Handi Paneer

This is another old recipe that I remember when Amul Paneer had been newly launched in India. It took awhile for it to reach my small city down south. Those were the days when finding things like paneer in Pondichery was difficult and I had to bug my dad to take me all the way into town to buy it from the small store near Manakula Vinayagar temple. I forget the name of the store though. They were one of those stores where you could buy cube cheese, tomato puree and some of those off-beat stuff which were difficult to even explain to the small store around the street corner.

So anyways, this was long ago before I learnt how to make paneer at home. I noticed the recipe behind the packet and decided to follow it to the T. One, it did not call for too many ingredients and two, I had all of them at home. There was no need to bug my dad to take me shopping again.

I bought some paneer from the Indian Store last Diwali and VJ wanted to eat something really spicy. I had a couple of green bell peppers at home and decided to tweak the recipe a bit. Surprisingly I found the recipe online on the Amul website. I make it quite often when we have paneer at home and it's also become quite a favorite with VJ.

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms

Green bell peppers - 2 to 3

Onions - 3 medium size

Tomato - 1 medium size

Green chillies - 2 to 3 depending on how spicy they are

Ginger - 1 inch piece cut into strips

Bay Leaf - 1 medium size

Curd - 1/2 cup

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1 to 2 tsp

Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Coriander leaves - optional

Method:

1. Set the paneer out to defrost. It also helps to immerse them in warm water for about ten minutes. This makes the paneer absorb the gravy and masalas better.

2. Cut the onions, tomato and green bell peppers into 1 inch square pieces. Slit the green chillies.

3. Add oil in a big thick bottomed vessel and splutter the cumin seeds. Add the onions and fry until they are transparent and lightly browned in the corners.

4. Then add the cut bell peppers and fry for another 5 minutes until they begin to soften lightly.

5. Move the vessel over to another stove that is not hot and add the ginger, chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. Mix well and move it back to the hot stove.

6. Add the tomatoes, green chilli and tej patta. Mix and let it cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are completely cooked.

7. Add the curds and cook until it is well blended and starts to leave oil.

8. Add water as needed, paneer and salt. Mix and cook with a lid for about 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Switch off the stove. Now add the pepper powder and coriander leaves. Cover and let it sit on the stove covered.

Source:

http://www.amul.com/recipes/paneer2.html

The website also has some other nice paneer recipes that you can try.

P.S.: My photographer is in the US and I am in Germany for our respective summer internships, so pics will be added soon once I get back home to the US and my photographer :) 

P.P.S.:Updated with pics!!!