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RECIPE

Paneer masala

This tomato-cheese dish blends the texture of the white-cheese paneer with the flavors of cashews, onions, tomatoes and Maharashtrian spices.

articlemain
  • place PRE 15 minutes
  • place COOK 25 minutes
  • place SERVES 4
  • printicon

The women make their own tomato paste but you can use bought tomato paste.

Recipe adapted from: Masala Mamas, edited by Elana Sztokman; Lioness £24.99

  • First, prepare your cashew paste. Soak the cashews in warm water for 45 minutes.
  • Grind the soaked cashew nuts with 2 tablespoons of warm water in a blender in order to make cashew paste.
  • Next prepare your tomato paste. Peel and deseed the tomatoes, then place them in a saucepan with boiling water, and boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from the water and blend in a blender, food processor, or grinder. Blend until you have the texture of a puree.
  • Heat cooking oil or ghee in a large saucepan over a medium flame. Add ginger-garlic paste and bay leaves, and sauté. Then add grated onion and sauté until onion turns light brown – approximately 4-5 minutes.
  • Add green chili pepper and red chili powder and sauté for a minute. Add cashew nut paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree and cook until oil starts to separate from the puree, around 3-4 minutes.
  • Add coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder and mix well. Add milk, ½ cup water, and salt. Mix and cook on a low heat until oil comes to the surface, around 4-5 minutes.
  • Add paneer cubes and fenugreek leaves, and cook for approximately 2 minutes or until you get desired consistency of gravy.
l Transfer prepared curry to a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves, paneer, cream or cube of butter and serve.
Allow 45 minutes soaking time for the cashew nuts
Ingredients

15 whole cashews

2 large tomatoes

2-3 tbsp oil or ghee

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2-3 bay leaves

1 large onion, grated

1 green chili pepper, diced

1 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp garam masala powder

120 ml milk

120 ml water

1 tsp salt

250 grams paneer cut into 2-cm cubes

2 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (methi leaves)

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