Spicy Shahi Paneer

Paneer or the Cottage Cheese is easily available in the grocery stores or can be prepared at home. As the Paneer is made of milk it is rich in calcium. Shahi Paneer is a house hold Indian dish that is made with lot of delicacy. Usually all the recipes made out of Paneer are awesome and difficult to resist. But Shahi Paneer is the most common yet too tasty and easy to make recipe.

Ingredients (Serving 4) :

• Oil
• 500 gms Cottage Cheese / Paneer
• Few Bay leaves
• Water
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Medium Sized Onions
• Salt to Taste
• ½  inch Ginger & 3 Garlic Paste
• 3 Green Cardamom Powder
• 1 Black Cardamom Powder
• 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder(Mild hot but has a good color and flavor)
• ¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder
• 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi
• ¼ tsp Shahi Jeera / Caraway/Black Cumin Seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder / Dhania
• ¼ tsp Cumin / jeera Seed Powder
• ¼ tsp Garam Masala

Method:

1. Cut the Paneer pieces in any shape as you like.
2. Deep fry or shallow fry them in a non stick pan just for a while till they are golden in color.
3. Strain out the fried Cottage cheese pieces and keep it dipped in water till we prepare the curry or gravy.
4. In the hot Oil add the Bay leaves and Cloves then the finely grated Onions.
5. Add Salt and then sauté the Onions till they are transparent.
6. Now add the Ginger & Garlic paste and again sauté for a while.
7. After this add Green & Black Cardamom Powder, Red Chili Powder and Cinnamon Powder.
8. And then pour the Tomato puree in it.
9. Mix well and then add Turmeric Powder.
10. After sautéing this for a minute adds the Paneer pieces along with as much water in the pan that they are completely dipped in it.
11. Then we will add and mix the rest of the spices that is Black Cumin seeds, Coriander powder and Cumin seed powder.
12. Cover the pan now and keep the Paneer to cook for 15 minutes on a low flame till the water is a bit evaporated and the pieces of Paneer absorb the masala turning spongy increasing a bit in size.
13. This will make sure that the Shahi Paneer is ready.
14. Garnish it with Garam Masala and Coriander Leaves.
15. You can serve it hot with Paratha or Rice.

Tips:

• The gravy and a Paneer recipe is more tasty when it is made of full cream milk.