Buttery smooth and silky rich Indian paneer curry is the ideal treat for creating memory on special occasions; it is simply magical!
Indian curries are really something to die for! We Indians happen to be brought up on curries by default; so sometimes we do not realize what potential curries have. But when you come to think of it; you will see for yourself what a marvelous creation this humble curry is!
The perfect balance of all flavors in curries satiates not only our hunger but our soul too! That’s why it’s no surprise why curries have gained so much popularity across the globe and it’s still quite a sought-after dish!
To add to your repertoire (and mine too!) I bring today one of the most flavorful paneer curries – badami paneer. It is nothing but a quintessential curry with an almond based gravy and infused with beautiful Indian spices.
You can also call it korma in analogy to my chicken korma which is also prepared along the similar line.
Before going into the details of the recipe, let’s have a quick chit chat, shall we? From the past one month, I am trying to be as regular as possible in my blog and share as many recipes as I can with all you lovely readers of mine.
Keeping a target of three recipes per week can be quite taxing at times; especially when you are managing your blog only during weekends. The reason I am mentioning this today is that all my effort translates into a success when I get a kind comment from you guys!
Nothing makes me happier and motivated than your words of appreciation or gratitude for sharing a recipe. Even a simple ‘Hi!’ from you guys make my day! So a huge THANK YOU to YOU guys/gals out there who spend their time on my blog and be kind enough to let me know when they like a recipe I share.
Trust me that’s what keeps me going! I felt it is the right time now to let you all know how much I value your opinion and look forward to them. So keep them coming! Please!
With that here comes another flavorful Indian curry recipe – badami paneer. I am sure paneer lovers will have a delightful time in my blog given that the number of paneer recipes is continuously going up even though we are a family of conscious carnivorous!
Nevertheless we love our Indian cheese too! And when you make something as delectable as badami paneer, no one in the family will hate paneer ever again! That’s a gurantee!
The star of this badamai paneer is, of course, badam i.e. almonds. These classy nuts like almonds and cashews really make a great base for curries. It gives the curry a silky smooth and rich texture which cannot be achieved otherwise.
Also they have a sweet undertone which perfectly balance the flavor of the savory dish. All in all, using a nut paste is always a win-win situation when you are making an Indian curry.
So make this festive season more special by treating your family with these luscious badami paneer and let me know how much appreciation you gathered!
- Paneer (Cottage Cheese) – 400 gms, cut into 1 inch long cube
- Tomato puree – ¼ cup (Store-bought or homemade)
- Green chilli – 2
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Cumin powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Fresh cream – ¼ cup
- Sugar – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
- Freshly chopped coriander leaves – handful to garnish
- Almond – 15 to 20
- Dry Kashmiri red chilli – 2
- Onion – 1, large, roughly chopped
- Ginger – 1 inch piece, roughly chopped
- Garlic – 4 to 6 cloves
- Add all ingredients listed under Almond Paste into a grinder and make a smooth paste of it. Set it aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the paneer cubes to it. Let it boil for 5 more minutes and then remove from heat. Keep the paneer in the water until further use.
- Heat oil in a wok and add the green chillies and almond paste. Saute the almond mixture on medium to low heat for good 15 to 20 minutes until oil starts to release.
- Then add the tomato puree and saute for another 10 minutes on low heat.
- Now add all the powdered spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Add sugar and season with salt. Add a splash of water and saute the spices on medium heat until oil starts to release again.
- Now add about a cup of water and bring it to boil. Once the water starts boiling, add the paneer cubes discarding the water in which paneer was parboiled.
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes so that the paneer cubes get infused with all the aromatic spices and achieve that succulent melt-in-mouth texture.
- Uncover and now add the cream keeping the heat on low; else the cream may curdle. Mix well and then bring to gravy to boil. Check and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Sprinkle garam masala and freshly chopped coriander leaves and give a final mix. Serve hot with naan or roti.
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