Navratan / Vegetable Korma

Makes 4

Navratan means NINE JEWELS and korma means rich curried . so simply put a curry made with nine jewels or nine different vegetable ingredients. A popular north indian restaurant dish,its taste has a little sweetness along with the saltiness.

ingredients

version 1

2 1/2 cups chopped vegetables (cauliflower, green peas, carrot, green beans, red bell pepper)
1/2 cup chopped fried paneer
3 tablespoons oil
Pinch of asafetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 seeded finely chopped green chili
1 tablespoon shredded ginger
1 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric Haldi)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor powder)
1 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Garnish:
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

version 2

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium onion, grated 1 medium onion, grated
1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon garam masala
4 ounces paneer, cubed 4 ounces paneer, cubed
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup raisins
1 cup chopped potatoes 1 cup chopped potatoes
salt to taste salt to taste
1 cup water 1 cup water
1/3 cup mixed nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds) 1/3 cup mixed nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds)
1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup green peas 1/2 cup green peas
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped fresh green beans

directions

1
1. Mix the shredded ginger, green chili, coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper with 2 tablespoons of water and set aside.
2
2. Mix cornstarch with milk and set aside.
3
3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away oil is ready.
4
4. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After cumin seeds crack, add the bay leaves and the spice mixture. Fry for a few seconds until the spices start separating from the oil.
5
5. Add the cauliflower, green peas, carrot and green beans. Mix well and cover the pan. Let the vegetables cook on medium heat for about 7 to 8 minutes. The vegetables should be cooked just about half way.
6
6. Add the bell pepper and paneer. Mix well. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add more milk if needed for more gravy.
7
7. Turn off the heat. Mix in the garam masala, amchoor powder and cilantro.
8
8. Place the vegetable korma in a serving dish and garnish with chopped tomatoes. Enjoy!

Substitutions and Variations to version 1:

1
1. Substitute any vegetable, for example potatoes, cabbage, corn, and mushrooms or other vegetables. Four to six vegetables are a good number to use.
2
2. Tofu can be used instead of paneer.
3
3. For the gravy, you may replace 1-cup milk with 3/4 cups cream for a richer texture. Blending 1/4 cup cashew nuts with 1-cup milk will also give the gravy a richer texture.

Source: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/05/03/vegetable-navratan-korma/, www.familyoven.com