Navratan Korma with Cashew Cream and Paneer

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A restaurant-style mild Indian curry built on a cashew-and-onion gravy blended completely smooth, then folded with frozen mixed vegetables and pan-golden paneer. The spicing is warm and fragrant rather than hot, so it lands well with kids, and a spoonful of cream plus a few raisins gives it that gently sweet, banquet-hall richness. Frozen vegetables do the prep work for you, which means dinner in under an hour with one blender and one pan.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional, omit for kids)
• 2 bay leaves

• 8 oz paneer, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for searing paneer
• 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans, corn)
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower florets, halved if large

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp golden raisins
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp toasted cashew halves, for garnish
• kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Put the 3/4 cup raw cashews in a small bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak while you cook the onions — at least 15 minutes. This is what lets them blend into true cream.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is very soft and pale gold at the edges — you want sweet, not browned and bitter. Lower the heat if it starts to color fast.
3. Add the coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, cardamom and the optional cayenne. Stir for 45 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Scrape everything into a blender and let it cool for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the cashews and add them to the blender along with 1 1/2 cups water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend on high for a full 60 to 90 seconds until absolutely smooth with no grit — stop, scrape down, and blend again if you feel any texture. Set aside.
5. Wipe out the pan, add 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over medium-high. Pat the paneer cubes dry and sear 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden on two sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. (If the paneer sticks, let it sit undisturbed another 30 seconds before turning.)
6. Pour the blended gravy into the same pan, add the bay leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently — cashew gravy scorches easily, so keep the heat moderate and the spoon moving.
7. Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and cauliflower straight from the freezer. Cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring twice, until the vegetables are tender and heated through. Add 1/4 cup water at a time if the gravy gets thicker than a pourable sauce.
8. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, raisins and sugar, then fold in the seared paneer. Warm through for 3 minutes without boiling. Remove the bay leaves.
9. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add salt in 1/4-teaspoon increments until the sweetness and spice snap into focus. Scatter with cilantro and toasted cashews and serve with basmati rice or warm naan.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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