Paneer Kurma

A simple and quick recipe with Paneer that will go well with both rice and chapathis/rotis.

Ingredients:

1. Paneer - 1 pack chopped into cubes

2. Onions - 1/2 cup (chopped thin slices)

3. Tomato - 1/2 cup (chopped finely)

4. Bay leaves - 2 to 3

5. Cinnamon - a small stick

6. Cloves - 3 to 4

7. Cardamom - 1

8. Coconut - 1/4 cup

9. Peppercorns - 5 to 6

10. Red chilly powder - 1 tablespoon

11. Salt - to taste

12. Oil - 2 tablespoon

13. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

14. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tablespoon

Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and shallow fry the paneer cubes for 4 to 5 minutes in medium flame. 

2. Prepare hot water of 2 cups and once the paneer turns golden brown, drop it in the hot water. This process will keep the paneer soft

3. Add the remaining oil in the same pan and season with bay leaves and onions

4. Once the onions turn translucent, add ginger/garlic paste and fry well

5. When the raw smell leaves, add tomatoes and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes

6. Add all spices - turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt and mix well

7. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes and add the fried paneer and mix it with the masala

8. Add the hot water that the paneer was soaked in and bring it to boil for 5 minutes

9. Meanwhile prepare the paste with coconut, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and cardamon

10. Add this paste to the mixture and cook in low flame for 5 to 6 minutes 

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it hot. 

Tips:

1. You can use poppy seeds/cashews to grind the paste thick

2. Add mint leaves while grinding or seasoning for additional flavor

3. Skip the frying process of Paneer if you like to avoid more oil

4. I used green peas as my son loves them, this is optional

Vegetable Kurma 2

Here is my another version of Vegetable Kurma. This is my Mother-in-law's recipe and has variation in the masala preparation. We use green chillies instead of red chilly powder for spice which gives a different richness to the taste of the kurma.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1. Vegetables - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1 medium sized
3. Tomato - 1 medium sized
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
5. Salt - to taste
6. Oil - 3 tablespoon
7. Coriander leaves - to garnish
For Masala
1. Coconut-1/2 cup grated
2. Green Chillies - 4 to 5
3. Onion - 1 medium
4. Ginger/garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
5. Cloves - 2
6. Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
7.Cardamom - 2
8. Fennel seeds - 1 tablespoon
9. Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoon
10. Coriander leaves - little
11. Cashew nuts - 5
12. Poppy sees - 1/2 tablespoon
13. Oil - 2 tablespoon

Preparation:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry onion,ginger garlic paste and green chillies given for masala until it becomes golden brown.

2. Cool this mixture and grind with other spices with little water into a thick paste.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil and add the remaining onions and fry until golden brown. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder and the vegetables and fry well.

4. Add 1/2 cup of water to cook the vegetables.

5. When the vegetables are half cooked, add the ground paste and salt and bring it to boil for another 5 to 10 minutes in a low flame.

6. Switch off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves and few drops of lemon juice(optional).

Vegetable Kurma is ready and can be served with rice/chapathi/poori/idli/dosa and what not?!

Vegetable Kurma 1

Ingredients:
Vegetables - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 medium size
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder - 2 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon stick - 2 small pieces
Bay leaves - 2
Cardamom - 1
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Paste:
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cashew - 7

Preparation:
1. Finely chop all vegetables - I generally use Beans, Carrot, Potato, Green peas, Cauliflower and cut them into small pieces. You can use any other vegetable you have.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pressure cooker and add all spices and fry nicely.
3. Add finely chopped onions (length wise) and fry. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until the onions turn golden brown.
4. Add finely chooped tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the vegetable mixture and cook them for another 5 minutes.
6. Add required salt, red chilli powder and coriander powder and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Grind coconut and cashews to fine paste with required water.
8. Add the ground paste and cook for 5 minutes. If gravy, is too thick, add little water.
9. Close the pressure cooker and place the whistle and cook for 1 whistle.



Garnish with coriander leaves and add few drops of lemon juice and kurma is ready to server. Kurma can be had with Idli/Dosa/Chapathi or rice. Enjoy the yummy vegetable Kurma, soon i will come with another preparatio of Kurma.

Pakoda Kurma (பகோடா குர்மா)

This is a special variety of Kurma with lentil dumplings. Preparation of this dish involves a lot more patience and time because of the lengthy cooking process. This is the most favorite dish of my husband and i generally prefer to make this over weekends because it deserves my complete attention. This dish can be had with white rice or some special variety rice like Ghee Rice or Jeera rice and not to miss, this would really be a wonderful combination with idli/dosa/chapathi.

Preparation Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:
Dumplings:
Channa Dhal - 150 gms
Onion - 2 (medium sized)
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tablespoon
Green chillies - 3
Salt - to taste
Oil - to fry


Gravy:
Onion - 1 (medium sized)
Tomato - 1 (medium sized)
Cinnamon sticks - 2 small piece
Cloves - 3
Bay leaves - 2
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt -to taste
Paste:
Onion - 2 (medium sized)
Coconut - 1 cup
Green Chillies -4
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Cashew - 6 to 7
Cinnamon sticks - 2 small piece
Cloves - 3
Khus Khus - 2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon

Preparation:
To Make Dumplings:
Preparation of dumplings is similar to Masala vadai.
1. Soak dhal in water for 1 hour.
2. Grind it in mixer (little coarsely) with fennel seeds and mix onions and chillies with required salt.
3. Chop 2 onions and green chillies into fine pieces.
4. Add required salt and make small balls with this mixture.
5. Heat oil in Pan and deep fry the balls until it becomes golden brown



To make Gravy:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, khus khus, onions and green chillies and fry them well until onions turn golden brown.
2. Cool the mixture and grind it coconut, ginger garlic paste and cashew with required water.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the remaining spices (2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, bay leaves) and fry.
4. Add onions and garlic and fry nicely. When this is almost cooked, add tomatoes and fry.
5. Now add the ground paste and required amount of salt and mix it well.
7. If the gravy is thick, add little water to make it thinner (This is because when you cook the dumplings in the gravy and when it soaks it would absorb all the gravy).
8. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes in a low flame until the raw smell goes off.
9. Now gently drop the dumplings into the boiling gravy.
10. Boil the mixture well for another 5 minutes and the tasty kurma is ready.