Paneer Pasanda

Paneer Pasanda is a popular and delicious Indian curry dish made with paneer and a rich, creamy sauce that is infused with spices.

Recipe Source Link:https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/paneer-pasanda/

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RECIPE INGREDIENTS

» For Paneer Pasanda

• 500 grams paneer (cottage cheese), cut into 1-inch thick slices

» Ingredients For Green chutney

• A handful of coriander & mint leaves
• 1-inch piece of ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 large or 2-3 small garlic cloves
• 1 small green chili
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Water as required

» Ingredients for filling

• 50 grams, I used trimmed paneer scrapes
• 1 tablespoon cashew nuts, chopped
• 1 tablespoon almonds, chopped
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 2-3 tablespoons green chutney

» Ingredients for cornstarch coating

• 2+2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Water as required

» For onion cashew paste:

• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 1.5-inch ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 medium-sized onions, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Water as required

» For shallow frying:

• Oil, as required

» For gravy

• 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped or minced
• Onion cashew paste
• 1.5 teaspoons red chili powder, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup yogurt at room temperature, whisked until smooth
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh cream
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
• Water, as required

» For garnish

• Fresh cream
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) chopped

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

» Make Green chutney

1. Add green chili, ginger, garlic, mint-coriander leaves, lemon juice, salt, and 2-3 tablespoons of water to a blending jar. Blend to make a thick fine paste. Make sure that you don't use too much water. Green chutney is ready, set it aside.

» Cut the paneer

1. Trim the sides of the paneer, and cut it into thin rectangles or square slices, about 0.5 cm or less. Alternatively, make a slit in thicker slices keeping the end intact. Reserve trimmings for filling.

» Make Filling

1. Add the paneer trimmings to a pan, and crumble them using your hands. You can also grate paneer pieces. Add 2-3 teaspoons of green chutney, salt, chat masala powder, sugar, ground black pepper, and cardamom. Mix well until everything is well combined.

» Assemble paneer sandwiches

1. Spread the filling on a paneer slice and top it with another slice to make a sandwich. Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and water until you get a smooth and semi-thick slurry. Add dry cornstarch to a plate.
2. Coat the sides of the paneer sandwich with cornstarch slurry and then seal the sides with dry cornstarch. Repeat until all the sandwich edges are coated. Keep them aside for 10 minutes.

» Shallow fry paneer

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the paneer sandwiches and shallow or deep-fry them in hot oil until they turn slightly golden from the bottom. Flip the sandwiches and fry them until they are lightly golden from all sides. Do not over-fry them. Remove the fried paneer sandwiches from the oil, and transfer them to a kitchen tissue-lined plate to cool slightly. Fry all the paneer sandwiches. Once the fried pieces are rested for about five minutes, transfer them to a wooden board and slice them diagonally.

» Make onion cashew puree

1. To a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil. Then add whole spices; bay leaves, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, black cardamom, and cloves. Sauté for a few seconds or till they turn aromatic. Then add chopped onion, ginger, and garlic cloves. Sauté for 2 minutes on medium heat.
2. Add cashew, and saute for 1 minute. Salt and mix well. Sauté until everything is slightly golden. Then add 2 cups of water and cover the pan. Let it cook for 7-8 minutes or until the onions are soft and the water is reduced.
3. Switch off the flame and set it aside for about 10-15 minutes or until cooled. Discard the bay leaves and black cardamom. After that, add the cooled onion-cashew mixture to a blender jar. Also add some water, if needed. Blend it to make a smooth-fine puree.

» Make Paneer Pasanda Gravy

1. Heat add oil/ghee + butter in a thick-bottomed pan over medium heat. Once hot, add chopped green chilies, chopped garlic, and chopped ginger. Mix and cook for about 1 minute. Next, add onion cashew puree along with 1/2 cup of water and cook it on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes; keep stirring continuously.
2. Then add cumin powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder, and mix well. Let the onion puree cook with spices for 5-6 minutes or until it oozes with oil and thickens. Once the gravy is thick, turn off the heat and add yogurt to the gravy (sauce). Mix everything well. Once mixed, turn the heat to low and add water to adjust the consistency.
3. Add salt, and cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes. Add cream and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add kasuri methi, garam masala powder, and sugar. Mix well and cook for 2 more minutes.

» Serve

1. Transfer the sauce to a serving dish. Drizzle with some cream and sprinkle with coriander leaves. Top with paneer triangles, and drizzle the top with some more gravy, and cream. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves. Paneer pasanda is ready, serve it hot with paratha, roti, naan, or any other flatbread of your choice.

RECIPE NOTES

1. To release the flavors of spices, cook the sauce on low heat. This will help the flavors to meld together and make the dish even more inviting.
2. It is advisable to make it creamy, add cream almost at the end of the cooking process.
3. It is a slightly hot recipe. But it can be made mild or spicy depending on your preference. So feel free to adjust the amount of red chili powder and other spices according to your taste.
4. Use a heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai to make this curry. This will help to cook the dish evenly and prevent burning.