Paneer In Spicy And Rich Tomato Gravy

 

 This tasty paneer dish is made in a thick and spicy tomato gravy. I have made it on many occasions and the beautiful red colour of the tomatoes and the richness of the cream mixed in the gravy will definitely tempt you to make it every time, there is paneer in the house.

 Ingredients -

Paneeer (Cottage cheese) - 400 g
Onions grated - 4 medium
Tomatoes - 4 large
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Cream - 1/2 cup
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Fresh Curd - 3 tbsp
Oil - 6 tbsp + frying
Salt - to taste
Hot Water - 1 cup

 For the dry masala -
 Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
 Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
 Pepper corns - 1/2 tbsp
 Cloves - 4
 Cinnamon stick- 1 inch
 Mace( javitri) crushed - 1/2 tbsp
 Nutmeg crushed - 1/4 tsp
 Green cardamoms - 2
 Roast a bit all the ingredients listed in the dry masala and grind it dry.

                  
             Method -

Coat the paneer with the cornflour. Heat a shallow frying pan, put oil in it and fry the paneer till light golden brown.
  Beat the curd with a pinch of salt and red chilli powder and mix it in the paneer and keep the marinated paneer aside.
  Blanch the tomatoes and grind it and keep the puree for later use.
Now heat a deep frying pan with oil in it, put the grated onions in it and fry it to a light brown colour.     
 Mix the ginger-garlic paste, the roasted ground masala (leave 1 tsp of dry masala for later use), turmeric, red chilli powder and salt and stir fry it  for 2 minutes, add the tomato puree and fry it on a low flame until the oil separates.
 Put water in it and bring it to a boil. Pour the cream and add the paneer with the left dry masala and let it simmer in a low heat for a while. Garnish it with coriander leaves or fresh cream. 
 Serve it hot with rumali roti, paratha, pulao or plain rice.