Healthier korma curry

If I was imagining a healthy curry, a korma would not be it.

A korma is usually super rich, super creamy, and super sweet- not exactly a light option.

But, since avoiding all the nice things in life in the name of health is frankly quite boring, I thought I’d just lighten it up a bit instead. A healthier korma!

Compared to the curries they do at my local Indian take away, my healthier korma uses:

– lots more veggies, to bulk it out and fill you up with the good stuff
– low-fat Quorn pieces, which give 10g of protein but only 67 calories (!!!) per serving
– Greek yogurt, rather than super high fat cream or coconut milk

… but don’t worry, it’s still really tasty! The spices add heaps of flavour, along with just a couple of spoonfuls of coconut and sultanas, and a touch of sugar to add that all-important sweetness (use honey instead if you prefer!).

All in, it comes out at a little over 300 calories per serving (and it ain’t one of those teeny tiny diet-sized portions either, we’re talking a good plateful) – so you can still have some rice or naan bread alongside it too. Very, very satisfying.

I must admit, it did take a few attempts for me to figure out the best way to add the yogurt to the sauce without it curdling. When the yogurt splits, it still tastes fine, but it doesn’t look too pretty, so it’s best to try to stop it from splitting if you can!

After doing a bit of research, here was the main advice I found. I put all of these techniques into practice and had huge success! The sauce was smooth and silky. I’m not sure which of these things was the main reason my yogurt didn’t split – I’m guessing a combination of all of them.

– use full fat yogurt (still healthier than cream!)
– allow the yogurt to come up to room temperature before adding it to the curry to avoid giving it too much of a shock
– mix a little cornflour into the yogurt first to help stabilise it
– temper the yogurt as you would do with eggs, by mixing a couple of spoonfuls of the curry sauce into the yogurt before adding it to the pan
– remove the curry from the heat and let it cool for a minute or so before adding the yogurt
– add the yogurt gradually and fold it in gently

Phew! Sounds like a lot when I write it all out, but it doesn’t take a lot of time, and those few extra steps really do help to create a lovely, luxurious-tasting sauce!

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Healthier korma curry

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 150 g Quorn chicken-style pieces (~1 1/4 cups) - or alternative protein
• 1 onion, diced or sliced
• 1 bell pepper, diced or sliced (I used 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium mushrooms, sliced
• 4 pieces tenderstem broccoli, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp sultanas or raisins
• 250 ml vegetable stock (~ 1 cup)
• 200 g full fat Greek yogurt (~ 2/3 cup)
• 1 tsp cornflour
• Black pepper
• Fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and add the Quorn (or whatever protein you’re using) and chopped onion. Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat, until the onion is fairly soft. Add the peppers and garlic, and cook for a couple more minutes. Next add the mushrooms and tenderstem broccoli, and cook for a few more minutes until the mushrooms are soft.
• Add the spices, coconut, and sugar to the pan, and mix well to coat. Add the sultanas and vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables and Quorn are fully cooked.
• In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt with the cornflour, and mix to combine.
• Just before you're ready to serve, remove the curry from the heat, and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Add a tablespoon or so of the liquid to the yogurt and cornflour mixture, and mix well. Repeat this a couple of times.
• When the curry has cooled for a couple of minutes, add a dollop of yogurt, and gently mix it in. Repeat until you've added all of the yogurt.
• Season with plenty of black pepper, and serve topped with chopped coriander.

Course: Main meal

Author: Becca Heyes

Note: nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

Love a thicker, richer sauce? Try this one: butternut squash and black bean dopiaza!