Tomato Paneer is a pleasantly pleasing creamy paneer curry that makes a great side with rotis or naan. Though tomato is the main player here, the magical ingredient is ginger-green chilli paste that sets things off while fresh cream and cashew nut paste play up to give a nutty sweet flavor. Dry kasuri methi lends a subtle depth and accentuates the earthiness of the spices. An easy, light yet rich special curry!
Tomato Paneer Recipe
Preparation: 40 mts
Serves 4-5 persons
Cuisine: North Indian
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1/4 kg paneer Рcube and saut̩ in 1-2 tsps ghee till lightly brown, remove into a bowl, add a cup of water to the fried paneer cubes and let them sit for 4-5mts, drain the water and keep aside
1 large onion (blanch for 6-7 mts and make a coarse paste)
ginger-green chilli paste (1″ ginger piece+5 green chillis)
2 large ripe tomatoes (blanch, de-skin and puree)
1 tsp coriander pwd
large pinch cumin pwd
pinch of haldi/turmeric pwd/pasupu
3/4 tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
garam masala pwd (make a pwd of 3 cloves,1 green cardamom and 1†cinnamon)
1 1/2 tsps malai/fresh cream
cashew nut paste (soak 5-6 cashewnuts in warm water for 10 mts and grind to a paste)
salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsps oil
1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the onion paste and sauté till light brown, approx 6-7 mts. Add ginger-green chilli paste, coriander pwd, turmeric pwd and cumin pwd and combine. Saute for 1-2 mts.
2 Add tomato puree, crushed kasuri methi and salt. Stir and let it simmer for 4-5 mts on low to medium flame.
3 Add the paneer and simmer for 4 mts. Add a cup of water and let it cook on medium heat for 8-10 mts or till you get the desired curry consistency. Remove from fire, stir in fresh cream/malai, cashewnut paste and garam masala pwd. Simmer for 2-3 mts.
4 Let it sit for 10-15 mts before serving. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis or naan.
