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Paneer Korma

A recipe for Paneer Korma from the cookbook, India!
Course Appetizer, Main
Cuisine Indian
Keyword cheese, India, Indian, korma, paneer, tomato, vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time: 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Paneer:

  • 1 quart (1 liter) whole milk
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 piece muslin or kitchen cloth

Paneer Korma:

  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric plus an extra pinch
  • 1 1/4 pounds (600 grams) firm paneer
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves pureed
  • 3/4 inch (2 cm) piece fresh ginger pureed
  • 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 7 tablespoons (100 grams) water
  • 1 pound (500 grams) very ripe tomatoes or 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) chopped tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons (30 grams) blanched almonds
  • 7 tablespoons (100 ml) half-and-half cream
  • 2 tablespoons (10 grams) unsalted butter

For garnish:

  • Freshly chopped cilantro
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt

Instructions

To make the paneer:

  • In a large pot, add the milk over medium heat. Right when it comes to a boil, remove from heat and add the vinegar. Set aside to curdle for 10 minutes.
  • Strain the curdled milk through the piece of muslin, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Place the cloth filled cheese in a rectangular container and cover with a weight. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the paneer from the cloth, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for another 30 minutes before using or up to a week in the refrigerator in the retained liquid or cold water.

To make the paneer korma:

  • In a large pan, drizzle about 4 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with a pinch of turmeric. Slice the paneer into even pieces, about 1-1 1/2 inch. Once the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the paneer pieces (in batches if needed) and cook until browned on each side. Remove and drain on a towel lined plate.
  • In a large saucepan or pot, drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, water, and salt to taste. Simmer to reduce the liquid.
  • In a food processor or blender, pulse together the tomatoes and almonds until smooth. Add to the pot and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes before stirring in the half-and-half and butter. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the paneer pieces to coat and garnish with cilantro. Serves immediately with Basmati rice.