The red kurmas are due to tomato and/or red chilli powder. Lighter kurmas are due to green chillis and paler ingredients.
The South Indian kurmas can range from white, pale green, golden, light red, to brown, based on the recipe. Maybe the veg kurmas are paler and the meat kurmas are more brown.
Here are some recipes:
(This is always a good site for a wide range of veg recipes. She talks about the paler vs redder kurmas).
(This one seems more golden)
(a very popular site, of the short-video genre)
Mutton (goat) white kurma:
Another one:
Chicken kurma:
One more, a little more red:
Hope one of your South Indian restaurants has a version.
