My introduction to korma was in a curry house on Brick Lane, east London. I was 18. Until then, I had always seen korma as the curry for people who were scared of curries, but this one was different: delicate, creamy, and with the faintest hints of cardamom and pepper. With every dip of my naan, I became addicted. Fast-forward to today, and I’m now an out-and-out korma lover. I see it for what it is, not for what it isn’t, and love the subtleties, textures and nostalgic joy of this curry house staple.
Cauliflower korma with blackened raisins (pictured above)
A vegan take on this normally dairy-heavy pleasure, adapted from a recipe in my Fresh India book. It’s best eaten with naan.
Prep 20 min
Roast 40 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4
100g cashews
2 large cauliflowers (about 1.6kg in total)
Rapeseed oil
Salt
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1.5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
¾ tsp ground cardamom (ie, the finely ground seeds from 8 pods)
¾ tsp black pepper
2 tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
2 tsp rose water (I like Steenbergs)
500ml non-dairy milk
2 tbsp brown rice syrup
1 handful each raisins and flaked almonds, to serve
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Put the cashews in a heatproof bowl, add freshly boiled water to cover and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Drain, add 250ml water and blend smooth.
Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets and put in a large bowl. Pour over just enough oil to coat, then scatter on half a teaspoon of salt. Toss with your hands, then transfer to two baking trays in a single layer. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until tender and nicely browned in places (if the florets start to burn, cover loosely with foil).
In the meantime, heat three tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame, then fry the onions for 12-15 minutes, until soft and browning. Add the garlic and ginger, fry for three to four minutes, then stir in the cardamom, pepper, garam masala and rose water. Add the brown rice syrup, a teaspoon and a half of salt and the cashew paste, then cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce turns a rich golden colour. Add enough milk to thin the sauce to the consistency of pouring yoghurt and leave to simmer gently for 10 minutes more. Season to taste and turn off the heat.
When the cauliflower is roasted, tip three-quarters of it into the sauce and keep the rest to decorate.
Heat up a small frying pan and, when hot, add the raisins and almonds, and stir-fry until the raisins start to blacken and puff up.
To serve, transfer the korma to a platter, arrange the reserved cauliflower on top, scatter with the almonds and raisins, and serve.
