender with the water to make the cashew cream then add to the onions. Lastly add 100ml water and stir to combine making sure there are no flour or spice lumps.
- Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes then blend the whole mixture to make a smooth curry sauce.
- Add back in the tofu chunks and simmer on low for 15 minutes adding in water as needed for consistency.
- Before serving taste the sauce to see if any additional salt is needed.
- Serve up with some fluffy basmati rice and a naan bread if you fancy.
Notes
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