Vegan · Air fryer adaptation

Vegan 'Chicken' Korma in the Air Fryer | BOSH! Recipe

Sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots roasted until golden, then smothered in a proper creamy korma sauce built from toasted spices, cashews and almonds. This is the kind of vegan curry that doesn't need excuses, it's just delicious.

R By Richard · Adapted from BOSH! · Published 10 June 2026
👁 12.4k source views ❤️ 577 source likes
⏱Prep 20 min
🌡Temp 180°C
⏲Air fry 22 min
🍽Serves 4
THE BEST VEGAN 'CHICKEN' KORMA

Source video by BOSH! on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is BOSH!'s creamy korma from their first book, reimagined for the air fryer. Sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots are roasted until tender, then folded into a fragrant onion, nut and coconut korma gravy spiced with cloves, cardamom and poppy seeds. Serve with rice, naan, raita and pickles for a proper curry night. The sauce itself is made on the hob in a pan, while the air fryer handles the vegetable roasting.

Air fryer notes: Source roasts the vegetables in a conventional oven at 180°C for 30 minutes. Adapted to the air fryer at 180°C for around 22 minutes with one basket shake at the halfway point, as air fryer convection cooks diced root veg roughly 25 to 30 percent faster. The korma gravy is still made on the hob as it requires a blender and a pan to simmer, which cannot be done in the air fryer.

Ingredients

Roasted vegetables
  • sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • carrots, peeled and diced
  • oil, for tossing
  • salt
Korma gravy
  • cloves, whole, toasted
  • poppy seeds, toasted
  • cardamom pods, toasted
  • oil, for frying
  • white onions, sliced
  • cashew nuts
  • almonds
  • 2 leavesbay leaves
  • green chillies, chopped
  • garlic, minced
  • ginger, grated
  • ground nutmeg
  • ground turmeric
  • 200 mlcoconut milk
To finish
  • lime juice, freshly squeezed (add late)
To serve
  • plant-based chicken pieces
  • boiled rice
  • naan bread
  • raita
  • spring onions, sliced

Method

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Peel and dice the sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots into roughly even, bite-sized pieces.

    ~10 min

  2. Toss the diced vegetables with a little oil and salt, then tip into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 180°C for around 22 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway point, until tender and lightly caramelised at the edges.

    ~22 min

  3. While the vegetables roast, toast the cloves, poppy seeds and cardamom pods in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, to reawaken their flavour.

    ~2 min

  4. Add a splash of oil to the same pan, then add the sliced white onions, cashew nuts, almonds and bay leaves. Stir in the green chillies, garlic, ginger, nutmeg and turmeric.

    ~2 min

  5. Cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and properly caramelised. This forms the onion and nut base of the korma.

    ~13 min

  6. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Tip the contents of the pan into a blender, add half a tin of coconut milk and blitz to a smooth gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning.

    ~3 min

  7. Pour the blended korma gravy back into the pan and warm through. Stir in the roasted sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots so every piece is coated.

    ~3 min

  8. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice for brightness. Serve with boiled rice, naan, raita, pickles and a scatter of spring onions, poppy seeds and green chillies on top.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Do I need to preheat my air fryer for the vegetables?
If your model has a preheat function, give it 2 to 3 minutes at 180°C. A hot basket helps the sweet potato and squash caramelise rather than steam. If yours does not preheat, add 1 to 2 minutes to the total cook time.
Can I use plant-based chicken instead of, or as well as, the roasted veg?
Yes, the recipe specifically suggests this swap. Air fry plant-based chicken pieces at 180°C for around 10 to 12 minutes, shaking once, then stir them through the finished korma gravy along with (or instead of) the roasted root vegetables.
Why am I making the sauce on the hob and not in the air fryer?
The korma gravy needs to simmer in liquid and then be blended smooth with coconut milk. Air fryers cook by hot air and cannot handle a liquid sauce, so the sauce stays on the hob. The air fryer just handles roasting the vegetables, which it does brilliantly.
Can I roast the vegetables in advance?
Yes. Air fry the sweet potato, squash and carrots up to a day ahead, cool and refrigerate. Reheat them straight in the warm korma gravy on the hob for 4 to 5 minutes before serving.
How do I stop the diced veg drying out in the air fryer?
Cut the pieces evenly so they cook at the same rate, toss them in just enough oil to coat, and don't overload the basket. A single layer with room around each piece gives you tender insides and caramelised edges.
Extraction notes (transparency): Transcript names ingredients but gives no quantities for vegetables, spices, nuts, onions, garlic, ginger, chilli, lime or oil. Only 'half a tin of coconut milk' is specified. All other quantities below are left null or marked as estimates and must be reviewed before publishing. Also note this is primarily a hob curry; only the vegetable roasting step has been adapted to the air fryer. | Second-pass critique flagged 5 fabricated and 3 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.