I missed cooking Indian food so Sunday night, I decided to try a new recipe.

I often make dal, or lentil stews, at home, but I’ve never made korma. I’m not sure why. It’s very easy except for the chopping part. It requires A LOT of chopping.

Still, once you put in the prep work everything comes together quickly. For those of you who are unfamiliar with korma, it’s essentially a slow-cooked stew. I haven’t seen it at many Indian restaurants in town or when I travel in the U.S., which makes me like it even more. As far as I can see, it hasn’t been adapted for the masses.

This korma is perfect for the end of winter/beginning of spring. It’s spicy, warming, and fragrant, it includes some bright greens, AND it has cashews, one of my favorite nuts. Yeah, cashews aren’t as good for you as, say, almonds or walnuts, but they’re packed full of flavor and they’re filling. They’re buttery and rich, which makes them the perfect addition to a soup or stew.

I served this korma with jasmine rice and naan but you could also serve it with basmati rice. You could even eat the korma on its own but you’ll probably find that you want a starch or carb. I liked using the naan to scoop up the stew and wipe the bowl clean.

This korma is sweet and I’m not sure why. I didn’t add any sugar to it. I guess a little of it comes from the sweet potatoes and the rest comes from the garam masala. I’d recommend adding a couple generous pinches of salt to the dish to season it at the end. You can add the salt throughout the cooking process but I think waiting until the end is the best bet. It allows the other spices to marinate and it gives you a better idea of how much salt you need.

Here’s a song to get you started on your korma-making journey. I heard it a long time ago and then yesterday it popped up on my Spotify Discover Weekly. I think it’s in “Lady Bird.”

Sweet Potato, Cashew, Kale Korma

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated ginger
200 ml canned diced tomatoes (or fresh if you’d like)
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1 can (14 oz) full fat coconut milk
1 medium sized sweet potato, diced
80 g raw cashew nuts
80 g kale, roughly chopped
salt, to taste
jasmine rice and naan for serving

Directions

Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for about five minutes. Add the tomatoes, curry powder, garam masala powder, coconut milk, and sweet potato. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

Cook until the sweet potato is slightly soft, about 20 minutes. Add the kale and cashew nuts and cook for 15 more minutes. Taste the korma and season with salt to taste. Serve with jasmine rice and naan. Enjoy!