Paneer Korma

Paneer is The only Indian Cheese which has been used in the Indian kitchen for ever be it in a rich and creamy vegetable, be it Paneer kebabs, Paneer Bhurgi or even the most famous Rosogulla (Bengali Sweet)

I have never a big fan or Paneer while growing up but now I love it and the same happened with the girls too. M cant have enough of Paneer. It is very rich in Protein, tastes great and very easy to cook and even make at home from scratch.

Here is what we will need to make Paneer Korma, which is a vegetable dish made with Paneer, Capsicums in a rich gravy. Please don't get overwhelmed by the list of the ingredients, its a long list, but you know all of them and it will be worth it.

Ingredients:

• 250 Paneer
• 1/2 from each, red, green and yellow capsicum, chopped into cubes
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• a piece of ginger about an inch big, finely grated
• 2 tomatoes roughly chopped
• handful of Cashewnuts, soaked in half cup of milk
• 1 tsp of Cumin seeds, powdered
• 1 tsp of Coriander powder
• 3/4  tsp of red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp of Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp of Garam Masala
• 1 tsp of fennel seeds powdered
• 1 tbsp of dried fenugreek leaves if available
• handful of fresh Coriander to garnish.
• 2 tbsp of Oil
• 1 cup of Water
• 1/4 cup of double creme

Method: 

1. Out of 250 gms of Paneer, cut cubes with 150 gms and crumble the rest 50 gms and keep them aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp Oil in a non stick pan and roast the Paneer cubes in it from all the sides until they are golden brown. Take them out on a kitchen paper and keep them aside.
3. In the same pan, take the rest of the another tablespoons of oil and heat it up. Add the chopped onions and saute them until they are become translucent.
4. Add the Ginger, garlic, green chili and saute them for a minute. Now add the tomatoes and all the dried spices, mix them all well and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the soaked Cashew nuts to the pan, mix the whole thing well and with the help of a hand mixer grind the mix to a fine paste. You can either do it in the pan itself. Add half a cup of water to this.
6. Add all the chopped capsicums and mix it well with the masala (paste), if its too dry add another half cup of water. Cook it covered for 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
7. Add the Paneer pieces and mix it well with the capsicum, add the creme and again mix it all well.
8. Cook it for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Close the heat and garnish it with the grated Paneer and crumble the dried fenugreek leaves in the palm of your hand and add it to the dish.
9. Serve hot with Reis, Naan or Chapatis.

TIP: The Paneer can also be used without roasting but it just looks beautiful with the golden edges. Another thing is the store bought Paneer can very well be used without roasting as its form is more like Tofu unlike the house make Paneer which is a bit softer.