Scrumptious Paneer Masala

Everybody Loves paneer (cottage cheese) for its mushy and soft meaty texture. It is a high protein food; it is often substituted for meat in many vegetarian entrees of Indian cuisine. It is commonly used in curried dishes. 100 gms of paneer made from cow milk provides 18.3 gms of protein, 20.8 gms of fat, 2.6 gms of minerals, 1.2 gms of carbohydrates, 265 kcal of energy, 208 mgs of calcium, 138 mg of phosphorous. It contains reasonably good amounts of fat and cholesterol. It would be better to avoid it for those with hypertension and diabetes due to its high fat content. It can however be used in small quantities for such patients one or twice a week. It is suitable for all age groups. Being one of my all time favorite, tried out quite number of experiments, but so far I’m notified best for this simple paneer masala, which goes well with all Indian breads.

Ingredients:
Paneer -250gms





Wash the paneer and cube it. Deep fry the paneer cubes till slightly golden brown, and immediately plunge it in hot water for 5 minutes. Then drain off the water and keep aside.
Onion Paste -1cup
Tomato Puree -3/4cup
Cashew Paste -2tbsp
Gin & Gar Paste -1tbsp
Kashmiri Chilli powder -1tsp
Turmeric Powder -1/4tsp
Kasoori methi powder -1tsp
Garam Masala Powder -1/2tsp
Salt -as per taste
Coriander leaves -for garnishing
Fresh cream (optional) -2tbsp
Butter -1tbsp
Shah Jeera -1/2tsp

Method:
1.To make 1 cup of onion paste, slice 3 onions and sauté in a pan adding little oil till slightly brown and grind to a paste.
2.Likewise to make a tomato puree, blanch 2 big tomatoes in boiling water, for 4 minutes, then peel off the skin and puree it in a food processor.
3.For the cashew paste, soak 10 nos of cashews in luke warm water and grind it to a paste.
4.In a pan, add butter, season with shah jeera before the butter melts down completely. Add the onion paste, followed by ginger and garlic paste. Fry well till the raw smell of ginger and garlic goes off. Then add the dry ingredients like chilli powder, turmeric powder, Kasoori methi powder, garam masala powder and salt.
5.After 2 minutes add the tomato puree, fry well till the oil separates from the curry. Add ½ cup of water and allow the gravy to cook for 5 minutes. Then add the cashew paste and the prepared paneer cubes mix well and cook for jus 3 minutes on heat. Remove from stove and garnish with fresh cream and chopped coriander.
6.Serve with rotis.





Variation: Fresh peas can also be added.