Prabh's Paneer

Tender paneer curry submerged with Indian spices and exciting flavours. This curry is the definition of comfort food. It's mild yet hits you with mouth-watering flavours one by one. Paneer is the star of the dish and as an Indian, I can guarantee it never disappoints. This recipe is named after one of my closest friends. It was one of the first few recipes I wrote; she was the first person to try it, and she loved it! It's easy to cook and can be enjoyed with various side dishes. Try this meat-free curry today to impress your friends just like I did!

Serves: 3

Ingredients

3 Cloves

3 Bay leaves

5-6 Fenugreek seeds

1 green Cardamom

1 black Cardamom

2 dried Red chillies

1 chopped Onion

2 chopped Green chill

½ cup Tomato puree

½ tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Garlic paste

½ tsp Turmeric

½ tsp red Chilli powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp fenugreek powder

Salt to Taste

250g cubed Paneer

¼ cup Milk

½ tsp fenugreek leaves

Method

Step 1

Add oil to a pot and place on heat. Once hot, add in jeera seeds, fenugreek seeds, green cardamom, black cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and red chillies. Cook till the spices are aromatic. Then add in chopped onion and reduce the heat to medium. Cook till the onions are slightly brown.

Step 2

Now add in chopped green, garlic paste and ginger paste. Stir thoroughly and cook till the raw smell of ginger and garlic disappears. Then add in tomato puree and stir thoroughly. Let the tomato puree simmer for 1-2 minutes on high heat. Then add ¼ cup water and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the masala cook till reduced to half.

Step 3

Then remove the lid and reduce the masala until it’s clumpy and water-free. Then reduce the heat to a low and add in your turmeric powder, fenugreek powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and salt. Stir thoroughly, and then add another ¼ cup of water and mix in thoroughly.

Step 4

Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the masala until completely reduced. Then add paneer cubes, mix well, and cook on high heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add milk and water accordingly and let the curry simmer desired consistency. Then take off the heat and sprinkle fenugreek leaves. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Tips

1. Make sure to keep a close eye when cooking whole spices, as they tend to burn quickly.

2. When adding ginger and garlic paste to the pot, reduce the heat as it tends to splatter.

3. You can replace tomato puree with diced tomatoes.

4. The longer you cook the masala, the better the curry will taste.

5. When adding powdered spices, make sure to reduce the heat to a low.

6. You can alter the amount of milk and water to desired curry consistency.