Paneer Makhani

One of my favorite Indian food blogs is finally posting again! To celebrate, I tried the paneer recipe featured on it. YUMMY!

The paneer makhani was a little heavy, so pairing it with a simple vegetable dish would balance out the richness.

225g paneer, cut into cubes

1/4 tomato

5 tbsp yogurt

chilli powder, 1/2 tsp

cayenne pwdr, 1/2 tsp

almond powder, 1 tbsp (or grind 5 almonds with skin removed)

1 black cardamom

1 bay leaf

1"ginger, chopped fine

In a blender or food processor, add the tomato, almond powder, 2 tbsp yogurt, chilli and cayenne powder and blend to a smooth paste.

In a shallow pan, heat olive oil and drop in the cardamom and bay leaf. Let it sizzle for a bit, and then add the minced ginger. Lower heat and saute the ginger for 2-3 minutes till golden. At this time, add the tomato and yogurt paste to the oil. Add an additional 3 tbsp of yogurt and mix well. Turn the flame to low (to avoid burning the yogurt) and cook for 15-20minutes. The water will evaporate and the gravy will become thick and reddish-brown. At this time, add in the paneer pieces and cover with the gravy. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add salt and taste.

I found the gravy to be a little too tangy for my liking, so I added a dash of milk to the dish. When incorporated, I found it reduced the sourness and added a creamy taste to the dish.

Enjoy with naan/ roti.