Paneer Shahi Kurma, Creamy Curry With Cottage Cheese

          Though the first choice in my house, when I make paneer is Palak Paneer, there are a couple of dishes that I want to try out with it, Paneer Shahi Kurma being one among them. After looking at a couple of recipes. I settled down with this one from here, of course with a few small changes. This is a creamy and rich curry, but I have not added any cream or butter here, the curry gets its richness from the nuts added. It goes very well with rotis, nans and pilafs, ideal for parties or for those special weekend lunch or dinner..

Need To Have

• Paneer - 200 gms, sliced
• Capsicum - 1 chopped
• Cloves - 2
• Bayleaf - 1
• Cinnamon - 1" piece
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Black Cardamom - 1 
• Green Cardamom - 2 + 2
• Red Chilly Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Yogurt/Curd - 1/2 cup
• Saffron - a generous pinch
• Salt to taste
• Chopped Coriander to garnish

To Grind

• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Cashews - 10
• Almonds - 5
• Melon Seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Garlic Cloves - 5
• Ginger - 1" piece

Method

          Take all the ingredients given under ' to grind ' and boil it with about 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes, then strain and reserve the water ( about 1 cup ).

          Grind the strained nuts and onion into a fine paste and keep.

          Heat some oil, add the cloves, bayleaf, cinnamon. black cardamom, 2 green cardamom, once the cloves start sizzling, add the cumin seeds, after a few seconds, once the cumin seeds start sizzling, add the ground paste and saute for a minute.

          Add the turmeric, chilly and coriander powders followed by the chopped capsicum and saute. Add the curd, 2 tablespoon at a time and keep sauteing till it blends well with the paste and the 1/2 cup curd is done.

          Now add the reserved water ( from boiling the onion and nuts ) plus another cup of water, mix and bring it to a boil. Then add the paneer pieces, simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes till the required thickness is got. Finally add the saffron, cardamom powder ( take the inner seeds of the remaining 2 cardamom pods and powder ) and serve it garnished with the chopped coriander.

Note
The original recipe does not have capsicum, I added it for some flavor and texture.
The final gravy should be thick and creamy.
If you want, you can add some fresh cream at the end to make it even more richer, also use butter instead of oil.