Vegan Snow Ball Kurma/Baby Aloo Kurma

This is a simple and delicious baby potato kurma that gets the flavor from the fennel seeds and coconut. This pairs well for rice, dosa, or even chapathi/poori. This vegan kurma is perfect to serve with vegan Coconut Milk Pulao. 

I like to call them snowball kurma, as the baby potatoes look like snow balls in a pool of snow. This kurma is also called as white or vellai kurma. The green chiles that I bought this time were not spicy and had to use more to give the spicy heat. This turned the color of the kurma. If you have spicy pepper, use one or two and will get a white/vellai kurma.

Kurma is a side dish or stew made with veggies and spices along with or without coconut. Fresh coconut as well as coconut milk can be used. This recipe uses cashews and shredded coconut. If using coconut milk, use about quarter to one third cup. Add ground cashew or almond powder to give the creamy effect. I would recommend using cashews as they give the snowy white color to this stew. Green Sagu is yet another veggie stew which gets its green color with the usage of cilantro and mint, and is also a coconut based vegan stew that goes perfect with dosa/poori.This recipe uses only baby potatoes but any veggie or a mix of veggies can be used.

 

I chose to share recipes under the theme "Christmas Meals" for this week's Blogging Marathon. I have shared Eggless Peppermint Cake and Coconut Milk Pulao earlier and this is the final post following the theme.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

Baby potatoes - 20

Onions - 1 cup, chopped

Water  - 1.5 to 2 cups

water forcooking potatoes

For tempering

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon - 1 -in piece

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 2

Stonflower/kalpasi - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

To grind I

Green chili - 3 to 7

Garlic - 4 to 5

Ginger - 2-in piece

Water - 1 tbsp

To grind II

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Fennel sees - 1.5 tsp

Cashews - 4 tbsp or 15

Water - 1/4 cup

Method

Cook the pottaoes until fork tender. This may take about 17-20 minutes.

Peel the potatoes and set aside.

Gring the ginger, garlic, and green chiles with a tablespoon of water and set aside.

Grind the coconut, fennel seeds, cashews to a smooth consoistency adding quarter cup of water in steps.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and stone flower. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes till they turn translucent. Add the ground ginger garlic paste and saute for 3-4  minutes till the raw smell disappears.

Add the potatoes, salt, and one and a half cups water. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Add the ground coconut mixture, half cup water, and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Check the salt and adjust to taste. Adjust the consistency by adding a couple of tablespoons water, if required. Switch off the flame, and sprinkle cilantro.

Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice, chapathi, or dosa.