
ahaaafood
Navratna means ‘ nine jewels’ and refers to the number of vegetables, fruits and nuts, paneer/cottage cheese in the the dish. This delicious dish originated in south Asia or central Asia which can be made with yogurt, cream, nut and seed paste.
In this recipe vegetables, cottage cheese and fruits are cooked in a rich sauce made from cashew paste and yogurt. Indian spices give a very good flavour and taste to this dish. Finally it is garnished with nuts and cilantro. If milk and cream is added to Pineapple, milk will curdle, so I have used yogurt/curd.
INGREDIENTS
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
Carrot chopped 1
Peas shelled 1/2 cup
Cauliflower florets 1 cup
Potato ( medium) 1
Onion chopped 1
Green chillies 1-3
Beans chopped 1/2 cup
Pineapple chopped 1 cup
Purple grapes 1/2 cup
Cottage cheese/Paneer chopped 1/2 cup
Garlic ginger paste 2 tsp
SPICES
Garam masala powder ( cinnamon stick, mace, cloves,nutmeg,cardamom, jeera, fennel, coriander seeds all lightly roasted and ground to a fine powder) 2 tsp
Chilli powder. 1-2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Bay leaf 1Ghee/clarified butter 1-2 tbspFOR THE PASTEPoppy seeds 2 tsp
Cashewnuts 1/2 cup
Curd/yogurt 1 cupFOR GARNISHING
Coriander leaves
Tomato deseeded,chopped. 1
Cashew nuts
Raisins
Walnuts
Almonds
METHOD
Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in half cup water for half an hour. Blend it into a smooth paste.
Boil all the vegetables ( carrot, cauliflower, beans, potato, peas, pineapple) and keep it aside.
Heat a deep frying pan add 1 tsp ghee fry the cashew and raisins. Keep it aside.
In the same frying pan fry the Paneer pieces and keep aside.
In the same frying pan heat 1 tbsp ghee and add the chopped onions and bay leaf.. Saute till onions become slightly golden in colour. Add ginger garlic paste and chillies. Saute till garlic smell disappears.
Lower the flame and add turmeric, coriander powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Saute for few second. Do not burn it.
Add the bolied vegetables, purple grapes and mix well with the masala. Season with salt. Add paneer pieces.
On low heat add the ground paste let it simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes. Beat and add the curd/ yogurt. Depending on what consistency you want the gravy add the required quantity of water. Cover and cook for 5-8 minutes.
Place the navratna korma in a dish. Garnish with coriander leaves, raisins, walnuts, almonds, tomatoes and cashews. Serve with rice/ Indian bread.