Soaked and drained cashews,(melon seeds, and poppy seeds)
½cupwater or as needed
Dry roasted spices
For Yogurt Mixture
1cupyogurt
1-2teaspoonred chili powder
½teaspooncoriander powder
½teaspooncumin powder
To Shallow-Fry Paneer
1tablespoonoil
350gpaneer cubes
For Paneer Korma
2tablespoonghee
1bay leaf
Prepared Korma Paste
Yogurt mixture
Shallow-fried paneer
Salt to taste
½cupWater or as needed
8-10saffron strands(soaked in 1tbsp milk)
½teaspoondried fenugreek leaves(Kasoori Methi)
1teaspoonsugar(optional)
Instructions
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 aside the mixture of cashews, melon seeds, and poppy seeds.
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 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 soaked and drained 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.