Vegetable-Paneer Kurma

Category:  Side dish

Preparation Time: 15 mins  

Cooking Time: 30-40 mins 

Servings: 3-4 persons

 

Vegetable-Paneer Kurma

 Ingredients:

• Mixed Vegetables, chopped - Around 2 cups (I used Rainbow carrots, Beans, Peas, Sweet corn)
• Paneer, cubed - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
• Onion, finely chopped - 1 no
• Tomato, finely chopped -1 no
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp heaped
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp (adjust as per spice level) 
• Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1-2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves - few

To Grind:

• Coconut, grated - 1/2 cup 
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Dalia / Pottukadalai - 1 tbsp
• Cashews - 5-6 nos
• Poppy seeds / Khus-Khus - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 1-2 nos (adjust as per spice level)
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Cardamon seeds - 1/8 tsp

For Tadka:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Mace - 1 small piece
• Star anise - 1 no
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Clean and chop all the veggies into bite sized pieces; Here I used Rainbow carrots, Beans, Peas and Sweet corn
   
2. Steam cook the chopped veggies in Idly vessel / cooker / steamer for 7-8 mins till they get cooked

   

   Before Steaming

   
   

   

   Steamed Veggies

3. While it gets cooked, take all the ingredients in the "To Grind" section and grind it to a fine paste with required water
   
4. Heat oil in a pan, add the Bay leaf, Mace and Star anise, fry for 30 secs and add the curry leaves
   
5. Add the finely chopped onion and fry well with little salt until it starts browning
   
6. Now add the Ginger-Garlic paste and saute for 2 mins in medium flame till the raw smell goes off
   
7. Add the finely chopped tomato and saute till it gets cooked well
   
8. Now add the Turmeric, Coriander and Red chilly powders and saute for a min. The green chilly I used for grinding is very spicy and also since I dont want more spicy, I skipped adding chilly powder
   
9. Add the ground paste with little water and saute for 2 mins
   
10. Add required water for kurma consistency and allow to boil in medium flame for 5-6 mins
    
11. Then add the steamed veggies along with required salt and cook for 2-3 mins
    
12. Now add the paneer cubes and allow to cook in low flame for another 2 mins; We can also toast the cubes with few drops of ghee / oil until it become golden brown and then soak it in warm water for few mins, squeeze out the water and add the cubes. (Toasting gives nice flavour and soaking makes soft to absorb the gravy well)
    
13. Sprinkle Garam Masala and mix well
    
14. Once it reaches the Kurma consistency and oil gets separated,switch off the flame
15. Add the lemon juice over it and garnish with coriander leaves
16. Serve hot with Roti /Dosa / Idlies