Paneer Korma (No Onion No Garlic)

Paneer Korma is rich, creamy, full of flavors, and luscious curry without onion and garlic. The recipe consists of freshly ground spices and shallow-fried Paneer. Paneer Korma is also known as the Shahi Korma, where Shahi means royal. 

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• About Paneer Korma
• Ingredients
• Step by Step Directions
• Serving Suggestions
• Helpful Tips
• More Paneer Recipes
• Recipe Card

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About Paneer Korma

If you are already familiar with my blog, you may know by now that I am a huge fan of Paneer. And I love to try different variations of Paneer curries. But sometimes, it is difficult to develop specific recipes that are mainly based on onion and garlic gravy.

Paneer Korma is one such recipe that consists of Paneer cubes in rich onion-based gravy. But I successfully made my version of Paneer Korma no onion no garlic. My family loved it, and I hope you will also like one more Paneer curry without onion and garlic.

Texture: Paneer Korma consists of a rich, smooth, and thick gravy. Yogurt adds creaminess to the curry, and Paneer cubes are shallow-fried, but they are soft and melt in the mouth.

Flavors: This curry is full of different flavors. There are authentic flavors from freshly ground whole spices. Instead of oil, this recipe calls for ghee and makes it more flavorful. 

Process of Making: I will admit that there are quite a few steps to follow in this recipe. But believe me, they are super easy and quick. Also, you can do multitasking and do certain things simultaneously. Once you are done with the preparations, it is easy to make Paneer Korma.

Ingredients

1. Paneer: Using fresh and soft Paneer is essential for the success of the curry. I have used Homemade Paneer to make this curry. But if you are using a store-bought Paneer, make sure to bring it to room temperature before using it in the recipe. You can also Place a store-bought Paneer in a Ziploc bag or container and place it in hot water for at least 20 minutes to make the Paneer soft. I have pan-fried the paneer for this recipe. After adding Paneer into the gravy, I have closed the lid and cooked Paneer for a few minutes. It makes Paneer soft and melt in the mouth.
2. Cashews, Melon Seeds, and Poppy Seeds: Cashews, melons seeds, and poppy seeds (Khus Khus) provide volume, thickness, and richness to the curry. Paneer Korma gravy is not tomato-based; but instead, it is more rich and creamy. So these ingredients are necessary; however, you can skip Khus Khus if you want.
3. Whole Spices for Shahi Masala: We will make a fresh and homemade spice blend to make this curry rich and flavorful. We require cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, green and black cardamoms, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, almonds, and mace to make Shahi Masala. But do not worry, if you do not have something like mace (Javitri), or black cardamom, you can skip it.
4. Tomato: So again, this is not tomato-based curry, and thus we require only one tomato. Make sure to choose a ripe and juicy tomato.
5. Yogurt: Yogurt makes the curry smooth and creamy. However, it is essential to use fresh yogurt, and it should not be sour. 
6. Ground Spices: I have added basic ground spices like red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Add red chili powder, more or less, as per your preference. 
7. Chili and Ginger: Add more green chili for the spicier curry, or leave it out for the mild taste. If you do not eat ginger, you can skip it.
8. Saffron: It enhances the richness of this shahi dish. Soak saffron strands in one tablespoon of milk, and then add to the curry.
9. Dried Fenugreek Leaves: It adds taste and fragrance to the curry.
10. Sugar: I like to add a bit of sugar to elevate the flavors. But it is optional, and you can skip it if you want.

Step by Step Directions

Soaking

• Soak cashews, melon seeds, and poppy seeds in one cup of hot water.
• Set it aside for at least 10 minutes.

• Then drain the water completely and set it aside.

Dry Roasting

• Add cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, green and black cardamoms, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, mace, and almonds into a thick-bottomed frying pan.

• Roast the whole spices and almonds on low-medium flame for 3-4 minutes or until they are fragrant.
• Turn off the heat and allow the spices to cool down.

Making Korma Paste

• Add a soaked and drained mixture of cashews, melon seeds, and poppy seeds into a blender.
• To this, add tomato, ginger, green chili, dry roasted spices, and ½ cup of water.

• Blend everything into a smooth paste and set aside.
• To make the paste smooth, add more water if you need to.

Making Yogurt Mixture

• Whisk the yogurt until smooth.
• Add red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder.
• Mix well and set aside.

Shallow Frying Paneer

• Heat oil in a pan, and add paneer cubes.
• On medium heat, shallow fry the paneer cubes until they are lightly golden.
• Remove from the pan and set aside.

Making Paneer Korma

• Heat ghee in a pan and add bay leaf.
• Saute for few seconds.

• Then add prepared Korma paste, and mix well.
• Cook this paste for 4-5 minutes or until the fat starts to separate.

• Add yogurt mixture, and mix well.
• Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.

• Add paneer cubes, salt, and ½ cup of water (or as needed to adjust the consistency).

• Mix well, cover the pan and cook Paneer Korma for 4-5 minutes or until Paneer is soft.
• Stir occasionally and add more water to get the desired consistency.

• Add dried fenugreek leaves, sugar, and soaked saffron strands.
• Mix well.

• Turn off the heat, transfer Paneer Korma into a serving bowl and garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve this delicious curry with any Indian flatbread of your choice.
• It goes well with Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Paratha, or this Whole Wheat Kulcha (No Yeast) / Kulcha On Tawa.
• You can also serve it with plain rice, Jeera rice, or Pulao.
• If you want to make a festive meal, pair Paneer Korma with other Dal preparations and accompaniments like Boondi Raita or Cucumber Raita.

Helpful Tips

• If you do not have poppy seeds, you can skip them and use only cashews and melon seeds.
• The Korma paste will be thick and will get thicker upon cooking. So make sure to add water to adjust the consistency as per your preference.
• Instead of ghee, you can use oil or use half oil and half ghee. 
• Make sure that yogurt is not sour. Tangy yogurt may ruin the taste of the curry.
• If your yogurt is very thin, you can add 2-3 teaspoon of chickpea flour in yogurt to keep the gravy thick.

More Paneer Recipes

You May Like More No Onion No Garlic Recipes

• Papdi Chaat (No Onion) / Papri Chaat Recipe
• Kitchen King Masala Recipe (No Onion No Garlic)
• Paneer and Broccoli Masala (No Onion No Garlic)
• Kachumber Salad (No Onion) / Indian Tomato Cucumber Salad

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