Paneer Kurma – Paneer Korma

Kurma is a very popular South Indian sidedish for chapathi, poori & parotta. I should say, am not a big fan of kurma. When it comes to paneer, my 1st option would be Paneer Butter Masala. I wanted to make a spicy kurma kind of gravy and made this Paneer Kurma. It came out really well. It was quite spicy, rather than the usual buttery kind of gravy. Hubby liked it very much. It is quite similar to the Veg Kurma recipe which I have shared long back. Really loved the paneer version of it. Recipe with video..

Here is the video..

Now to the recipe..

[Preparation Time-15 mins : Cooking Time-30 mins]

Paneer Kurma Ingredients:

• Paneer – 1 cup (cut into cubes)
• Onion – 2
• Tomato – 1
• Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
• Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Curd – 2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves – handful

To Temper 

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Cloves – 2
• Cinnamon Stick – a small piece
• Bay leaf – 1
• Cardamom – 1

To Grind

• Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
• Green chilli – 1
• Khus Khus / Poppy Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Cashews – 5 to 7

Method:

• Heat a pan with oil and temper with cardamom, cloves & cinnamon stick. Once u get a nice aroma, add finely chopped onion. Saute until transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell goes off. Add chopped tomatoes, followed by salt, chilli powder & coriander powder.

• Saute until all the masala’s blend well, tomato becomes mushy and oil oozes out. Meanwhile in a mixer, add grated coconut, green chilli, khus khus & cashew. Grind it into a smooth paste with little water.

• Add the ground paste & curd to the tomato mixture. Mix well and add required water. Add the paneer cubes and boil it in simmer for 3-5 mins. The gravy will start thickening. Finally add coriander leaves and switch off the flame.

Thats it!! Paneer Kurma is ready!!

Serve hot with roti or poori.

Tips:

1. We are adding spiciness at 2 stages, so add accordingly.
2. Once u add the coconut paste, the gravy will start thickening. Do not let it boil for a longer time.
3. U can skip curd and squeeze half a lemon instead.

– By Sundari Nathan