Paneer Pasanda
This is yet another jewel in the crown of paneer curry recipes. It has smooth, creamy and mild spicy gravy compared with other paneer subzi preparations. This easy paneer pasanda recipe uses shallow fried paneer cubes and pureed onion, tomato and cashew nut paste to make a delicious curry with rich creamy gravy. Serve it with vegetable pulao or stuffed alu paratha for the best experience.
| Ingredients: |
| 250 gms (1/2 lb) Paneer (cottage cheese) |
| 3 medium Tomatoes, chopped |
| 2 medium Onions |
| 6-8 Cashew Nuts |
| 1/2-inch Ginger |
| 4-5 Garlic cloves |
| 1 Bay Leaf |
| 2 Black Cardamoms |
| 1 Green Chilli, chopped |
| 1/2 teaspoon Kasuri Methi |
| 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala |
| 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder |
| 1 teaspoon Coriander-Cumin Powder |
| 1/2 cup Fresh Cream |
| 1/2 cup Water |
| 2½ tablespoons + 1 tablespoon Oil |
| 2 tablespoons Fresh Coriander Leaves |
| Salt |
Directions:
- Grind raw cashew nuts in the small jar of a grinder until smooth powder and mix with 1½ tablespoons water to make cashew nut paste. Crush ginger, garlic and green chilli in the same jar of grinder to make ginger-garlic-chilli paste.
- Blanch the onions and make onion puree. (Cut onion into big pieces and cook in hot water for 4-5 minutes. Drain water and crush onion in a grinder to make onion puree.) Make tomato puree by crushing tomatoes in the small jar of grinder.
- Cut paneer into 2-inch squares (1/4 inch thick). Cut each square diagonally into two triangles. Heat 2½ tablespoons oil in a pan over medium flame. Shallow fry paneer cubes until its edges become light brown. Drain them and place them on paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
- Heat remaining 1-tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium flame. Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste, bay leaf and cardamom in heated oil, sauté for few seconds.
- Add onion puree (prepared in step 1) and sauté until it turns light brown and oil starts to separate, approx. 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomato puree and sauté until oil starts to separate from sides; it takes approx. 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add cashew nut paste and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin-coriander powder and salt. Mix well and cook for a minute. Add 3/4 cup water.
- Bring mixture to a boil. When it starts boiling, let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add kasuri methi and shallow fried paneer cubes.
- Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add fresh cream, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the flame and let curry stand for 5 minutes.
- Transfer prepared paneer pasanda in a serving bowl and garnish with green coriander leaves.
Tips and Variations:
- You can also cut paneer into cubes instead of triangles.
- Cashew nuts paste gives thick and creamy texture to the gravy. You can replace it with poppy seed paste (soak poppy seeds in water and crush them to make a paste).
- Use grated or finely chopped onion instead of its puree to get a different texture.
- Add 1/2 cup boiled mutter or shallow fried capsicum pieces in step-9 to make best paneer pasanda curry with gravy.
Taste: Medium spicy and creamy
Serving Ideas: Serve it with masala puri or with onion paratha. It makes a wholesome meal when served with masala kulcha, a glass of mango lassi and jeera rice.