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    You are Here: Masala Herb » Recipes » Lunch and Dinner

    Paneer Korma Curry Recipe

    August 28, 2017 by Helene Dsouza 34 Comments

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    Helene Dsouza
    Velvety vegetarian Paneer Korma Recipe; an easy and quick Indian cottage cheese curry with almonds, spices and yogurt. Make sure to cook the curry on low heat as this is a curd based curry and over heating can cause curdle.
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    3 servings
    RECIPE
    Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry

    Earlier in the day, I cooked this paneer korma recipe when I realized that I hadn't yet posted this aromatic Indian cottage cheese curry.

    Easy and Quick Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry
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    Luckily, I was a bit early in preparing lunch, so I kept an extra hour for the whole picture making process so that you could also benefit from this one-pot easy and quick Paneer Korma.

    Jump to:
    • 📕 What is Paneer Korma Curry?
    • 🔪 How to make it?
    • 💡 Tips
    • 🍴 Serving Ideas
    • 🕛 Historical Significance of Paneer Korma
    • 🥘 More similar Curries 
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    📕 What is Paneer Korma Curry?

    Paneer Korma is a curry from Northern India. A thick spiced gravy cooks with soft Indian cottage cheese, which is better known as Paneer.

    Korma is also spelled Kurma in Indian cuisine, and therefore you will find this dish also under Paneer kurma on menu cards.

    The Indian dish contains a mild quantity of heat, and it is rather aromatically enhanced than hot spiced.

    Paneer Korma is sometimes also called Shahi Paneer in India and abroad. Shahi means royal and Paneer is, well, the cottage cheese.

    It indicated that it is one of the dishes that may have survived past the Mughal/Mogul rule in India.

    The Mughal emperors originally came from Central Asia and ruled India for about 240 years. They were Muslims and were heavily influenced by Persian culture. Their food reflected just that!

    Korma usually tends to be a curry prepared with yogurt as a base. Yet, somewhat the lines have been blurred and rules about Mogul heritage meals are not necessarily set in stone in India.

    Korma meals can be now made with coconut milk, and they can be prepared with almonds as a base.

    My particular Paneer Korma Curry is prepared with blended almonds, tomato, onion, and a set of north Indian spices.

    🔪 How to make it?

    This is a quick overview that will help you to get an idea on how to make this korma curry from scratch at home.

    Step 1

    Dry fry your poppy seeds and almonds to help release the aroma in a pan.

    Place cooled whole spices and almonds into a food processor or blender jar, together with the tomato and onion.

    Blend to a smooth paste.

    dry roasting white poppy seeds and almonds for curry
    tomato and onion in a food processor jar

    Step 2

    Heat up a deeper skillet or pan with two handles (called a kadai in India) with oil and stir cook your powdered spices over a slow fire for a minute.

    Stir in the blended paste from earlier with ginger garlic paste.

    frying briefly spices in oil for curry
    adding korma curry and ginger garlic paste to spices and oil

    Step 3

    Take from the heat and stir in the yogurt and cream. Take back to a lower heat setting and combine the korma paste.

    Cook for 1–2 minutes over a lower heat setting. Stir in water. Mix up.

    stirring in yogurt and cream to make paneer korma curry
    shahi paneer curry base

    Step 4

    Simmer covered over a low heat for 20 minutes.

    Stir in paneer cottage cheese cubes and simmer for another 10 minutes.

    Serve up hot.

    💡 Tips

    • Paneer can be substituted with various suitable ingredients.
    • Don't skip dry frying the white poppy seeds and almonds. It releases the aroma!
    • If you can't get white poppy seeds, skip adding them. You can't substitute them with black poppy because they taste very differently. Poppy seeds mainly help in binding the curry and they add a distinctive taste. You can purchase white poppy seeds at walmart or target or online.
    • Almonds can be substituted with cashew nuts too
    • The spices are briefly fried in the oil to bring out the taste.
    • Simmer over a very low-heat setting to avoid curdling of the yogurt.
    • If your curry has curdled a bit, that's ok. It's still good, it's just that the curry looks better smooth.
    • You can enhance this curry and make it your own by adding cooked vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli.
    • To make it more spicy hot add a few fresh green chilies during the simmering process or increase the quantity of red chili powder.
    • To reduce the heat, use mild Kashmiri chili powder or even paprika. Don't just skip it because it adds the orange color. If you can't take heat, use sweet paprika.

    🍴 Serving Ideas

    This Indian cottage cheese kurma curry can be served with plain rice or flavored rice such as cilantro lime rice, simple lemon rice, jeera rice (cumin), pulao rice or cloves flavored rice.

    I prefer to serve up my korma with Indian flat bread. You can choose between:

    • ghee chapati
    • roti (cooked on the stove) or tandoori roti (cooked in a tandoori clay oven)
    • plain paratha or kerala paratha
    • plain naan bread or naan with butter, garlic or cheese

    🕛 Historical Significance of Paneer Korma

    In recent times I have been getting lost again in the history of the Mughal with the Empire of the Mogul's 3rd book Ruler of the World.

    The first book is about emperor Babur's fate in India, the second tells the story of Humayun's struggle, the third recounts Akbar's live, the 4th turns around Jahangir's tale and the 5th is about Shah Jahan (Taj mahal) and his son Aurangzeb.

    The books transport you back to 16th century India, when the mogul ruled the lands from beyond Kabul, Bombay to Calcutta.

    The moguls were descendants of Genghis Khan and Timurid and ruled their lands mostly wisely but also with a firm hand.

    I completely lose myself in the Empire of the Mughal book series each time again and again, they absorb my whole attention and I always learn something along the way.

    The story is full of details, and you have the impression that you are there or that these long gone times are about to manifest in front of you.

    Although it's a fictional historical book, the authors made sure to keep it true to the historical facts, which makes the writing all the more precious.

    Easy and Quick Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry

    My favorite parts in the books are the extensive description of the mogul feasts.

    You get the idea how certain dishes came to be, that's when you take a peek into the soul of the ones who helped to define the food in this country.

    You also learn that some food dishes might not have changed much after all.

    A passage from the Empire of the Moghul, ruler of the worlds writes and I may quote:

    ... rosewater bubbled from the fountains in the courtyard where, seated on a golden chair on a velvet-draped dais, Akbar watched his guests feasting on the best his accomplished cooks could provide: whole sheep roasted on spits over fires of applewood, ducks and partridges stuffed with dried fruits and nuts and simmered in copper pots of saffron-spiced butter sauce, and chicken marinated in yogurt and spices before being baked in the searing heat of the tandoor - the portable clay oven used by a Moghul army on the march and brought to Hindustan in Babur's time.

    As an extra touch of opulence, he had ordered loose gemstones to be scattered round the edges of the mounds of zard birinj - rice mixed with butter, raisins, dried cherries, almonds, pistachios, ginger and cinnamon - that were to be served to accompany the rich meats.

    He had even commanded that fragrant musk-melon and sweet-juiced grapes be packed in ice and sent down through the Khyber Pass from Kabul.

    The fruits had arrived two days ago in excellent condition. ...

    I wish I could learn more about the food habits of the ones who lived eons ago.

    How did these portable tandoor ovens look like, and why is it that we don't get to buy portable clay tandoor ovens nowadays?

    I also ask myself if the moghuls had discovered paneer for themselves because paneer korma is a mughlai shahi paneer dish.

    Mughlai stands for mogul and shahi means royal.

    The name indicated that one of the mughal emperors might have turned this firm cottage cheese back then into an empire-wide food trend.

    I wonder how the cooks would have prepared it, maybe somehow close to my recipe?

    One thing I know for sure, my easy, and quick paneer korma recipe is indeed a royal dish in my house.

    If you have a hang for North Indian Food, then this is a dish for you.

    The mild curry will enthrall your senses, and perhaps you will be transported through time and space, to a period when Akbar (the great) ruled this country known as India today.

    🥘 More similar Curries 

    • Vegetable Korma
    • Chicken Korma
    • Matar Paneer
    Easy and Quick Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry www.MasalaHerb.com

    Dear reader, do you like to cook with paneer and have you ever prepared your own paneer form scratch?

    📖 Recipe

    Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry

    Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry

    Velvety vegetarian Paneer Korma Recipe; an easy and quick Indian cottage cheese curry with almonds, spices and yogurt. Make sure to cook the curry on low heat as this is a curd based curry and over heating can cause curdle.
    4.34 from 9 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Hindu, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 servings
    Calories: 359kcal
    Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

    Ingredients

    • 6 Almonds
    • 1 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds white variety
    • 1 Onion
    • 1 Tomato
    • 1 ½ Tablespoon Oil
    • ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Ground aka Curcuma
    • ½ Teaspoon Red Chili Pepper Ground
    • 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds Ground
    • 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds Ground
    • ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon Ground
    • 1 Green Cardamom Pods *see Notes
    • 1 Small Bay Leaf
    • ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground
    • Pinch Salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Ginger + Garlic
    • 5 Tablespoons Yogurt
    • 2 Tablespoons Table Cream
    • ½ Cup Water
    • 7 Ounces Paneer aka Indian Cottage Cheese
    • Cilantro Fresh to garnish, aka fresh Coriander
    US - Metric

    Instructions

    • Toast your Almonds and Poppy seeds for a minute in a hot pan on all sides until you get the fragrant, good smelling aroma. Let the toasted almonds and poppy seeds cool, then transfer to a small spice/chutney blender jar together with the onion and tomato cut into rough chunks. Blend to a fine paste and keep aside.
      Paneer Korma Recipe, also known as mughlai shahi paneer (royal moghul) is a Vegetarian Indian cottage cheese curry with Almonds, yogurt and spices
    • Add the Oil to a pan and stir fry for a minute all the spices, including, Turmeric, Chili, Cumin, Coriander p., Cinnamon, Cardamom, Bay leaf and Black Pepper. Then quickly add in the almond onion mixed paste, which you prepared earlier, and the Ginger Garlic Paste. Mix and stir cook for one two minutes.
      Paneer Korma Recipe, also known as mughlai shahi paneer (royal moghul) is a Vegetarian Indian cottage cheese curry with Almonds, yogurt and spices
    • Reduce the stove heat or even close it and add the yogurt and cream. Mix it all and return to very low heat. At that point keep the curry to cook for 2 minutes on low heat before adding the water. If the yogurt/curd is heated up too much, or the curd will curdle The curry has to simmer over a very low heat for about 20 minutes so that it gains on flavor. (When the curry cools it gets a bit thicker, the poppy seeds almond and ginger make it a bit thicker as well)
      Paneer Korma Recipe, also known as mughlai shahi paneer (royal moghul) is a Vegetarian Indian cottage cheese curry with Almonds, yogurt and spices
    • Then add the paneer cubes and cook for another 10 minutes on alower stove heat option.
    • Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve up hot. (I used cut culantro/Mexican long cilantro in the pictures).

    Notes

    1. Try to get white poppy seeds instead of black poppy seeds. The flavors are different. You can't substitute with black poppy.
    2. Whole Cardamom spice slightly crushed or around ¼ Teaspoon Cardamom powder
    3. You can also use Cashews instead of Almonds.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Paneer Korma Recipe - Mughlai Shahi Paneer Korma Curry
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 359 Calories from Fat 270
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 30g46%
    Saturated Fat 13g65%
    Cholesterol 61mg20%
    Sodium 50mg2%
    Potassium 228mg7%
    Carbohydrates 10g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 12g24%
    Vitamin A 620IU12%
    Vitamin C 8.3mg10%
    Calcium 407mg41%
    Iron 1.1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    291 shares
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    I am Helene, and I created Masala Herb in 2011. Here you will learn to cook with spices and herbs. I share from scratch, international food recipes and my mission is to teach you to cook flavorful food at home. Read More…

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    Comments

      4.34 from 9 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    1. Priya says

      April 25, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      1 star
      Came out very bad. Raw onion paste will not get cooked in 5-7mins !!. My whole dish got spoiled and smelled raw onion.

      Reply
    2. Ayesha says

      December 02, 2017 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      Nice recipe.. and great presentation too...

      Reply
    3. Eva Taylor says

      August 29, 2017 at 4:21 pm

      These creamy gravies are my favourite. Blogging takes a lot of effort, and it's difficult to do if making a meal to serve, so I often make things in advance. Also, it helps to get the photo set up before the food is ready and that way you can bang off several pictures relatively quickly.

      Reply
    4. Hema says

      May 25, 2015 at 11:05 pm

      The color and texture of the korma looks absolutely delicious..

      Reply
    5. Chowringhee says

      May 02, 2015 at 4:04 pm

      4 stars
      i dont like paneer but after see this recipe and images.....
      i eager to eat this....
      love the way to present this food article....
      thnks for sharing

      Reply
    6. Lily Lau says

      April 16, 2015 at 1:30 am

      5 stars
      What a wonderful recipe! We already want April's ones, Helene! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Mary Frances says

      April 11, 2015 at 7:13 am

      YUM! This sounds so flavorful and delicious!

      Reply
    8. Harini says

      April 04, 2015 at 8:03 pm

      Rich and delicious korma with fresh spice paste,must taste great with rotis and even flavored rice!

      Reply
    9. Sundari says

      March 28, 2015 at 10:17 pm

      I have tried Shahi Paneer few times. Its a simple yet delicious dish.. Keep posting delicious recipes.

      Reply
    10. padma says

      March 25, 2015 at 2:01 am

      I totally agree with your views on creating a post:)...This flavourful paneer korma looks absolutely stunning :)..Can I have some?

      Reply
    11. nandoo says

      March 22, 2015 at 3:02 pm

      wow! nice gravy and loved the explanation..

      Reply
    12. Anuradha Goyal says

      March 21, 2015 at 7:11 pm

      This one seems easy enough to try for someone like me who hardly cooks.

      Reply
    13. Eva Taylor says

      March 07, 2015 at 6:38 pm

      This curry looks and sounds like something we would love on first bite. The colour and aromas would tantalize all of the senses.
      What an interesting novel, thank you for sharing the excerpt.

      Reply
    14. Ramona says

      March 03, 2015 at 5:36 pm

      I love all the flavors happening in this korma. YUM!

      Reply
    15. Hotly Spiced says

      March 02, 2015 at 8:03 am

      Yes, it's amazing how long it takes just to do a single blog post! I know a blogger who says she can do three posts at a time which had me very envious but then again, she's not a food blogger and I think the preparation that goes into recipes and the subsequent photos is very time consuming. I do love the look of your paneer xx

      Reply
    16. Easyfoodsmith says

      March 01, 2015 at 7:15 pm

      You got me with the word 'quick' 😉 Being a Punjabi, I love paneer and this korma is beckoning me 😀

      Reply
    17. Arwa says

      March 01, 2015 at 9:25 am

      Helene, i'm glad I popped by your blog after a very long time. I missed reading your posts and missed being taken to where you are with your descriptive writing!

      This recipe looks so good!

      Reply
    18. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

      February 27, 2015 at 3:44 am

      We went out last week and had chicken korma and I thought it was just so good. I've never had paneer korma but I'm sure I'd feel the same way.

      Reply
    19. mjskitchen says

      February 27, 2015 at 8:05 am

      thank you so much for the book(s) recommendation!! I have become a huge fan of historical fiction because it's the only way I've been able to actually "learn" history. Since I know nothing about your part of the world, I'm excited to read these books! Oh Paneer....such a wonderful food! Your Paneer Korma looks scrumptious and I can smell all of those spices. YUM!

      Reply
    20. Sadhna Grover says

      February 26, 2015 at 1:41 am

      Awesome paneer korma recipe and very nice post on Moghuls.

      Reply
    21. Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet says

      February 25, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      Oh, this is like my favorite Indian dish, though because of the dairy, it's guaranteed to give me a tummy ache. But totally worth it.

      Reply
    22. Gingi says

      February 25, 2015 at 8:13 pm

      Wow, I have never had anything like this before! I am not sure how it would taste.. I am intrigued! - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

      Reply
    23. padma says

      February 24, 2015 at 9:13 pm

      Loved the approach to the recipe...well explained:)Very delicious:)

      Reply
    24. John@Kitchen Riffs says

      February 24, 2015 at 7:58 am

      I'd love a portable clay tandoor oven! Or even a regular one, for that matter, although that's not in the cards. Great looking dish! Thanks for taking the time to make it and post about it (and I do know how much time that can take!).

      Reply
    25. Choclette says

      February 24, 2015 at 12:07 am

      This sounds totally scrumptious. I love paneer and curry and I'm on a fast day today, so feeling like I want this rather desperately.

      Reply
    26. Shashi at RunninSrilankan says

      February 23, 2015 at 9:50 pm

      When I was in school in Abu Dhabi, we studied all about Genghis Khan - so this book sounds fascinating - but, even more fascinating (like you said) would be to find out what and how people ate what they did back in the day. This paneer korma looks delicious - definitely fit for royalty! 🙂

      Reply
    27. minnie@thelady8home says

      February 23, 2015 at 8:49 pm

      I LOVED this post Helene. Moguls have always fascinated me, especially Akbar. There is a lot of history that been manipulated over the centuries, but some have stood the test of time, Mogul cuisine being one of them. While I don't think paneer is their contribution - making 'chana' has been a tradition that dates back to BC era in India given cow milk and milk products were a staple in India for the last three thousand years - but the creamy, rich, buttery gravy has to be a Mogul invention. Also, many of the authentic Muglai dishes don't use tomatoes which makes sense because tomatoes only appeared in India when the Portuguese did. The conquest of Gujrat by Akbar opened the doors for a lot of trade and interaction between the two countries. I am very interested to know what influence Portuguese cuisine had on Mogul cuisine, if any.

      Meanwhile, I can totally polish off this korma. Yummm!!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        February 23, 2015 at 9:22 pm

        I agree Paneer is for sure not moghul but I wonder how they must have discovered this cottage cheese through their cooks. And yes you are more then correct about the rest with the tomatoes and Gujarat. You know I was asking that myself if the Portuguese had an influence on the mogul food. I think back then they didn't even have chilli in India, the Portuguese brought those too from America. Who knew chili would be such a hit in India, no? ^.^
        Thanks for your cool comment, we are on the same wave Minnie. 🙂

        Reply
        • minnie@thelady8home says

          February 23, 2015 at 10:28 pm

          Chili, yes! In fact, I cannot think of Indian food without chili any more. 70% of Bengali dishes are based on bird chilies or Thai chilies or hari mirch as we know them. I have always wondered how these dishes were tempered for heat when 'hari mirch' was an unknown quantity. Southern India of course used extensive black pepper - what I call the ultimate reason for India's slavery 😉 - but not so in the North. Fascinating.

          Reply
          • Helene Dsouza says

            February 24, 2015 at 6:02 pm

            Oh that's a fascinating conversation Minnie, I wasn't completely aware about the black pepper popularity in the south. When we visited south India we found ourselves eating rather sweetened main dishes, it was kind of odd. haha. 😉
            I still haven't tried a ghost chili, it must be more then fire. I wish I could get a fresh one to give to my cousin in Europe, he goes crazy for really hot chilli. ^.^

            Reply
    28. Rosa says

      February 23, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      Mouthwatering! I really have to buy paneer very soon...

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        February 23, 2015 at 9:23 pm

        It's a great ingredient, so versatile and a welcome change. 🙂

        Reply
    29. Angie@Angie's Recipes says

      February 23, 2015 at 8:12 pm

      That gravy looks fantastic!

      Reply
      • Helene Dsouza says

        February 23, 2015 at 9:23 pm

        thanks, I think this is your kind of food anyway. 😉

        Reply

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