Mughlai Paneer Korma (2024)

About Paneer Korma

Mughlai Paneer Korma is a North Indian paneer curry where fried paneer cubes are simmered in a rich and creamy gravy.

It is a vegetarian take on the popular Mughlai Mutton Korma.

Paneer Korma is an indulgent curry suitable for festivals or special occasions. It is not your everyday curry, as it is loaded with oil, ghee, and other rich ingredients.

Serve it with naan, lachha paratha or khamiri roti for a hearty meal.

Ingredients

For Korma Masala Paste

To make korma masala paste, you will need whole spices like cloves (laung), cinnamon (dalchini), black peppercorns (kali mirch), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), black cardamoms (badi elaichi).

You will also need cashew nuts, white poppy seeds (khus khus), crispy fried onions (birista), and green chilies.

Make the Crispy Fried Onions at home using my easy recipe, or buy a packet.

For The Curry

Paneer – You can make it yourself or buy it from a store. You can find it in the refrigeration section of any Indian grocery store. These days, it is also available at some large local stores. Check Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, etc.

Oil & Ghee – I made the curry with oil and ghee. The ghee adds a nice richness to it.

Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) makes the base of paneer korma curry recipe. If using homemade yogurt, ensure it is not sour (tangy).

Whisk the yogurt with a little all-purpose flour (maida) to prevent it from curdling while cooking.

Spice Powders – You will need basic spice powders such as coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, and salt.

Saffron is mixed with water and then added to the curry. It gives a nice flavor and taste to the curry.

Kewra Essence gives the curry a very traditional Mughlai taste. Be very careful when adding it. If added more, it can make the curry bitter.

Others – You will also need ginger garlic paste.

Add some unsweetened heavy cream at the end of the cooking to make the curry richer and creamer.

You can also add a little blanched almond paste along with cashew nuts paste and yogurt.

You can also add vegetables like carrots, green peas, green beans, cauliflower, baby corn, etc., and paneer to make mixed veg korma.

How To Make Paneer Korma

Dry Roast The Spices

Add the following ingredients to a pan.

• 5-6 whole cloves
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 6-8 whole black peppercorns
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 2 black cardamoms
• 10-12 cashew nuts
• 1 teaspoon white poppy seeds

Dry roast on medium heat until they turn light brown, stirring continuously.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Make Korma Masala Paste

Add the roasted spices to a blender, along with the following ingredients

• 1 cup of crispy fried onions
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies
• ¼ cup of water

Blend to make a smooth paste. Scrape the sides of the blender a few times while blending.

Fry The Paneer

Heat 3 tablespoon of oil and 3 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat.

Add 10 oz (300 g) paneer (cut into 1-inch cubes) to the hot oil and fry until browned. Keep flipping the paneer to ensure that it browns evenly.

Transfer the fried paneer to a water-filled bowl and keep them aside.

Make The Curry

Add the korma masala paste and 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste to the same pan and cook for a minute on medium heat.

Now add the following ingredients and cook for 3-4 minutes.

• 1 cup of plain yogurt (whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour)
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup of water

Add 10-12 strands of saffron (soaked in 2 tablespoon water) and 2-3 drops of kewra essence and mix well.

Take out the fried paneer cubes from the water and add them back to the pan. Mix well.

Now add some water if the curry is too thick and cook for some more time.

Note – You can use the water in which the paneer was soaked to thin down the curry.

Check for salt and add more if required.

Garnish the korma with crispy fried onions and serve hot.

How to make vegan paneer korma?

To make it vegan, you can use tofu instead of paneer. You can also replace ghee with oil and plain yogurt with vegan yogurt.