While the recipe is a take off from classic Paneer butter masala, would not like to call it so as the vagaries are many. This one’s called as “orange paneer curry” by kids at home. This is a regular on our menu at home.
Type of paneer we use, makes a world of difference. We have been eating paneer items in restaurant even as kids but I realised what a real paneer is when we moved to Mumbai in my mid to late 20s. Fresh paneer was available in most shops in Mumbai. One bite into soft creamy paneer, will make you realise that you have been eating a chewy rubber for paneer all these years. Later when we moved to Bangalore I started specifically looking for malai paneer or fresh paneer at stores. However off late I have started making paneer at home regularly now using desi cow milk from a near by Goshala. Will post the steps to get perfect soft paneer at home soon.
Now let us look at the ingredients required and preparation method.
Ingredients
- Malai Paneer – 100 grams
- Butter – 2 tbsp
- Oil -1 Tbsp
- Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
- Bay leaf – 1
- Jeera + Shah jeera – 1 tsp
- Kasoori methi – 1 tbsp
- Onion – 2 medium sized – Ground to paste
- Tomatoes – 2 large – Pureed.
- Green chillies – 2 or 3 Slit length wise
- Cashews – Half a cup( Soaked in water for at least 20 mins)
- Poppy seeds – 3 tsps ( Soaked in water for at least 20 mins)
- Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
- Salt per taste
- Chilly powder per taste
- Sugar – 2 Pinches
- Milk – 1/4 cup
- Mint leaves few – 4 to 5
Let us now look at the preparation method.
- Soak Cashews and poppy seeds in water for at least 20 mins.
2. Take milk in a flat vessel and add 2 glasses of water and warm it up.
3. Now cut the paneer in required size and shape. Don’t slice these too thin else it may crumble while cooking. Add the paneer pieces to the warm milk mix. This will keep the paneer soft.
4. Take a kadhai and add butter and oil. Adding oil helps butter not to burn, while butter itself adds flavour to the gravy.
5. Once the butter melts, add Jeera and shah jeera, Bay leaf and fry till jeera splutters.
6. Now add ginger garlic paste and stir quickly to avoid burning it.
7. Once the raw smell goes away, add the Onion paste and fry till onion becomes slightly light brown.
8. Now add the slit chillies and then tomato puree, salt and chilly powder. And fry till the onion tomato mix comes together.
9. Blend cashew and poppy seeds in a blender to a fine paste.
10. Add the cashew and poppy seed paste and crush the kasuri methi between your palms and add to the gravy mix.
11. Add Garam masala powder and add at least 2 cups of water make not so thin gravy. Let the gravy mix come to a boil.
12. Take out the paneer from the milk mix and add it to the gravy. If the gravy has thickened, you can use the milk mix to get it to a required consistency.
13. Finely chop the pudina/mint leaves and add to the gravy.
14. Now cook the curry for 4 to 5 more minutes to let the paneer soak up the gravy.
15. Now remove the curry to a serving bowl. You can garnish with some freshly grated paneer.
Oota ayita 