The seventh day of Navratri, also known as Saptami, is dedicated to Goddess Kaalratri. It is believed that this seventh manifestation of Goddess Durga eliminates demons and negative forces, while removing obstacles such as ignorance, sorrow, illness, and poverty from one’s life.

Goddess Kaalratri is particularly fond of jaggery (*gur*); hence, offerings (*bhog*) made with jaggery are presented to her on this day. If you wish to prepare a special offering using jaggery, 'Paneer Khurma' is an excellent choice.

Paneer Khurma Recipe
While Paneer Khurma is traditionally prepared using a sugar-based syrup, this version—intended as an offering—uses jaggery.

Ingredients
200–250 grams of paneer (cottage cheese)

1 cup jaggery

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon ghee or oil

1.5 cups water

Method
To prepare Paneer Khurma, first cut 200–250 grams of paneer into small, square-shaped pieces. Ensure that the paneer pieces are firm and not too soft.

Next, prepare the syrup: in a pressure cooker, combine 1.5 cups of water, 1 cup of jaggery, and 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder, mixing them well.

Heat the mixture over a low flame; once the jaggery has melted, add the paneer pieces one by one.

Increase the heat, close the pressure cooker lid, and wait for one whistle.

After the first whistle, reduce the heat and let the paneer cook for at least 30 minutes.

Afterward, leave the pressure cooker open for a while and check if the syrup has thickened.

Additionally, stir the mixture occasionally with a spoon to ensure the paneer does not stick to the bottom of the cooker. Now, check again to see if the sugar syrup has reached a 'single-thread' consistency.

Once a single thread begins to form, turn off the heat. Set the paneer khurma aside to cool.

Finally, strain the mixture to separate the paneer from the sugar syrup.

You will notice that, once cooled, the pieces of paneer have become quite firm.

In this way, 'paneer khurma'—a special sweet dish prepared with jaggery—is ready for Goddess Kaalratri.

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