Korma base
A mild, creamy onion and coconut sauce base for kormas, made nut free so the whole family can eat it.
Make this once, then cook it into 24 different dishes.
- Time50 mins
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.29 a head
- Makesabout 1 litre, enough for 2 to 3 kormas
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oil in a large pan over a low to medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of the salt and cook gently for 15 minutes until completely soft and pale. Do not let them brown.
15 min - 2
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, ground cardamom and whole cardamom pods and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2 min - 3
Add the desiccated coconut, coconut milk, water and the rest of the salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
15 min - 4
Fish out the cardamom pods. Blend until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, using a stick blender or a jug blender in small batches.
- 5
Stir in the lemon juice. Measure it: you want about 1 litre. Simmer to thicken if it is thin, or add a splash of boiled water if too thick.
- 6
Cool quickly in a sink of cold water, then divide into 350 ml portions and chill or freeze within 1 to 2 hours.
About korma base
Korma base is a mild, creamy sauce of slow cooked onion, coconut and gentle spices such as coriander, cardamom and turmeric, used to make kormas. It is the sweetest and mildest of the classic curry sauces, with no chilli heat, so it suits children and anyone who finds curry too fiery.
Traditional and restaurant kormas get their body from ground almonds or cashews and often cream or yoghurt. This version uses desiccated coconut and coconut milk instead, so it is nut free, dairy free and vegan, and it still gives a thick, velvety sauce.
Use it to make chicken, lamb, paneer or vegetable korma in about 20 minutes. Add your main ingredient and a little salt, and finish with a squeeze of lemon. A pinch of ground cardamom and a few flaked almonds on top (only if nuts are fine for you) make it taste like the real thing.
Tips
- Cook the onions gently without colour. Browned onions give a darker, stronger sauce, which is the opposite of a korma.
- For a classic richer korma, swap the desiccated coconut for 100 g ground almonds. Only do this if nobody eating it has a nut allergy.
- Blend for a full 2 to 3 minutes. Coconut needs time to turn silky rather than grainy.
- Use full fat coconut milk for body. Light coconut milk makes a thinner sauce that needs longer reducing.
- A little lemon juice at the end lifts the sweetness and stops it tasting flat.
Storing and freezing
Chill within 1 to 2 hours and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and simmer until steaming hot before using. It can thicken in the fridge, so loosen with a splash of water.
Dishes you can make with korma base
Lamb Korma
GFDFEFPaneer Korma
EFNFVMixed Vegetable Korma (Sabzi Korma)
DFEFNFChickpea and Sweet Potato Korma
DFEFNFKing Prawn Korma
GFDFEFEgg Korma (Anda Korma)
DFNFVChicken Korma Pie
NFChicken Korma Flatbread Pizza
EFNFCauliflower and Pea Korma (Gobi Matar Korma)
DFEFNFNavratan Korma (Nine Jewel Vegetable Korma)
DFEFNFChicken Tikka Korma
EFNFLamb Kofta Korma
DFEFNFQuestions
Is this korma base nut free?
Yes. It uses desiccated coconut and coconut milk, not almonds or cashews. Coconut is a fruit rather than a tree nut for most people, but check with your doctor if you have a tree nut allergy.
How do I make it dairy free and vegan?
It already is. There is no cream, butter or yoghurt in the base, only oil and coconut. Add your own vegan protein such as chickpeas or tofu when you make the korma.
Can I freeze korma base?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze in 350 ml portions. The coconut may separate slightly on thawing, so whisk or blend it briefly while it heats up.
Why is my korma base grainy?
The coconut was not blended long enough. Blend it for 2 to 3 minutes while hot, then pass through a sieve if you want it very smooth.
Can I make it sweeter?
Yes. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar to the finished dish rather than the base so you can adjust it to taste. The onions already add natural sweetness.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.