Paneer or cottage cheese is THE  most famous ingredient (after potato)which is generously used in Indian cuisine.Every restaurant caters number of paneer dishes,and it is almost compulsory  in our community to cook atleast one paneer based dish ,when some guests are expected to dine with us

So when dear  Srivalli of Cooking4allseasons ,announced yet another event called Curry Mela ,i could think of nothing else but this Rich gravy based paneer delicacy

I know Health freaks would raise their brows when they hear rich gravy,or butter paneer,but guys hold on…..you can totally skip”Richness” and yet enjoy this most sought after paneer dish.
Ingredients:

• Paneer(cottage cheese) 150 gms
• Onions 3 +1(???…explained below !)
• Tomato 2 small
• Green chillies 2
• Ginger
• Garlic 5 cloves
• Milk 1 cup
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tspn
• Garam masala powder 1/4 tspn
• kitchen king less than 1/4 tspn
• kasuri methi 1/4 tspn
• Salt
• Butter 1 tspn(optional)
• Fresh cream 2  tspn or Unsweetened mawa(optional) 2 tspn or more
• Cashews 5
• Tejpatta(Bay leaf) 1
• Cloves 2
• Javitri(mace) just two small strands
• Dal chini(cinnamon stck)just  a bit

Method:

• Cut the paneer into cubes and keep them is salted water
• Peel and slice 3 onions
• Shallow fry them in 1 tbspn of oil,in a heavy bottom kadai/pan/nonstick pan,on medium flame,till evenly browned(do not char the onions)
• Meanwhile  grind ginger garlic with little of water to make a paste
• Boil cashews in a cup of water for 2 min,then grind them to make cashew paste
• Grind tomato and green chillies and keep aside
• Peel and grind one onion (this expalins 3+1 onions in ingredients list) with little of water and make a paste.Keep it aside
• Now finally grind browned onions(phew…..so much of grinding !) and keep this paste aside too
• Now in the pan/kadai,put some oil,and saute a tejpatta ,javitri,cloves,dalchini,and add ginger garlic paste
• Saute it till the paste changes to pinkish colour,then add raw onion paste
• Saute it properly till onion paste turns brownish(this paste give the dense  smooth texture to gravy) .You can also boil the onion first and then make paste
• Now add browned onion paste,tomatochilly paste,salt,turmeric powder,garam masala powder,kitchen king,kasurimethi and mix properly till the oil separates out
• Now add cashew paste,milk ,butter(optional),fresh cream/unsweetened mawa(optional)(….i never use them,i prefer adding milk) and adjust the seasoning
  Finally add paneer cubes and mix properly
• Let it simmer (add some water if needed) for few minutes
• Garnish with coriander leaves and/or grated paneer/fresh cream and serve with roti/phulka/naan
• Note: This gravy taste better if curd is used(1/2 cup),in that case reduce the quantity of tomato But since i avoid using curd and milk together in gravy,u can proceed with adding curd and skipping milk

Other related posts:

Paneer burji

Other curry based recipes

Wadipatata, Macroni peas patata , Sindhi kadhi chaawal