how2heroes » Mutter Paneer

International » Mutter Paneer

Have you ever made your own curry? This is a great one to try. It's a delicious tomato-based curry dish that is enhanced with great spices like paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper. It also calls for Paneer, an Indian cheese which is actually really easy to make from scratch with just 2 simple ingredients - milk and lemon.

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Ingredients

Flour for dusting the paneer
6 tbsp clarified butter
½ tsp ground cumin
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tsp pressed or mashed garlic
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1-½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
2-½ - 3 cups hot water, divided
10 oz peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tsp kosher salt

To Finish

2 tsp garam masala
4 tbsp minced cilantro

Special Equipment

Immersion blender (ideal!), blender or food processor

How-to

Heat 3 tbs clarified butter in a large heavy-bottomed pan (non-stick is preferable) over medium heat until very hot
Dust the pieces of paneer in flour, and cook in the hot butter until lightly browned. This should be done in batches so that there is plenty of room to turn the paneer. Transfer the cooked pieces to a plate
Add the remaining 3 tbs clarified butter to the pan and increase the heat to high
Add the cumin and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant
Add the onions and cook until golden, stirring often to prevent uneven browning
Add the garlic and ginger and cook a couple of minutes longer
Add the coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and paprika. Incorporate well into the onion mixture, then immediately add the tomatoes
Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the fat begins to separate, about 10 minutes
Add 2-1/2 cups hot water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and let cook about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and puree with an immersion blender or in a regular blender food processor until just slightly coarse
If using a regular blender or food processor, return the sauce to the pan
Add 1/2 cup hot water, peas, salt, and the fried paneer to the pan
Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through
Right before serving, stir in the garam masala and the cilantro
Serve with basmati rice