Paneer curry
for 4 people
This curry is perfect if you don’t have many Indian spices in your pantry as it needs only a couple and is not too spicy, so kids enjoy it.
Ingredients
| 3 Tbsp | Vegetable oil |
| ½ tsp | Cumin seeds |
| 1 | Bay leaf |
| 6 | Green cardamom pods |
| 1 | Onion, finely chopped |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
| ½ tsp | White pepper, ground |
| 2 | Garlic cloves, chopped |
| 1 piece | Ginger, 2cm, peeled and grated |
| 1 tsp | Chilli powder |
| 1 can | Chopped tomatoes, or pureed tomatoes (Main) |
| 80 g | Ground almonds |
| 500 g | Paneer, we use Gopala paneer from New World, cut into rounds or 2.5cm cubes (Main) |
| 1 tsp | Fenugreek, leaves, fried (optional) |
| ½ tsp | Garam masala |
| ½ tsp | Sugar |
| 3 Tbsp | Cream |
| 25 g | Unsalted butter, diced |
| ½ | Lemons, juice only |
| 1 handful | Fresh coriander, to garnish |
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan (with a lid), add the cumin,bay leaf and cardamom. Once these crackle add the onion and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes. Do not let the onion colour. Add salt and cover the pan with its lid. Reduce the heat and let the onion cook slowly for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium. Add the pepper, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced by half and you see the oil leaving the sauce.
- Add the ground almonds (this will thicken the sauce further and give it texture). Cook another 3 minutes.
- Add the paneer and stir gently, making sure you don't crumble the paneer, paneer will soften the more sauce it absorbs. Stir in the dried fenugreek if using, followed by garam masala, sugar and cream. Lower the heat and simmer for a 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, add the butter slowly, a couple of pieces at a time so you emulsify the sauce. Add lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander.
- Serve hot with parathas, roti or naan (we use Kawan frozen wholemeal roti from New World) and basmati rice.