SUMPTUOUS VEGGIE KORMA

There's a restaurant in my neighborhood whose chef makes beautiful cream curries; they're sweet and milky, their pale sauce speckled by a complex network of black seeds. So, I tried to re-create it at home and I've come reasonably close. While the dish is not enough to make me stop going to the restaurant, it is wonderful. The whole seeds give pockets of explosive crunch to the sweet cream sauce.
There's no garlic in this recipe because I didn't have any on hand, but to be frank, I didn't miss it.
Please make in a non-stick pan of some sort, as it is very easy to burn spices otherwise.


INGREDIENTS:

SPICES
1tbs mustard seeds
1tbs cumin seeds
1 stick cinnamon
8-10 whole cloves (the most important part of the masala)

1tbs ground coriander
1tbs chili powder (or to taste)
1tsp turmeric

OTHER STUFF
1lg onion, chopped
1/2cup oil
1/2cup crushed tomatoes
1/2cup whipping cream
1/4cup sugar
1cup water
1/2cup chopped cilantro
1/2cup french green beans
1cup cubed tofu (middle firmness)
1cup diced vegetable mix (I get the kind with carrot, corn, peas, lima beans, etc.)

THESE LAST THREE are fully customizable; whatever veg combo you like. The tofu is there for protein, as there is precious little otherwise

salt to taste



INSTRUCTIONS:
Fry the onion in the oil alongside the whole spices, until it is soft and translucent. Add the ground spices and fry for a good 5 minutes, stirring well. Then plunk in the crushed tomato and stir some more, until the oil separates from the tomato-spice mix. Then, add water and tofu and cover. After at least 15 minutes of percolation, add the sugar, salt and remaining vegetables. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure nothing's sticking to the bottom. When the sauce is thick enough and all the vegetables cooked through, turn the heat off and add whipping cream and cilantro. Stir well once and serve, with white rice or a drier Indian bread.
If you're not fond of crunching a clove every so often, make sure to remove them before serving. Bon apetit!