Paneer Korma
Creamy, royal and delicately flavored delicious paneer korma with white gravy.
Prep Time40 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 3 to 4
Ingredients
For almond paste
- 20 to 22 Almonds
- 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
- 200 grams Paneer (cottage cheese)
- ½ teaspoon Shah jeera (caraway seeds)
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder Or white pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 to 3 Green cardamoms
- 4 Cloves
- 2 to 3 Single strands of mace
- 2 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste Or 5 to 6 garlic + ½ inch ginger - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- 1 Green chili, Slit (optional)
- 6 tablespoon Full fat fresh curd (yogurt) 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
- Salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- 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 rosewater or kewra (pandanus) water or half-half of both. Stir the gravy gently.
- Serve paneer korma garnished with crushed saffron or saffron powder.
- This paneer kurma goes very well with naans, tandoori roti, chapatis or parathas. It also goes well with cumin rice or veg pulao.