Recipe
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Navratan Korma
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 5
Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
7 ounces, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Cauliflower
1 cup (8 oz cup), cut to bite sized florets
Green Beans
1/2 cup (8 oz cup), cut to 1/2 inch pieces
Carrot
1/2 cup (8 oz cup), cubed
Onion
2 medium, finely chopped
Red Tomato
1 large, chopped
Garlic Cloves
5, peeled and finely crushed
Turmeric Powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon
Half and Half
2 to 3 tablespoons
Water
1 to 2 cups (8 oz cups)
Olive Oil
3 tablespoons
Frozen or Fresh Peas
1/2 cup (8 oz cup), thawed if using frozen
Potato
1 small, cubed
Whole Garam Masala
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch, Green Cardamom - 2, Cloves - 5
Cashew
1/4 cup (8 oz cup), coarsely broken
Ginger
1 inch, peeled and finely crushed
Thai Chili
2 or according to taste
Red Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon
Coriander Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons
Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons or according to taste
Yogurt
2 tablespoons
Method
Step 1
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or another cooking oil of your choice) in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Spread the paneer cubes in hot oil and fry on one side until the cubes turn golden brown. Then, with the help of a spatula or a spoon, gently flip the paneer cubes and fry on the other side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Take the paneer cubes out of the oil, and spread them on a tissue paper to absorb extra oil.
Note - Save rest of the olive oil for later use.
Take the paneer cubes out of the oil, and spread them on a tissue paper to absorb extra oil.
Note - Save rest of the olive oil for later use.
Step 2
In the same oil, add the cauliflower florets, green beans, carrots, peas, and potato and saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes until they start to turn slightly brown. Remove the sauteed vegetables from the pan and keep aside.
Note - If required, add some more olive oil to the pan for sauteing the vegetables.
Note - If required, add some more olive oil to the pan for sauteing the vegetables.
Step 3
In the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons of the olive oil and set the heat to medium-high. Then, add the whole garam masala (whole cinnamon stick, whole green cardamoms, whole cloves). When the whole garam masala start to sizzle in the oil, add the broken cashews and chopped onions.
Step 4
Fry until the onions start to turn translucent and slightly brown. Then add the crushed ginger and garlic, and continue to fry for another 1 to 2 minutes to let the aroma of ginger and garlic combine with the onions.
Step 5
Add the chopped tomato and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the tomato get mushy and mix well with onions, ginger, and garlic.
Step 6
Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, and black pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium-high until the oil separates from the mixture. Keep stirring the mixture frequently to prevent it from burning. You will see oil bubbles on top of the spice mixture, when it's ready. In this process, you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to prevent the spices from burning.
Step 7
Now, let the mixture cool down to room temperature and blend it to a smooth paste in a blender.
Step 8
Move the blended onion-tomato-spice mixture back to the pan and set the heat to medium-high. When the mixture is hot enough, add the sauteed vegetables and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. Then, bring the heat down to medium and add the yogurt slowly one teaspoon at a time to prevent the yogurt from separating in the hot mixture.
Step 9
Add 1 cup water and cover the pan to let the vegetables cook with the onion-tomato-spice-yogurt mixture until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. It might take about 7 to 10 minutes for the vegetables to cook. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning or sticking to the pan.
Step 10
When the vegetables are tender, add the fried paneer pieces and half and half and mix well. Cover the pan and let it simmer for another 5 minutes on medium-low heat.
Note - You can replace 2 to 3 tablespoons of half and half with about 1/4 cup (8 oz cup) of whole milk.
Your Navaratan Korma is ready! Serve it hot with any type of Indian bread or Basamati rice.
Note - You can replace 2 to 3 tablespoons of half and half with about 1/4 cup (8 oz cup) of whole milk.
Your Navaratan Korma is ready! Serve it hot with any type of Indian bread or Basamati rice.
Share your thoughts and questions!
The word navratan means nine gems, hence the recipe commonly includes nine main ingredients. The word korma is derived from urdu language, which means braise. Braising is cooking meat or vegetables in oil or any kind of fat first, and then simmering slowly with small quantity of liquid in a covered pan.
In this recipe, we have first sauteed the vegetables in olive oil and then cooked the vegetables slowly in a sauce made with onions, cashew nuts, tomatoes, spices, and yogurt. Small quantity of half and half milk is added to the dish in the final stages of cooking.
Happy Cooking!