PANEER PASANDA

INGREDIENTS 
For Filling:
250 gm paneer (cottage cheese)
1 small bunch coriander leaves
8-10 washed leaves of mint
2-3 green chillies (optional)
2 tbsp chopped cashew nuts
2 tbsp raisins  
1 cup cornflour
1 tsp salt
water to make thick batter

For gravy:
3-4 sliced or chopped onions
4-5 chopped tomatoes
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp kasuri meethi
3-4 tej pata
2-3 cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp grated jaiphal (nutmeg)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream
salt and red chilli to taste
oil for deep frying

METHOD
Cut paneer into big cubes as shown in pic 1. Keep it aside, let excess water drain out from it.

In a mixer, grind together coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies and little salt. Try not to add any water. For best results, mix and pulse, mix and pulse till it turn into paste. Keep aside.

In small pan, add 1 tsp ghee, add cashew and roast till little brown, add raisins and turn off the flame. Keep aside.

Take the leftover of paneer in a bowl and mash it. Add roasted cashews, raisins and take 3 tbsp thick part of coriander leaves paste. You can use rest of the paste as chutney with cutlets, dahi bhalle etc.

Mix it well, add little salt, take taste test if required adjust salt and pepper accordingly. Filling is ready.


Take paneer cubes, slice it and put generous amount of filling, cover with another cube and keep aside, likewise fill rest of the paneer cubes. Cut it into triangular shape. Keep aside.

Heat oil for frying, by that time mix cornflour, salt. Add water to make thick batter.

Once oil is medium hot, coat triangular paneer cubes and deep fry on medium to high flame. Transfer in absorbent paper and keep aside.

Let's make gravy now:
Heat some oil in pan, add tej pata, cloves, cinnamon and grated jaiphal. Add onions and let it turn brown, now add tomatoes, coriander powder, red chilli and salt. Cover and cook till tomatoes are soft and tender. Once tomatoes are cooked, transfer the paste, except for tej pata and make paste.

Transfer it back in same pan, add butter, kasuri meethi and garam masala. Let gravy cook on low flame till it start releasing the oil or start leaving the sides of pan. Turn off the flame and add cream

Add fried paneer cubes and serve hot with Tandoori Roti or chapati.


NOTES:
1. If don't want to make paste of can simply add chopped coriander and mint leaves.

2. If using paste of coriander leaves, make sure to make it thick or it will make filling flowly and liquidy. 

3. Roasting nuts is optional, roasting makes it crunchy.

4. If cornflour batter will not be thick all the filling will come out while frying, so make sure it is thick, first fry one cube, if comes out perfect it means batter is of right consistency.


Pictorial:

1. Cut paneer in cubes like this. Keep aside. After sometime you will see, excess water from paneer will separate.

2. Mix together washed coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies with little salt.

3. Without adding water make thick paste, if required just add 1-2 tbsp of water.

4. Roast cashews.











5. Take trimed or leftover part of paneer.

6. Mash paneer, add roasted nuts, 2-3 tbsp of coriander paste and little salt. Instead of paste one can add finely chopped coriander and mint leaves.

7. Mix well.

8. Slice thick cubes of paneer. Keep generous filling on one side.

9. Cover with other cube.











10. Slice in triangular shape.

11. Mix together cornflour and salt.

12. Add water to make thick paste.

13. Coat well in batter.

14. Deep fry on high flame to medium flame.

15. It's brown.

16. You can see filling is intact as batter was thick, first fry one cube to check the batter consistency. Keep aside.



For Gravy:

1. Heat oil in pan, add tej pata, cinnamon, grated jaiphal and cloves. Let them splutter, add onions.

2. Add tomatoes and all the mentioned spices except for garam masala and kasuri meethi.

3. Cover with lid.

4. Cook till tomatoes become soft and tender.

5. Keep tej pata aside and grind rest.

6. Transfer it back in same pan.

7. Add butter and cook till gravy start leaving the sides of pan.

8. Turn off the flame and add cream.















9. Add paneer cubes garnish with coriander leaves and fresh cream.

10. Closer look!

       

Baca Juga