vegetable korma I

Kormas are like curries, with slightly different and perhaps complex flavor - and can be made with either coconut milk, or yogurt or heavy cream. This recipe here uses coconut milk because I was thinking of a dear friend of mine (you know who you are, old girl) who cannot have dairy products for a while...

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower, just the florets
1 medium broccoli, florets, and the stalk chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup medium-thick coconut milk
salt to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
cilantro for garnish
for korma paste:
1/4 cup dry or fresh grated coconut
1-2 jalapenos or serrano
1" piece ginger, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp white poppy seeds
1 star anise
2 cardomom pods
2 cloves
2 Tbsp fennel seeds
1-2 indian bay leaves
2 2" piece of chinese/indian cinnamon bark

Preparation:

1. combine the korma paste ingredients in a blender/food processor and grind to a fine paste; set aside
2. heat oil in a pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt, the paste from step 1 above and sauté till onions turns translucent
3. add the potatoes and some water, cover, cook till potatoes are partially done
4. add the other veggies and a little more water, cover and cook till veggies are partially cooked and not mushy
5. add the coconut milk, adjust salt to taste and simmer on medium-low till flavors meld, veggies cook through and the sauce thickens a little
6. off heat, garnish with cilantro; serve warm with rotis/bathuras, or peas and cumin rice, or naan