Ingredients
Scale
- 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese). See note*
- 3–4 large ripe tomatoes
- 1 tbsp cashews, soaked in little water
- 2–3 tbsp butter. See note*
- 1 tbsp ginger- garlic paste. See note*
- Some whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamom, 2 cloves, 1/2” cinnamon
- ½ – 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- ¼ garam masala powder
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
- 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- salt & black pepper, as required
For garnishing
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- Ginger, finely chopped or coriander, chopped
Instructions
- Wash and chop tomatoes. Puree the tomatoes in a blender. Also grind cashews with very little water, to a smooth paste.
- If using frozen paneer, defrost and keep in warm water, till used. Even fresh paneer, should be kept in warm water, to soften it.
- Heat a wok. Add butter and as it melts, add the aromatic spices. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
- Then add the tomato puree. Add salt, sugar, red chilly powder and coriander powder. Keep flame on medium heat, and let it cook well, till it thickens like a sauce. Stir in between
- After about 15 mins, add tomato paste. Stir. Then add about a cup of water
- Now add the cashew paste. Cook for another 2-3 mins. Add black pepper, garam masala and crushed kasturi methi. Check seasoning.
- When the desired consistency of gravy is achieved, remove paneer cubes from warm water, and add to gravy. Finish off a with a dollop of fresh cream
- Garnish with green chillies/ginger or chopped coriander leaves and serve warm, with Indian bread or rice.
Notes
Butter gives the dish its unique taste. Substituting with oil will effect the taste quite a bit.
Always keep paneer in warm water, to retain softness. I simply microwave frozen paneer cubes in water for 3-4 mins.
Kasturi methi imparts an earthy flavour to the dish and is highly recommended
You can remove the whole spices, before serving the dish
You can also use little milk to adjust consistency, if not using cream. But cream will make it real “restaurant style”
Some people like this gravy sweet, some mildly spicy. So adjust the spice level according to your taste. And usage of sugar to cut the tartness of tomatoes.
- Category: Main