Paneer Korma

I try a lot of curry recipes. I love using paneer and tofu. I also love using spinach in curry (you may have noticed!). Every recipe is slightly different. But without any doubt, this was the most popular of all the simple curry recipes I have tried this year. A fairly mildly spiced curry with a delicious creamy sauce.

Wills has asked for this three times since I first tried this recipe. He tells me it his favourite curry.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 225g block of paneer , cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 large onion , roughly chopped
• thumb-sized piece of ginger , peeled
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 5 tbsp korma paste
• 3 cardamom pods , crushed
• 70g ground almonds
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 150g spinach
• 100g Greek yogurt
• rice or naan breads, to serve (optional)

METHOD

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the paneer cubes and fry for 5 mins, turning regularly, so each side is golden brown. Remove with tongs and put on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Put the onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor with a splash of water and blitz until completely smooth. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion mixture and a pinch of salt, and fry for 10 mins or until lightly golden.

Add the korma paste and cardamom, and fry for 1 min. Stir in the ground almonds and fry for 1 min to make a thick paste.

Add the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 mins, uncovered, or until reduced a little. Add the spinach to the sauce and cook for 5 mins.

Stir through the yogurt and paneer, and season generously. Serve with rice or warm naan breads.

I do realize my photographs never do justice to the delicious recipes Waitrose suggest in their magazines. They make the finished product look so much more appetising that I do. But please take my word for it, this mild curry is a comforting hug that is creamy and very yummy.

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