Meals · Mughlai

Navratan Korma

The Mughal court's nine-jewel korma: vegetables, paneer, pineapple and fried nuts in a mild, creamy white gravy perfumed with saffron, cardamom and kewra.

Prep 30 min · Cook 35 min · Total 65 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

Vegetables, paneer and fruit

• 1 Potato, cut into small cubes
• 1 Carrot, cut into small cubes
• 10 Green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup Cauliflower, small florets
• ½ cup Green peas
• 150 g Paneer, cut into small cubes
• ½ cup Pineapple, cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 12 Cashews
• 10 Almonds, blanched and halved
• 1 tbsp Raisins

White gravy

• 2 Onions, quartered
• 15 Cashews
• 1 tbsp Melon seeds (magaz)
• 1 inch Ginger
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 Green chillies
• 2 tbsp Ghee
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 4 Green cardamom
• 3 Cloves
• 1 pinch Mace
• ⅓ cup Plain yoghurt, whisked
• 1 tsp White pepper
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• 1 ½ tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Water
• ⅓ cup Single cream
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 2 tbsp Milk
• 2 Drops kewra water

Method

1. Boil the onion paste. Simmer the onions, gravy cashews, melon seeds, ginger, garlic and green chillies in 1 cup water until the onions are soft and translucent. Cool, then blend with the water to a very smooth, pale paste.
2. Cook the vegetables. Boil or steam the potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower and peas in salted water until just tender. Drain, keeping 1/2 cup of the water.
3. Fry the jewels. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan and fry the cashews and almonds until golden; lift out. Fry the raisins for a few seconds until they puff; lift out. Lightly fry the paneer in the same ghee until it just colours at the corners and soak it in warm water.
4. Make the gravy. Heat the 2 tbsp ghee for the gravy and add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and mace. Add the onion paste and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens and the ghee shows, without letting it brown. Lower the heat further and stir in the yoghurt a spoonful at a time, then the white pepper, sugar and salt.
5. Combine. Add the vegetables, drained paneer and the reserved vegetable water. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, saffron milk, garam masala and kewra and heat through without boiling.
6. Finish. Fold in the pineapple off the heat. Serve topped with the fried nuts and raisins, with naan, sheermal or a pea pulao.

Tips

Keep everything pale: boil rather than fry the onions, keep the heat low and use white pepper, not chilli powder. Add the pineapple off the heat, as its acidity can split the gravy if it boils.