Broccoli Korma

Published March 21, 2024

Broccoli Korma
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(508)
Notes
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Broccoli florets are simmered in coconut milk and almond butter then topped with slivered almonds, resulting in a nutty, luxurious main or side in just 30 minutes. Malabar pepper, grown and commonly used in the south of India, has a delicate lingering heat. (You could use another black pepper, but if the former is an option, try it.) Garam masala dials up the spice and an onion provides subtle sweetness. Serve with rice or roti.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • ¼cup ghee or vegetable oil
  • 1teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
  • 1teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
  • 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1tablespoon unsweetened almond or cashew butter
  • 1(13-ounce) can coconut milk
  • 8ounces broccoli florets (from 1 large head broccoli), or use 8 ounces frozen broccoli
  • Salt
  • 1 to 3teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper (preferably Malabar)
  • ½teaspoon garam masala
  • Handful of slivered almonds (optional)
  • Lemon wedges (optional), for serving
  • Rice or roti, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

390 calories; 38 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 472 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium (10-inch) pot, heat ghee on high for 30 seconds. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add onion and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until it turns translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in almond butter and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil.

  2. Step 2

    Add broccoli and 1 teaspoon salt, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in black pepper and more salt if desired, to taste.

  3. Step 3

    Top with garam masala and with almonds, if you like. Serve with lemon wedges, if using, and rice or roti.

Ratings

4 out of 5
508 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I doubled the amount of broccoli, as well as the amounts of garlic and ginger, and added 2 cubed potatoes. Amazing, delicious, easy. Thank you.

Easy and good! I used a 12 oz bag of broccoli and cauliflower florets. I used a can of light coconut milk and that worked well. I also added some sauteed tofu cubes at the end for protein. When I make it again I'll add some carrot or sweet potato or red bell pepper to give the dish more color; otherwise it's kind of drab-looking on the plate--but delicious.

I doubled the broccoli but kept everything else to the recipe. Easy and delicious over rice. Whole family loved it. Next time I’ll add some more veggies.

Easy and delicious. Added a can of chickpeas for extra substance.

We love it when the NYT recipe matches what we have on hand. As others noted, it is super easy to customize the base. Here are ours: peanut butter for the almond butter, adding shredded carrots and cubed tilapia. Added more salt and garam masala…a repeater!

I used tahini instead of almond butter which I did not have. Doubled garlic. Used whole crimini, fillet of rock cod, and some spinach. Easy and delicious. Will look forward to broc and almond butter.

Warning. Substituting coconut oil for the ghee, and tahini for the nut butters made my sauce very chunky and not very appealing to the eye. Tastes good though, I tripled the garam masala.

I added chicken thighs (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, garam masala), cooked it in the pot before the onions and spices, removed them and then added them back in as the broccoli ( two potatoes) cooked. Added an extra 1.5 cup of water to the broth too so it covered everything but would have added a second can of coconut milk instead if I had one. Delicious on top of jasmine rice and plenty for leftovers!

Added more broccoli and cubed tofu. Fantastic and easy.

I, too, embellished this recipe . . . adding zucchini cubes and some mushrooms with the onion; then adding sugar snap peas (veined and cut in half crosswise) with the broccoli. When I make this again, I will throw in a handful of raisins/golden raisins. Sweet red pepper and/or cubed yams would be good, too. Very simple to make and quite tasty. We ate it over cous cous.

The positives: recipe was fairly simple without a million ingredients. The broccoli was a very nice tenderness. The negative: the flavor was a bit salty (on me) and heavy on garlic, without any balance of sweetness or nuttiness that I think of when I've had korma dishes. I used about 2x the ginger and it didn't really come through, I may have no idea what a traditional korma tastes like, only what I expected. I think if I were to try this again I might add raisins or currents-- is that crazy?

Had some asparagus that needed cooking so used broccoli and asparagus and a small carrot. Maybe it was the “light” coconut milk I used but it wasn’t very flavorful and it was on the soupy side. As others have said, maybe double the garam masala, maybe a dash of cayenne, don’t neglect the lemon. A pleasant dish for sure.

Added chicken after coconut milk boiled and then broccoli at the end. Would sear chicken first next time. Could add anything- dried fruit, Indian spices…

Double the broccoli (16 oz frozen). Was really tasty but it ends up being a funny grey/drab color.

Loved it. Added carrots and peppers. Cooked veggies to al dente. Served with garam masala and Penzey’s Bangkok blend. I liked the Bangkok blend with it.

This was so good And so easy to make I followed recipe, but I’ll try cauliflower next Great recipe

Any thoughts on whether this would work with tuna? Need some easy protein.

I followed recommendations to double the spices and I thought it tasted really good. It is really quite unappealing; its presentation is just not pretty despite the bright green broccoli. I would, next time, add a 1/2 tsp of tumeric, I think, to boost the color from light sewer water to appealing.

I made this according to the recipe, using a larger head of broccoli. It was delicious, quick and easy to make. Served it with steamed jasmine rice and roasted sweet potato slices. Will definitely add to my list of favorites.

Bland and unappetizing to look at. We love Korma, but this lacked all the spices and flavor we are used to. My husband and I discussed ways we could improve it after trying the recipe as written, but decided there are just too many other recipes out there to try.

I made this with shrimp and broccoli. As others suggested I doubled the spices ginger and garlic, and the flavor was a hit. I think the sauce would be more elegant if it went through a food processor, and I will do that next time I make it. I think the sauce could be made a day ahead, ideal for entertaining.

Doubled broccoli, ginger, and garlic. Mixed in homemade garam masa and some breast meat from a rotisserie chicken. Delicious!

I was intrigued by the recipe, but after reading the reviews, I switched things up. Following other's suggestions, I doubled the garlic, ginger, and broccoli. I added two teaspoons of garam masala and one teaspoon of red curry powder (degli mirchi from our local Indian market but use any curry powder) directly into the sauce. To boost the dish, I added a can of chickpeas. At the end, I squeezed half a lemon on top. (I sprinkled a tiny bit of asafoetida (aka hing) on top - not critical.) Yum!

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