Here is a paneer masala recipe that sneaks in tons of veggies and yet tastes like the restaurant-made stuff. This quick recipe can easily be made on a weeknight if you do a bit of prepping up in the morning.
How to make paneer from scratch
Paneer is Indian cottage cheese made from curdled milk. It is unripened It is easily available in the stores in fresh or frozen forms. Paneer is a good source of proteins (16-18%), calcium and phosphorus, especially for vegetarians. It is also rich in vitamins A and D. Paneer can be a nutritious source for expectant mothers, growing children and adolescents.
It is equally easy to prepare at home. Homemade paneer has the added benefit of not having any preservatives that are found in store-bought ones. I find it to be the best way to use up spoilt milk.
To make paneer, aka chenna, in some parts of India, we boil the milk and then add an acidic ingredient to curdle the protein. A litre of milk will need approximately 2 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice to curdle. Bring the milk to a boil before you add the vinegar or lemon juice. As soon as you add the acidic agent, you will see that the milk curdles. Remove the milk from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir it to ensure the milk curdles uniformly.
Once the mixture cools down, you can strain the curdled milk into muslin or cheesecloth. Keep the cheesecloth containing the curdled milk under a heavy object for some time to squeeze out the whey. The weight will also help the paneer to take shape, making it easier to cut.
Paneer has a poor shelf life. Unused paneer should be stored under water in a refrigerator and be used within 7 to 10 days. Remember to change the water after every 2-3 days to keep the paneer from spoiling. Please don’t use paneer if it develops a slim coating on the surface.
Before using the paneer in cooking, it is traditionally cut and fried to firm it up. I just add paneer directly to the gravy to avoid adding additional fats to the dish. Also, much as I love cooking, I hate frying and the mess it creates in the kitchen.
Ingredients for paneer masala
- 200 gm paneer
- 1 medium sized onion, sliced
- 2 medium sized tomatoes, cubed
- 1 large carrot
- 10-12 cashewnut
- 3-4 pods of garlic
- 5-6 black peppercorns
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1tbsp garam masala powder
- 0.5 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp oil
You can use fresh or frozen paneer if you are not able to make it at home.
Step-by-step recipe
Add the tomatoes, onions, carrots, cashew nuts and garlic to a pressure cooker/instapot and cook till soft (3 whistles is a pressure cooker/ 8-10 minutes in Instapot). Allow the cooker to cool down. I usually do this prep in the morning so I can quickly rustle up the paneer masala for dinner in the evening.
Grind the cooled vegetables and cashew nuts to a smooth paste. Reserve the water in which the vegetables were boiled for use later. We don’t want to lose any nutrients released into the water. Remember to remove the skin from tomatoes before grinding.
While the restaurants generally strain this puree for an ultra-smooth texture, I just grind it extra fine and don’t strain it. Straining the puree might enhance the texture, but you lose out on the healthy vegetable fibre. Hence I don’t bother with the straining, and highly suggest you don’t do as well.
Heat a saucepan with 2 tbsp of oil or butter. Add the black pepper, cinnamon and bay leaf. Once the spices release their aromas, you can pour in the vegetable puree.
Cook on low-medium flame with some reserved water from the cooked vegetables. Once the gravy starts to simmer, add the Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika and garam masala.
Bring the gravy to a simmer. Add the honey and salt to taste. You may choose to shallow fry the paneer or just add it directly, as I do.
Simmer for another 1-2 minutes, just long enough to heat the paneer through. If you haven’t fried the paneer, be gentle while stirring it, or it will break.
Turn off the flame and serve the healthiest paneer masala recipe piping hot!
Variations to the dish
You can do several variations to this dish and keep your family guessing!
- Add other vegetables in place of or in addition to paneer. Some vegetable combinations that go well with paneer include mushrooms, peas, baby corn, and sweetcorn.
- Separately roast cubed onions, capsicum and mushrooms till slightly charred and add to the gravy.
- You can add a tbsp of dried kasoori methi/fenugreek leaves at the end to finish off with a nice flavour. Remember to warm up the leaves lightly to release the aroma. Crush the leaves by rubbing them between your palms, and add the powder to the gravy.
How to serve paneer masala
Paneer masala can be served as a main dish with Indian flatbreads such as naan, roti or paratha.
You can also serve it alongside rice as a side dish or gravy. A simple rice tempered with cummin seeds, chopped onions, and chillies is a great way to make a special weekday dinner. Just heat 1-2 tbsp of oil and add a tsp of cumin seeds. Allow them to splutter and release their aroma. Then add chopped onions and chillies. Allow the onions to caramelise a bit, and then add a bowl of rice. Leftover rice, which is cooled in the refrigerator, works best for this dish. Toss the rice until it is evenly heated, and finish with a sprinkle of fresh coriander leaves. This simple rice is an excellent accompaniment to all sorts of Indian gravies or can even be had by itself with some pickle and yoghurt on the side.
Do try this recipe and let me know how it turns out. It might soon be your weeknight favorite!
Paneer masala
Equipment
- Pressure cooker/ Instapot
- Kadhai/ wide saucepan
Ingredients
- 200 gm fresh/frozen paneer
- 1 medium sized onion sliced
- 2 medium sized tomatoes cubed
- 1 large carrot
- 10-12 cashewnut
- 3-4 pods of garlic
- 5-6 black peppercorns
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala powder
- 0.5 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, onions, carrots, cashew nuts and garlic to a pressure cooker/instapot and cook till soft (3 whistles is a pressure cooker/ 8-10 minutes in Instapot). Allow the cooker to cool down.
- Grind the cooled vegetables and cashew nuts to a smooth paste. Reserve the water in which the vegetables were boiled for use later.
- Heat a saucepan with 2 tbsp of oil or butter. Add the black pepper, cinnamon and bay leaf. Once the spices release their aromas, pour in the vegetable puree.
- Cook on low-medium flame with some reserved water from the cooked vegetables. Once the gravy starts to simmer, add the Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika and garam masala.
- Bring the gravy to a simmer. Add the honey and salt to taste. You may shallow fry the paneer before adding it or just add it directly.
- Simmer for another 1-2 minutes, just long enough to heat the paneer through.
- Turn off the flame and serve the healthiest paneer masala recipe piping hot!
Notes
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