paneer korma recipe with step by step pics – creamy, royal and delicately flavored delicious paneer shahi korma with a white gravy.

white korma with paneer or veggies is a childhood favorite. dad would get us this white gravy with naan or rotis from a few mughlai restaurants in mumbai. i have really good memories with food with dad getting real good food or taking us out to dine in restaurants. those were the days when there were no pizza huts, mc donalds’s or fast food chains. the only pizza we would occasionally have was from the udipi restaurants. a largely indianised version with tomato ketchup as the base sauce and amul cheese as the cheese topping, with the usual onions, capsicum and tomatoes as the veggies. a favorite till today.

this mughlai white korma has a faint sweet taste with a touch of sourness. the sweetness in the gravy, comes from the almonds and onion paste and sour hints coming from yogurt. the gravy is mild and thus goes well with kids. for a bit of heat, i have added one green chili, but you can skip it too.

there is prep work required like making almond paste and onion paste. after preparing these pastes, the recipe is easy. to the same gravy you can also add steamed veggies or make a curry with both veggies and paneer.

serve this paneer shahi korma with naan, tandoori rotis, chapatis or parathas. it also goes well with jeera rice or veg pulao.

some more delicious paneer recipes you may like are:

• shahi paneer
• paneer butter masala
• palak paneer
• paneer lababdar
• matar paneer

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paneer korma

5 from 8 votes

Prep Time:40 mins

Cook Time:35 mins

Total Time:1 hr 15 mins

mughlai style paneer kurma recipe - creamy, royal and delicately flavored delicious paneer korma with a white gravy.

Course:main course

Cuisine:mughlai,north indian

Servings:3 to 4

Author:Dassana Amit

INGREDIENTS FOR paneer korma

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

for almond paste

• 20 to 22 almonds (badam)
• ¼ cup water for soaking almonds
• 4 tablespoon water or the almond soaked water for grinding almonds

for onion paste

• 150 grams onions Or about 2 medium onions Or ¾ cup roughly chopped onions
• ¼ cup water for cooking onions

remaining ingredients for paneer korma

• 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese)
• ½ teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder) Or white pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms (chotti elachi)
• 4 cloves (lavang)
• 2 to 3 single strands of mace (javitri)
• 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste Or 5 to 6 garlic (lahsun) + ½ inch ginger (adrak) - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
• 1 green chili, slit (optional)
• 6 tablespoon full fat fresh curd (yogurt or dahi) or 100 grams curd
• 3 tablespoon low fat cream - 25% to 35% low fat
• 1 teaspoon rose water Or 1 teaspoon kewra water (pandanus water) Or half-half of both
• ¾ to 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
• a few pinches of crushed or powdered saffron for garnish (kesar)
• salt as required

HOW TO MAKE paneer korma

preparation for paneer korma

• first blanch the almonds in hot water. soak 20 to 22 almonds in 1/2 cup of bubbling hot water for 30 to 40 minutes. cover and keep aside.
• in a pan, take 3/4 cup roughly chopped onions and add 1/4 cup water.
• heat the chopped onion and water together stirring at intervals. if in case the water dries up while cooking onions, then add some more water.
• simmer till the onions soften.
• after 30 minutes, peel the almonds and keep aside.
• add the blanched and peeled almonds and 1/4 cup of the soaking water to a grinder or small blender.
• make a smooth paste from the almonds without any tiny bits or pieces. remove and keep the almond paste aside.
• to the same blender, add the cooked onions along with the remaining stock.
• grind to a smooth paste.
• take 6 tbsp full fat fresh curd/yogurt in a bowl or measuring cup and whisk well till smooth.

making paneer korma

• heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan.
• add the whole spices - 1/2 tsp shah jeera (caraway seeds), 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, 2 to 3 single strands of mace and 1 small to medium tej patta/indian bay leaf. saute the spices for some seconds till aromatic.
• now add the ground onion paste and stir very well.
• add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste. stir again.
• saute the onion paste till you see some fat releasing from the sides and the paste thickens. we don't need to brown this paste as we are preparing a white gravy.
• now add the ground almond paste.
• stir continuously and saute for two minutes on a low flame.
• then add 1 or 2 slit green chilies, 1/4 tsp black pepper or white pepper and 1/2 tsp coriander powder. stir again.
• saute for a minute on a low flame.
• now just add 1 to 1.5 tbsp of the beaten curd (yogurt or dahi) on a low flame.
• briskly stir and incorporate the curd with the rest of the mixture.
• then add again 1 to 1.5 tbsp of the curd.
• stir quickly again. adding yogurt in small amounts like this does not allow it to curdle in the gravy.
• finish off all the curd/yogurt this way and keep on stirring.
• then add 3/4 to 1 cup water.
• stir very well so that the whole gravy has a uniform consistency.
• add salt as required.
• bring the gravy to a gentle simmer on a low flame. about 4 to 5 minutes.
• then add the paneer cubes. 200 grams paneer which have been chopped in cubes and stir gently. simmer for a minute.
• then add 3 tbsp low fat cream.
• stir well and switch off the flame.
• lastly add 1 tsp of rose water or kewra (pandanus) water or half-half of both. stir paneer shahi korma gravy gently.
• serve paneer shahi korma garnished with crushed saffron or saffron powder.
• the paneer kurma goes very well with naans, tandoori roti, chapatis or parathas. this white paneer korma also goes well with jeera rice or veg pulao.

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preparation for making paneer korma

1. first rinse & then blanch the almonds in hot water. soak 20 to 22 almonds in ½ cup of bubbling hot water for 30 to 40 minutes. cover and keep aside. you can heat the water in an electric heater or microwave or in a small pan. if you have time, you can keep the almonds also for an hour.

2. in a pan, take ¾ cup roughly chopped onions and add ¼ cup water.

3. on a low to medium flame, heat the onion and water together stirring at intervals.  if in case the water dries up while cooking onions, then add some more water.

4. simmer till the onions soften.

5. after 30 to 40 minutes, peel the almonds and keep aside.

6. add the blanched and peeled almonds and ¼ cup of the soaking water to a grinder or small blender.

7. make a smooth paste from the almonds without any tiny bits or pieces. remove and keep the almond paste aside.

8. to the same blender, add the cooked onions along with the remaining stock.

9. grind or blend to a smooth paste.

10. take 6 tbsp full fat fresh curd/yogurt in a bowl or measuring cup and whisk well till smooth. the curd should be fresh and preferably homemade. if using store brought curd/yogurt, then do check the taste. the curd should not be sour or khatta as we call in hindi.

making paneer korma

11. heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan.

12. add the whole spices – ½ tsp shah jeera (caraway seeds), 1 inch cinnamon, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, 2 to 3 single strands of mace and 1 small to medium tej patta/indian bay leaf. saute the spices for some seconds till aromatic.

13. now add the ground onion paste and stir very well. be careful as the mixture splutters.

14. add 2 tsp ginger garlic paste. stir again.

15. saute the onion paste till you see some fat releasing from the sides and the paste thickens. we don’t need to brown this paste as we are preparing a white gravy.

16. now add the ground almond paste.

17. stir continuously and saute for two minutes on a low flame.

18. then add 1 slit green chili, ¼ tsp black pepper or white pepper and ½ tsp coriander powder.

19. stir again.

20. saute for a minute on a low flame.

21. now just add 1 to 1.5 tbsp of the beaten curd/yogurt on a low flame.

22. briskly stir and incorporate the curd with the rest of the mixture.

23. then add again 1 to 1.5 tbsp of the curd.

24. stir quickly again. adding yogurt in small amounts like this does not allow it to get curdled in the gravy.

25. finish off all the curd/yogurt this way and keep on stirring.

26. here’s the white gravy after all the yogurt has been added.

27. then add ¾ to 1 cup water.

28. stir very well so that the whole gravy has a uniform consistency.

29. add salt as required.

30. bring the gravy to a gentle simmer on a low flame. about 4 to 5 minutes.

31. then add the paneer cubes. 200 grams paneer which have been chopped into cubes and stir gently.

32. simmer paneer kurma gravy for a minute on a low flame.

33. then add 3 tbsp low fat cream.

34. stir well and switch off the flame.

35. lastly add 1 tsp of rose water or kewra water (pandanus water) or half-half of both. stir paneer shahi korma gravy gently.

serve paneer korma garnished with crushed saffron or saffron powder. the paneer kurma goes very well with naans, tandoori roti, chapatis or parathas or rumali roti. this white paneer korma also goes well with jeera rice or veg pulao.