Authors: Neelam Batra

1,000 Indian Recipes (187 page)

BOOK: 1,000 Indian Recipes

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Makes 4 to 6 servings

Paneer
cheese cooked in a fresh coconut
masala
(a paste made by grinding together coconut, onion, and other fresh ingredients) with the southern flavors of mustard seeds and curry leaves is an unusual addition to the predominantly north Indian
paneer
repertoire.

The deep-green Mexican pasilla peppers are a variety that falls between jalapeño and green bell peppers in heat (although some can be really hot) and work well in this dish.

¹⁄
₄cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)

4 to 6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 (3-inch-piece) fresh coconut, peeled and coarsely chopped, or 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1 pasilla pepper or green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

15 to 20 fresh curry leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹⁄
₈teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 tablespoon ground coriander

³⁄
₄teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹⁄
₂cups frozen corn (unthawed)

¹⁄
₂teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

¹⁄
₂cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. Prepare the paneer cheese then cut into thin 1-inch pieces. In a food processor or a blender, process together the ginger, coconut, and pasilla pepper until minced. Add the onion and curry leaves and pulse a few times, until just minced. (Do not overprocess or the onion will become watery.)

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin and mustard seeds; they should splatter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and lower the heat until the splattering subsides. Quickly add the ginger-onion mixture and cook, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes.

3.
Add the asafoetida, coriander, and salt, then add the paneer cheese and coconut milk, and cook over medium heat, turning the pieces carefully, until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

4.
Add the frozen corn, cover the wok, and cook, stirring carefully, over medium-low heat, until the corn is tender and all the moisture is absorbed into the paneer, about 10 minutes. Mix in the black pepper and cilantro, transfer to a serving dish, and serve.

Griddle-Fried Paneer Cheese

Tava-Paneer

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Indian cuisine has several showcase dishes that are cooked on a large (sometimes up to 2 feet in diameter), concave cast-iron griddle right in front of guests. This griddle, called a
tava
or
tawa
, is much larger than the small, almost indispensable
tava
used for everyday flatbreads.

As the
tava
sits on the hot stove, its center shimmers with a thin layer of sizzling oil. Along the periphery lies a variety of marinated or partially cooked vegetables,
paneer
cheese, and meats that receive final touches at the hands of the chef—who quickly stir-fries them with one or more of the many tomato-based sauces and spice blends that lie close at hand. The sauces coat the pieces and then are absorbed or evaporate, dyeing the
paneer
an exotic reddish hue. This is my home version, made in a skillet.

¹⁄
₂teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)

¹⁄
₂cup canned tomato sauce

¹⁄
₄cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 tablespoons melted ghee or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ajwain seeds, coarsely crushed

2 small onions, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 (1-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks + 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹⁄
₂teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₄cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Prepare the paneer cheese then cut it into
³⁄
₄-inch pieces. In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, cream, and garam masala.

2.
Heat the ghee or oil on a large tava griddle or a skillet over medium-high heat and add the cumin and ajwain seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and ginger matchsticks and cook, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.
Add the minced ginger, green chile peppers, and coriander, stir about 30 seconds, then add the paneer cheese pieces and salt. Cook, carefully turning the pieces, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.

4.
Add the tomato-cream mixture and cook, stirring and turning the pieces carefully, until the liquid evaporates completely, leaving behind a lovely red glaze, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the cilantro and stir another minute. Sprinkle the chaat masala on top and serve straight from the tava or transfer to a serving dish.

Variation:
For a variety of flavors, mix in finely chopped bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or other vegetables and use any of the sauces in the
Vegetarian Curries
chapter instead of the tomato-cream sauce.

Silky Paneer Cheese Curry with Red Chile Peppers

Paneer, Laal Mirchi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

My India-born friend Rita Bhalla, who now lives in Los Angeles, calls this her "red chile
paneer
" because the main flavor and heat comes from whole and ground red chile peppers. Whipping cream lends this dish its signature silky-creamy texture and a lovely yellow-white color.

1 tablespoon
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 to 6 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

¹⁄
₄to
¹⁄
₂cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹⁄
₂teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

¹⁄
₄teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹⁄
₂cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹⁄
₄teaspoon garam masala

1.
Prepare the ginger-garlic paste. Prepare the paneer cheese and cut it into 1-inch-by-
¹⁄
₂-inch pieces. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the red chile peppers, stirring, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes and cook until the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the cream and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it is well incorporated into the sauce, about 5 minutes. Mix in the coriander, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and salt, then add the paneer cheese and cook, stirring carefully, about 5 minutes. Mix in the cilantro and cook about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Stir-Fried Paneer Cheese with Onions and Bell Peppers

Kadhai Paneer

Makes 4 to 6 servings

A kadhai
is an Indian wok used to make a lot of different dishes. However, only dishes with the flavors that emerge when fresh onions, bell peppers, ginger, and garlic are cooked with selected Indian spices such as fenugreek, fennel, and dried pomegranate seeds, are considered
kadhai
foods. So, it is the flavor, not the pan, that describes
kadhai
dishes.

Instead of the
paneer
cheese in this
kadhai
, you can use boiled potatoes, mixed vegetables, chicken, lamb, or seafood. Cook the vegetables in the dish until they are very soft and mushy—an Indian preference—or stop cooking when they are crisp-tender.