Paneer masala

A staple at every Indian restaurant, paneer butter masala is an all-time favorite. Delicious cubes of paneer (Indian cheese) in a rich and creamy tomato sauce can make anybody drool. I have tried for several years to perfect this recipe and I finally think I've got it right. I don't have any butter in my recipe because the cream alone makes it rich enough but if you like butter, go for it! I like the bite that the bell peppers and onions provide. Most of the ingredients for this recipe should be readily available in an Indian grocery store. I can actually find most of the items at my local HEB (grocery chain in Texas). Serve this curry with rice, naan or roti. It makes a great celebration meal and is totally worth the effort and the calories! This curry can be made a day in advance. The flavors enhance while the curry sits in your fridge and will taste much better the following day (re-heat on stove instead of microwave for best results).

Serves: 4 | Prep. time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil

• 12 cashews

• 1 dried red chili pepper (I used a de Arbol chili pepper but if you can find Kashmiri red chili pepper, that is ideal)

• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped

• 1/3 cup cubed red onions

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes (or 3-4 chopped tomatoes)

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• small pinch of ground cloves

• 1 small stick of cinnamon

• small pinch of ground cardamom

• 1/2 cup diced red onion (1 inch pieces)

• 3/4 cup diced red and green bell peppers (1 inch pieces)

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (optional)

• 1 tbsp ground coriander

• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp Garam Masala

• 1/2 tbsp Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

• salt

• 1/2 cup paneer cubes (1 inch cubes)

• 3-4 tbsp heavy cream or coconut cream

• 1 tsp sugar or honey

• 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Soak the cashews and dried red chili pepper in warm water for about an hour.

2. In a pan on medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp oil. Once warm, add the soaked cashews and red chili pepper, garlic, ginger and 1/3 cup of cubed onions. Add salt and ground turmeric. Stir for 3-4 minutes until onions turn translucent.

3. Add the canned or fresh tomatoes and let everything cook for another 3-4 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and transfer the contents of the pan into a blender. If your blender cannot handle very hot items, wait for the mixture to cool down before blending.

5. Blend on low speed for 2 minutes till the mixture achieves a smooth consistency. Set aside

6. In the same pan, on medium heat, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, ground cloves and ground cardamom (I didn't add more oil to the pan but if you want, you can add more oil or butter). Once the cumin seeds begin to crackle, add the diced onions, bell peppers and 1/2 tsp salt. Let the vegetables cook for 5 minutes, stirring intermittently.

7. Add the blended tomato mixture back into the pan along with the Kashmiri red chili powder (Optional. If the dry chili you used earlier is hot, do not add any chili powder), ground coriander, ground turmeric, Garam masala and Kasoori methi. Stir everything together and then add the paneer pieces. Stir gently to coat the paneer with the sauce and let everything cook for about 10 minutes. The sauce will start bubbling. Stir intermittently to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan.

8. Add the sugar and cream (You can add more cream if you like it creamier). Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

9. At this point, taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.

10. Turn the heat off and stir in the lime juice.

11. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot.