Paneer dishes form an integral part of buffets in Indian restaurants, reception dinners during Indian weddings ranging from North to South of India and even in homes in all directions of the nation. Roughly two decades back, this ingredient remained restricted to masses in North India. Its nutritive value, taste and softness, and ability to soak flavors during marination process have allowed it to permeate all courses in an Indian meal - from entre dish to main course to desserts. Paneer figures in kebabs, dry tikkas, pakodas; blends well with veggies like tomato, onion, palak (spinach); also nuts (cashew and almonds) to make sumptuous side dishes and satiating taste buds as a dessert - say paneer burfi. I am always deeply satisfied when cooking with Paneer; after all it is a chief consolation prize for us vegetarians against the unimaginably vast spread of non vegetarian fare.
Without further ado, I come to my recipe of Malai Paneer Masala (a light spice and little milky gravy). The ingredients listed below will make gravy for two and this gravy goes well with rotis and basmati rice based recipes.
Ingredients
1 big tomato (roughly chopped)
1 medium sized onion (sliced)
200 g paneer (I tried out a new brand available in Bangalore stores - Punjabi Paneer; this was soft much like Milky mist brand paneer; make cubes out of paneer)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
6-7 full cashew
1 tsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
2-3 cloves
1/2 inch piece of cinnamon
1/2 tsp shah jeera
Broken Badi Elaichi (Black Cardamom)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri mirch powder (for nice color of the dish)
3 tsp oil
1 tbsp butter
2 -3 tsp fresh cream (I removed malai from milk boiled at home for this purpose)
Water
Salt to taste
Method
1. In a saucepan, take little water, heat on stove; when warm - add cashews, cinnamon, cloves and shah jeera; then turn off the stove. Add kasuri methi too and allow this to rest for some time.
2. In a kadai/fry pan, add oil, when warm - add chopped onions, add ginger garlic paste and saute well till brown. Add sugar to this; this allows browning of the onions. Add chopped tomatoes; then chilli powder and salt. Saute well till all the contents combine well and raw smell goes off.
3. Take a mixer, transfer contents in the kadai. Also, drain contents (cashew and spices) from the saucepan. Do not throw the water in the saucepan after straining. Allow the contents to cool in mixer and grind well to get the gravy.
4. Warm this water (obtained upon straining) on stove for a minute, turn off the heat and then add cut paneer cubes to it. Allow this to rest well for 5-10 minutes. This process will soften the paneer well. Do not add paneer to boiling water with stove turned on, paneer will crumble and break apart.
5. To the kadai, add butter, add gravy from mixer; cook well (adding little water to obtain volume if necessary). Cook gravy well till oil begins to separate from gravy. Now add kashmiri mirch powder, any salt for adjustment and mix well. Then, transfer the softened paneer cubes and allow simmering of contents of kadai for about 2-3 minutes.
6. As the last step, add fresh cream and stir well, turn off the stove quickly after addition of cream - this really must be the last step and no additions or delays after this process for completion.
Note: I could not upload a picture of the gravy as time to serve was infinitesimally small and there was no break to grab a picture. Will sure try to update this post with a relevant picture very soon.
