Shahi Paneer

"Paneer", or cottage-cheese, is as well-known amongst Americans as Indians. And I personally have friends who love it so much, they make me take them to Indian restaurants for lunches whenever possible. So here's a simple paneer recipe called "Shahi Paneer" that you can easily make at home! It is also by names like "Paneer makhani" or "Paneer makhanvala". So no matter what name you are looking for, the technique remains the same:)

Ingredients
Fresh Paneer - (slab can be found at indian grocery stores)
1 Onion
1 cup Tomato puree
Spices -Ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice to taste, 2-3 bay leaves, half stick of cinnamon, turmeric-1 tsp, cumin seeds, garam masala powder-1 tsp
Chopped coriander and some shredded paneer for garnishing
1/2 cup Whipping cream
2 tbsp Oil for saute

Method
Chop the onions and grind them on Pulse so that its minced, but not blended.

Now take a huge pan, add some oil to it and then the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and the onion. When its golden and cooked entirely, add the tomato puree and saute for some time. Then add all the spices- chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and mix well. Add some water to create enough gravy then cook covered for 5-10 mins on medium flame.

Then add the whipping cream and stir continuously and cook for another 10 mins. When the gravy looks thick and creamy, add the lemon juice to taste and let it cook.

Slice the paneer into small cubes. You can keeep the paneer referigerated for 3-4 days, but remove it and keep outside at least for 15 mins before you want to serve the curry. Now add the paneer cubes to the gravy, cook another 5 mins and take it off the flame.

Garnish with coriander and shredded paneer when ready to serve. Enjoy your Shahi Paneer with Naan or Vegetable Fried Rice!

Tip: If the paneer is hard, cut into cubes and dip in salt water for 5 mins. This will make it soft!