Panneer Masala

Kitchensanctuary.com  paneer -can reduce curry and also garam masala plus serve with blanched almonds. Would be great with spinach paneer kofta rather than straight kofta. If straight kofta, don’t heat the kofta in microwave they are better if not piping hot, flavour changes to not fabulous if you do. Use much less than half of the curry cardamom and got a masala maybe even much less than a third.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion peeled and roughly chopped

• 4 cloves garlic peeled

• 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp oil

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 ½ tbsp garam masala

• 1 tbsp medium-heat curry powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock

• 400 ml (14oz) passata

• 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA)

• 2 tsp sugar

• 6 cardamom pods

• 175 ml (¾ cup) double (heavy) cream

• 450 g (1 lb) paneer cheese , chopped into bite-size chunks

To Serve

• Fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped

• Thinly sliced red onion

• Nigella seeds

• Naan bread

Instructions

• Place the roughly chopped onion, garlic and ginger into a food processor and blend until smooth.

  1 large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger

• Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.

  3 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp oil

• Add the minced onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to brown at the edges of the pan.

• Add the salt, garam masala, curry powder, paprika and cinnamon. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the spices start to release their fragrance.

  1/4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp garam masala, 1 tbsp medium-heat curry powder, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp cinnamon

• Add the stock, passata, tomato puree, sugar and cardamom.

  180 ml (3/4 cup) chicken stock, 400 ml (14oz) passata, 2 tbsp tomato puree (paste in USA), 2 tsp sugar, 6 cardamom pods

• Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.

• Remove the cardamom then stir in the cream and allow to heat through.

  175 ml (¾ cup) double (heavy) cream

• Carefully stir in the paneer and cook for a further 3 minutes, until the paneer is heated through.

  450 g (1 lb) paneer cheese

• Serve with some freshly chopped coriander, thinly sliced red onion and a sprinkling of Nigella seeds. I like to serve mine with naan bread for dipping too.

  Fresh coriander (cilantro), Thinly sliced red onion, Nigella seeds, Naan bread