Shahi Paneer, Indian Cheese Curry - 3, Bimal's
Shahi Paneer - 3
Bimal Berry
The word Shahi means fit for kings. Paneer cheese is served in one form or another, in most special feasts and parties in India these days. This is a tasty dish in a creamy curry sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients
250 gm. Paneer cheese, cut into approximately 1 inch squares.
150 gm. or 1 medium onion peeled
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 green chilli
2 tbsp. cooking oil or ghee
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
Chilli powder to taste
Salt to taste
200 gm. (1 large or 3 medium) tomatoes, blanched, skinned and liquidized (tomato puree can be used)
1 small carton (3/4 cup) thick natural yoghurt* or sour cream
3/4 cup full cream milk
1/4 tsp. sugar
2-3 green (small) cardamoms, skin removed and seeds ground (1/2 tsp. cardamom powder will do)
A small handful of coriander leaves
Instructions
Grind onion, ginger garlic and green chilli to a fine paste in a food processor or liquidizer. The gravy for this dish is creamy, therefore, all gravy ingredients should be finely ground
Heat cooking oil in a pan.
Add the onion, ginger, garlic paste and fry on medium fire until dark brown (not burnt) and oil separates.
Add the turmeric, coriander, chilli and salt and fry for 30 seconds on low heat. This releases flavours.
Add tomatoes, fry until oil separates.
Beat yoghurt and milk together, add to the pan and stir-fry, until oil separates again.
Add sugar, cardamom powder and 1 cup of water.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes. The gravy should be thick like custard.
Add Paneer squares and cook for further 5 minutes. They will double in size.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot, with freshly made Chapatti or Tandoori Roti.
Notes
Indian cottage cheese blocks are available from most Indian stores. In UK, some Sainsbury branches stock it too. If your local supermarket does not, they will usually add it to their cheese selection at your request.
If you do not have or do not want to use cream or yoghurt, replace cream/yoghurt and water with 2 cups of milk (steps 6 & 7)- Mamta.
*Tips for cooking with yoghurt:
Always use full fat yoghurt, if possible. Skimmed milk yoghurt sometimes curdles during cooking. If you wish to use low fat yoghurt, add 1 heaped teaspoon of plain or corn flour per cup of yoghurt.
Make sure that the dish you are cooking is at room temperature. If yoghurt is cooked straight from the fridge, it may curdle.
When adding yoghurt during cooking, take out a few tablespoons of the hot food in a bowl, mix yoghurt, warming it a bit and then stir it back into the hot dish.
Substitute sour cream for yoghurt, using only half the amount.
