The absolute favorite of a Paneer lover - the Paneer tikka in a gravy aka the Paneer tikka masala. This lip-smacking curry is truly a vegetarian favorite.
Though the recipe takes a tad bit more time, the result is amazing. The recipe is pretty much the same everywhere.
It takes about an hour to prepare 4 servings.
Ingredients:
Paneer - 200g [cubed]
Capsicum - 1 small [chopped roughly]
Onion - 1+1 [chopped roughly]
Tomato - 1 [chopped roughly]
Ginger - 1 inch
Cashew nuts - 7-8
Curds - 250ml
Red Chilli powder - 1+1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chat masala - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1+1 tsp
Aamchur powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 1tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp + 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Fresh cream - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp [chopped finely]
Method:
In a mixing bowl, add curds, 1 tsp each of red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chat masala, garam masala, aamchur powder and little bit of salt to taste. Mix all to make a smooth paste. Add Paneer cubes, 1 roughly chopped onion and capsicum pieces. Mix well and allow to marinate the paneer for a minimum of 20mins.
In a kadai, heat 1 tsp oil. Add 1 roughly chopped onion and tomato. Cook till tomato becomes soft. Add Ginger and cashew nuts. Remove the kadai from heat and allow it to cool. Once the mixture is cooled, grind the mixture to form a smooth paste.
In the kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil. Place the paneer cubes such that a crispy golden colored layer forms on the paneer. Keep flipping the paneer pieces such that all the sides of paneer cubes becomes crispy. Remove the paneer cubes and add the capsicum and onion pieces and fry till they turn crispy.
In the kadai, add butter and 1 tbsp oil. Once they are heated, add cumin seeds. Add the tomato - onion paste and mix well. Add the left over curd mixture and mix well again. Add 1 tsp each of red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt to taste. Mix till all powders are well combined. Add the shallow-fried paneer, capsicum and onion pieces. Mix everything and add water if required to form a nice curry. Garnish using fresh cream and chopped coriander leaves.
The paneer tikka masala goes well with literally any Indian bread - chapathi, roti, kulcha or naan. Do let me know how you liked the recipe in the comments below.
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