Paneer Korma – Creamy Paneer Curry with Cashews and Coconut
A fragrant curry in which paneer bathes in a sauce of tomatoes, coconut milk and cashews.
Recipe Categories:
Creamy curries like this paneer korma are the epitome of comfort food — silky on the tongue and spiced without overwhelming. Paneer korma originates from North India and, with its mild sauce, is reminiscent of chicken korma, except here everything is vegetarian. Cashews and coconut milk create a silky base that fills and satisfies even on cooler days.
The defining aroma comes from using the cashews in two ways: part is pureed with coconut milk into a creamy base, while the rest are briefly toasted for a crunchy topping. This gives the curry both a velvety texture and some bite. Make sure to stir the yogurt in off the heat so the sauce stays stable and doesn’t curdle.
As an alternative to cashews, you can use blanched almonds. And if you want to improve the dish’s CO₂ footprint further, replace part of the paneer with chickpeas or firm tofu.
I like to serve paneer korma with fragrant basmati rice; naan or flatbread also pair very well. Spice level? Savory but never very hot — suitable for varying preferences at the table.
The inspiration comes from Caro in the Kitchen (the blog is currently not accessible). This recipe is easy to vary and perfect for relaxed everyday cooking. My tip: the sauce tastes even more flavorful the next day — if there’s anything left over at all.
Related Recipes
Roopa Gulati's Palak Paneer: Curry with Spinach and Indian Cheese
Palak paneer is a classic Indian curry with spinach and fried cheese. Very simple and very tasty.
Aloo Mattar Makhani - Curry with Potatoes and Peas
A simple Indian curry with potatoes and peas in a spicy tomato sauce.
Tofu Tikka Masala
A great aromatic curry - even for those who don't really like tofu. vegetarian, easily turned vegan.
Recipe
The star of the curry is the creamy sauce made from tomatoes, coconut milk and cashew nuts.
Ingredients
Preparation Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Servings: 2
- • 60 g cashews
- • 100 ml coconut milk
- • 200 g paneer
- • 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. rapeseed oil), divided
- • 120 g rice (e.g. basmati) as a side
- • 2 cloves garlic
- • 15 g ginger
- • 1 medium onion (approx. 150 g)
- • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- • 1 tsp chili powder
- • 1 pinch ground turmeric
- • 1 pinch ground coriander
- • 1 tsp tomato paste
- • 200 g canned tomatoes
- • 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- • 10 ml lemon juice
- • 50 g plain yogurt
Ingredients
Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
- • 60 g cashews
- • 100 ml coconut milk
- • 200 g paneer
- • 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. rapeseed oil), divided
- • 120 g rice (e.g. basmati) as a side
- • 2 cloves garlic
- • 15 g ginger
- • 1 medium onion (approx. 150 g)
- • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- • 1 tsp chili powder
- • 1 pinch ground turmeric
- • 1 pinch ground coriander
Instructions
- 1 Prepare cashews: Pour boiling water over half of the cashews (30 g) in a bowl and soak for 15–30 minutes, then drain. Puree the soaked cashews with the coconut milk until very smooth and creamy.
- 2 Prepare paneer: Cut the paneer into 1.5 cm cubes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium–medium-high heat. Fry the paneer cubes for 5–7 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Add the remaining 30 g cashews and toast for 1–2 minutes until golden and aromatic. Remove the paneer and cashews and set aside.
- 3 Cook rice: Place rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Bring to a boil with 240 ml water and a pinch of salt, then cover and simmer on low heat for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
- 4 Make the curry base: Peel and finely chop the garlic, ginger and onion. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same pan over medium heat and sauté the onion for 5–7 minutes until translucent and lightly golden. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the spices and tomato paste and toast, stirring, for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze with the canned tomatoes and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes. Stir in the cashew–coconut blend and simmer gently for another 5–8 minutes until the sauce is glossy and creamy. Season with salt and lemon juice.
- 5 Finish: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the yogurt (do not bring back to a boil to avoid curdling). Fold in the paneer cubes and the roasted cashews and let sit for 1–2 minutes in the residual heat. If the sauce is too thick, stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time.
- 6 Serve: Plate the paneer korma with hot rice and, if desired, garnish with coriander.
Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprint: 2535 g CO₂e
This ranks it number 48 out of 58 recipes published on the blog so far in terms of estimated carbon footprint.
Overall, it is one of the 20% of recipes with the highest climate impact - at least 80% of recipes cause fewer emissions than this dish. 😞
Paneer is the main reason for the curry's high CO2 footprint: it accounts for less than a quarter of the ingredients by weight but more than half of the estimated CO2 emissions. The other ingredients have a comparatively better footprint and tend to contribute below average to the dish's greenhouse gas balance.
Comparison of Ingredients
| Ingredients | Carbon footprint per kg | Carbon footprint for recipe | % of ingredients | % of CO₂ emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashews | 2.1 | 125 | 7% | 5% |
| Coconut milk | 0.5 | 52 | 12% | 2% |
| Paneer | 7.1 | 1422 | 24% | 52% |
| Oil | 3.3 | 50 | 2% | 2% |
| Garlic | 0.5 | 3 | 1% | 0% |
| Ginger | 0.5 | 4 | 1% | 0% |
| Onion | 0.2 | 10 | 6% | 0% |
| Cinnamon | 1.1 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Chili powder | 1.1 | 2 | 0% | 0% |
| Turmeric | 1.1 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Coriander (ground) | 1.1 | 2 | 0% | 0% |
| Tomato paste | 4.3 | 17 | 0% | 1% |
| Canned tomatoes | 1.8 | 360 | 24% | 13% |
| Salt | 0.7 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Lemon juice | 0.6 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| Yogurt | 1.7 | 85 | 6% | 3% |
| Rice | 3.1 | 372 | 14% | 14% |
| Fry the paneer | 101 | 4% | ||
| Simmer curry | 60 | 2% | ||
| Cook rice | 37 | 1% |
Instructions
- 1 Prepare cashews: Pour boiling water over half of the cashews (30 g) in a bowl and soak for 15–30 minutes, then drain. Puree the soaked cashews with the coconut milk until very smooth and creamy.
- 2 Prepare paneer: Cut the paneer into 1.5 cm cubes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium–medium-high heat. Fry the paneer cubes for 5–7 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Add the remaining 30 g cashews and toast for 1–2 minutes until golden and aromatic. Remove the paneer and cashews and set aside.
- 3 Cook rice: Place rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Bring to a boil with 240 ml water and a pinch of salt, then cover and simmer on low heat for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
- 4 Make the curry base: Peel and finely chop the garlic, ginger and onion. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the same pan over medium heat and sauté the onion for 5–7 minutes until translucent and lightly golden. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the spices and tomato paste and toast, stirring, for 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze with the canned tomatoes and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes. Stir in the cashew–coconut blend and simmer gently for another 5–8 minutes until the sauce is glossy and creamy. Season with salt and lemon juice.
- 5 Finish: Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the yogurt (do not bring back to a boil to avoid curdling). Fold in the paneer cubes and the roasted cashews and let sit for 1–2 minutes in the residual heat. If the sauce is too thick, stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time.
- 6 Serve: Plate the paneer korma with hot rice and, if desired, garnish with coriander.
Carbon Footprint
Carbon Footprint (2 portions): 2535 g CO₂e
This ranks it number 48 out of 58 recipes published on the blog so far in terms of estimated carbon footprint.
Overall, it is one of the 20% of recipes with the highest climate impact - at least 80% of recipes cause fewer emissions than this dish. 😞
Paneer is the main reason for the curry's high CO2 footprint: it accounts for less than a quarter of the ingredients by weight but more than half of the estimated CO2 emissions. The other ingredients have a comparatively better footprint and tend to contribute below average to the dish's greenhouse gas balance.
Comparison of Ingredients
| Ingredients | Carbon footprint per kg | Carbon footprint for recipe | % of ingredients | % of CO₂ emissions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashews | 2.1 | 125 | 7% | 5% |
| Coconut milk | 0.5 | 52 | 12% | 2% |
| Paneer | 7.1 | 1422 | 24% | 52% |
| Oil | 3.3 | 50 | 2% | 2% |
| Garlic | 0.5 | 3 | 1% | 0% |
| Ginger | 0.5 | 4 | 1% | 0% |
| Onion | 0.2 | 10 | 6% | 0% |
| Cinnamon | 1.1 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Chili powder | 1.1 | 2 | 0% | 0% |
| Turmeric | 1.1 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Coriander (ground) | 1.1 | 2 | 0% | 0% |
| Tomato paste | 4.3 | 17 | 0% | 1% |
| Canned tomatoes | 1.8 | 360 | 24% | 13% |
| Salt | 0.7 | 1 | 0% | 0% |
| Lemon juice | 0.6 | 6 | 1% | 0% |
| Yogurt | 1.7 | 85 | 6% | 3% |
| Rice | 3.1 | 372 | 14% | 14% |
| Fry the paneer | 101 | 4% | ||
| Simmer curry | 60 | 2% | ||
| Cook rice | 37 | 1% |