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    Home » Dinner » Main Dishes

    Navratan Curry (Sweet Vegetable Korma)

    Published: Aug 29, 2016 · Modified: May 3, 2023 · 8 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    This recipe for navratan curry is a sweet version of the classic vegetable korma, and is filled with fruit and other sweet vegetables.  This curry is vegan-friendly, made with easy-to-find ingredients, and includes step-by-step directions.

    Vegan Navratan Vegetable Korma- Easy to Find Ingredients, Step by Step Directions

    What do you order when you go to Indian restaurants?  Do you stare in a panic at a list of unfamiliar food names, and then pick something at random?  

    Do you stick to the buffet, and get a little bit of everything?  

    The husband and I like to order one "safe" meal, and one new, unfamiliar curry.

    My trusty, always delicious, go-to meal is vegetable korma, a creamy curry filled with roasted spices, blended cashews, and seasonal vegetables.  

    One of my favorite things about korma is that, depending on who prepares it, variations in spice choices, and what vegetables are in season, the dish changes from kitchen to kitchen.

    That means, of course, that Vegetable Korma is NEVER boring.

    Searching for Perfect Korma

    Recently, while happily devouring a plate of korma in near Cincinnati, I ordered Navratan curry (sweet korma) instead of my usual plain vegetable korma.

    I was delighted to find raisins (or, tiny bits of sweetness that burst with flavor in my mouth!) and chunks of cashews in my curry.  

    As I ate, I thought, "This is fantastically amazing, and I must try making my own korma more like this korma!"

    I then, of course, promptly forgot about it.

    Later, however, I once again ordered navratan korma at a restaurant in South Dakota, and was thrilled, THRILLED, to once again find fruit and nuts in my korma.  

    This time, when I left, I was on a mission.  

    A food mission, to be more specific, to make this nutty, sweet, creamy bowl of happiness appear in my home kitchen.

    What Is Navratan Curry?

    Navratan curry roughly translates to "nine gems."

    The gems are made up of the vegetables and fruit in the curry.

    In this simplified version of navratan curry, we're not using nine different fruits and vegetables. But if you want to add extra vegetables, you can!

    As written, this recipe uses mushrooms, peas, and sweet potatoes.  Feel free to try variations using different veggies.

    How to Make Navratan Curry

    To make this korma, start by sautéing the mushrooms. 

    Take them out of the pan, and sauté the spices along with a diced onion. 

    Add some tomatoes, and let everything simmer for just a few minutes. 

    Add the sweet potatoes, and simmer until they're cooked through. 

    Add the mushrooms back into the pan, along with the remaining veggies.  Add a little milk and cream (or coconut milk), and salt to taste.

    Serve this curry with rice, and enjoy!

    Want to Microwave Your Rice?  Read this tutorial on How to Cook Basmati Rice in the Microwave.

    Vegan Navratan Vegetable Korma- Easy to Find Ingredients, Step by Step Directions
    Vegan Navratan Vegetable Korma- Easy to Find Ingredients, Step by Step Directions
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Navratan Curry (Sweet Vegetable Korma)

    This recipe for navratan curry is a sweet version of the classic vegetable korma, and is filled with fruit and other sweet vegetables.  This curry is vegan-friendly, made with easy-to-find ingredients, and includes step-by-step directions.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time40 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 414kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    No
    Will It Keep?
    3-4 Days
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided) Or use ghee
    • 8 ounces mushrooms (such as white button, cremini, or shiitake), sliced If using shiitake, remove stems
    • 1 onion, finely diced
    • 2 teaspoons garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
    • 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
    • 15 ounce fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can) Or use 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
    • 1 large sweet potato, diced
    • 1 cup peas
    • ⅓ cup roasted cashews, diced
    • ⅓ cup dried fruit (pineapple, raisins, golden raisins)
    • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
    • 1 cup milk OR coconut milk
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream OR ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
    • To Serve: jasmine rice, basmati rice, or naan

    Instructions

    • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat.  Sauté the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.
    • Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pan.  Add onion, garlic cloves, garam masala, salt and chili flakes.  Sauté 3-4 minutes, until the spices are fragrant and the onions are translucent.
    • Reduce heat to medium.  Add tomatoes and let them simmer 4-5 minutes. 
      Add sweet potatoes, and cover pan.  Add the mushrooms and peas to the pan.  Simmer about 15 minutes, until the potatoes have softened and the peas have cooked through.
    • Add cashews, dried fruit, turmeric, milk, and cream to the pan.  If you prefer the color to be more vibrant, add more turmeric. 
    • Serve while still warm with a side of rice.
    • Leftovers:
      Store in the fridge and use within 3-4 days.

    Notes

    Garam Masala note: Not all garam masala mixtures are the same, and the color of the spice will change the color of the dish.  If your spice mixture is dark brown, it likely includes a lot of cinnamon.  Swap half the garam masala with smoked paprika.
    Recipe Adaptations: 
    • To simplify the recipe, you could eliminate the mushrooms.
    • You can substitute the mushrooms or peas used here for vegetables you already have on hand.  Other vegetables that work well in this recipe include sweet bell pepper and green beans.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 414kcal (21%) | Carbohydrates: 41g (14%) | Protein: 10g (20%) | Fat: 25g (38%) | Saturated Fat: 10g (63%) | Cholesterol: 45mg (15%) | Sodium: 681mg (30%) | Potassium: 700mg (20%) | Fiber: 6g (25%) | Sugar: 20g (22%) | Vitamin A: 8939IU (179%) | Vitamin C: 20mg (24%) | Calcium: 132mg (13%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says

      August 29, 2016 at 11:35 am

      I LOVE veg korma! I actually have a recipe ready to go, but haven't posted it yet because every time I make it, I'm too tired or it's too dark to take sensible pics. I agree, every version is so different. But, one thing remains the same....it is always usually super yummy!

      I tried it at a local Indian restaurant and have been hooked ever since. Like you, I was thinking of ways to recreate the dish at home. Love when that happens.

      Your recipe looks amaaaazing, Sarah! Love your addition of dried fruit! Wishing I had a big plate of that right now 🙂

      Reply
    2. Anjali says

      October 13, 2016 at 9:57 pm

      YUMMY! I loved this dish growing up and haven't had it in ages!!! Thansk for reminding me how delicious it looks!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        October 13, 2016 at 9:58 pm

        You're very welcome! I hope you get to try it again soon 🙂

        Reply
    3. Platter Talk says

      October 16, 2016 at 8:34 am

      Very nicely done! Your dish looks and sounds delicious!

      Reply
    4. champagne-tastes says

      March 03, 2017 at 9:26 am

      5 stars
      Thanks! It's so fun trying new Indian dishes!

      Reply
    5. champagne-tastes says

      March 03, 2017 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Alisha says

      December 17, 2020 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night (we've made it before too) and we all love it. Dad kept saying, "That was wonderful!" Even after supper was over he kept saying it. 🙂 Fantastic way to use up various ingredients from the fridge. We had a small amount of lentils left over from another meal and tossed them in too. Delicious.

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        December 17, 2020 at 5:48 pm

        Yay!! I’m so glad you all loved it 😁👏🏻

        Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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