How to Cook Indian (66 page)

Paneer Makhni

Paneer
in a silky tomato sauce

Makhni
can mean two things when it comes to food: that the sauce is as smooth as butter, or that there is a lot of butter in the sauce. In this case, it means both. Here, in one of the best-selling dishes in restaurants in India,
paneer
gets the royal treatment: The curry is as smooth as butter, and there is plenty of it in the sauce as well. The sourness of the tomatoes is cleverly tempered by the honey, and the dried fenugreek leaves add a heady aroma. Serve the dish with
naan
(page 20) or
parathas
(page 18).

Serves 4.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 green cardamom pods

½ blade mace

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled, roughly chopped

2½ teaspoons
deghi mirch
(red chile) powder (page 587)

18 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

1¾ teaspoons table salt

1 cup (240 grams) butter

2 teaspoons ground roasted
kasoori methi
(dried fenugreek leaves)

1 tablespoon honey

½ cup (100 ml) heavy cream

12 ounces (350 grams)
paneer
(pressed fresh cheese; page 17), cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) triangles

1. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cardamom and mace. Sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

2. Stir the chile powder into 3 tablespoons water to make a paste. Add this paste to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds.

3. Add the tomatoes and salt, and cook for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are pulpy. Pour through a strainer into a nonstick saucepan. Transfer the solids to a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Push the solids through the strainer into the strained liquid. Add ¾ cup (150 ml) water and stir well.

4. Place a nonstick griddle over medium heat and place the pan with the sauce over it. Add the butter and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the raw flavors of tomato disappear.

5. Add the
kasoori methi
and honey. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook for 2 minutes.

6. Add the
paneer
and stir gently.

7. Serve hot.

Paneer Piste Ka Salan

Paneer
and pistachio curry

Get ready for a pleasant journey: When you try this dish, your taste buds will travel from the nuttiness of the pistachios to the cleansing effect of the green chutney. When I was researching this recipe, I added
paneer
instead of the typical chicken or meat. I did that because I wanted to increase the choices for vegetarians when it comes to royal cuisine, and I believe that this rich and silky curry is a great addition.

Serves 4.

2 cups (400 ml) vegetable oil

2 large red onions, sliced

1¼ cup (150 grams) shelled pistachios, blanched and peeled (see Note page 40)

½ cup (125 grams) plain yogurt

1 pound (500 grams)
paneer
(pressed fresh cheese; page 17)

¼ cup (50 grams)
pudina aur dhaniya
chutney (mint-and-cilantro chutney; page 22)

1 tablespoon fresh garlic paste (page 12)

½ tablespoon fresh ginger paste (page 12)

¼ cup (50 grams) ghee (page 37)

5 green cardamom pods

5 whole cloves

1-inch (2½-cm) cinnamon stick

2 blades mace

7 or 8 saffron threads, crushed

½ teaspoon
garam masala
(spice mix; page 27)

2 teaspoons table salt

2 or 3 drops
kewra
(screw pine) water (page 588)

1. Place a nonstick wok over medium heat and add the oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the wok, add half of the onions and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon, until browned. Remove with the slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

2. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the pistachios for garnish. Put the remaining pistachios in a food processor. Add the remaining sliced onions, 2 tablespoons of the browned onions, and the yogurt, and process to a smooth paste.

3. Cut the
paneer
into 1-inch (2½-cm) triangles. Put in a bowl, add the chutney, and stir gently. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

4. Put the garlic paste and ginger paste in a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons water, and stir well.

5. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the ghee. When the ghee melts and small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and mace, and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger paste mixture, and sauté for 15 seconds. Add the pistachio paste, stir, and cover. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the saffron,
garam masala,
salt, and 1 cup (200 ml) water, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

6. Place another nonstick sauté pan over medium heat and add the
paneer.
Sauté over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring gently so that the
paneer
pieces do not break. Transfer to a serving dish.

7. Add the
kewra
water to the simmering pistachio sauce and stir. Immediately pour the sauce over the
paneer
pieces.

8. Garnish with the reserved pistachios and the remaining browned onions, and serve hot.

Paneer Tamatar Ka Khut

Paneer
cooked with tomatoes

Hyderabadi royal cuisine has been strongly influenced by the Andhra style of South India, hence the use of typically Andhran ingredients like tamarind, coconut, and sesame oil here. The roasted
chana dal
acts as a thickening agent. Serve with
parathas
(page 18).

Serves 4.

½ lemon-size ball tamarind

15 medium tomatoes, chopped

2-inch (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, chopped

10 to 12 cloves garlic, crushed

6 to 8 dried red chiles, stemmed and broken in half

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

20 fresh curry leaves

3 (1-inch/2½-cm) cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin (page 32)

1½ teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons ground roasted
chana dal

½ cup (100 ml) coconut milk

9 ounces (250 grams)
paneer
(pressed fresh cheese; page 17), cut into 1-inch (2½-cm) fingers

1. Put the tamarind in a bowl, add 1 cup (200 ml) warm water, and soak for 30 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp, push through a strainer, and set aside.

2. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add ½ cup (100 ml) water, the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and chiles, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tomatoes are pulpy. Set aside to cool.

3. Push the cooled mixture through a strainer and set aside in a bowl. Transfer the solids to a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Push the paste through a strainer into the same bowl.

4. Place a nonstick saucepan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and sauté until the mustard seeds begin to sputter. Add the curry leaves, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, and ground cumin, and sauté for 1 minute.

5. Add the tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Stir in the tamarind pulp and salt.

6. Add the ground
dal
and stir thoroughly. Lower the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk and
paneer.
Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Serve hot.

Shaam Savera

Koftas
made of
paneer
coated with spinach in a creamy tomato sauce

Shaam savera
is my best-known signature dish and one of my first creations on national TV. I had not planned to make this on the day of the shoot, but creativity took over and this is what I came up with!

Serves 4.

For the
koftas:

5 medium bunches fresh spinach, trimmed

2 tablespoons plus 1 quart (800 ml) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

10 to 12 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 or 7 green chiles, stemmed and minced

1 1/8 teaspoons table salt

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ cup (25 grams)
besan
(chickpea/gram flour)

½ cup (70 grams) grated
paneer
(pressed fresh cheese; page 17)

1/8 teaspoon ground green cardamom

¼ cup (30 grams) cornstarch

For the
makhni
sauce: