Paneer Curry

Step 1

First soak 12 to 15 cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 2

When the cashews are soaking, roughly chop 2 large tomatoes, 1 large onion, 1 inch ginger and 6 to 7 small to medium garlic cloves. Crush the ginger and garlic to a paste in mortar-pestle.

Step 3

In a blender jar or grinder jar, take the chopped onions. Without adding any water grind or blend to a smooth paste.

Step 4

Remove the onion paste in a bowl and keep aside.

Step 5

To the same grinder jar, add chopped tomatoes. Also add the soaked cashews.

Step 6

Again without adding any water, grind or blend both tomatoes and cashews to a smooth paste. Keep the jar aside.

Step 7

Heat tablespoons oil in a thick bottomed pan or kadai.

Step 8

Add the onion paste.

Step 9

On a low heat begin to sauté the onion paste. Keep on stirring often while sautéing the onion paste. Sauté till the onion paste becomes light golden or golden.

Step 10

Then add the crushed ginger-garlic paste. If using ready ginger-garlic paste, then add 1 teaspoon of it.

Step 11

Stir and saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

Step 12

Now add the tomato+cashew paste. Be careful as the mixture can splutter.

Step 13

Mix everything very well and begin to saute the masala on a low flame.

Step 14

While the masala is getting sauteed, add 1.5 cups water in the grinder jar. Swirl the jar so that the tomato paste at the sides and at the bottom get mixed with the water. If you want you can even run the mixer once, so that everything gets mixed well. Keep aside.

Step 15

Saute the onion-tomato masala till you see some fat releasing from the sides. The masala will also become glossy.

Step 16

Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.

Step 17

Stir and mix the spice powders very well.

Step 18

Add 1 or 2 slit green chilies.

Step 19

Add the water which was mixed with the leftover tomato+cashew paste in grinder jar.

Step 20

Season with salt as required. Also add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves.

Step 21

On a low to medium heat, simmer the cottage cheese curry till it thickens a bit and you see oil specks on top.

Step 22

Then add paneer cubes.

Step 23

Add ½ teaspoon kasuri methi, which has been crushed. Mix well and switch off the heat.

Step 24

Then add 2 tablespoons low fat cream or light cream or 1 tablespoon of whipping cream.

Step 25

Mix the cream very well with the rest of the cottage cheese curry. Switch off the heat.

Step 26

Serve paneer curry garnished with some coriander leaves accompanied with chapati, paratha, naan or steamed rice or cumin rice or saffron rice.