Food

Butter Paneer

The future SiL who loves all things cheese, adores this recipe but since it’s quite rich, a fresh green side dish is probably advisable.

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1½pounds paneer, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2tablespoons ghee or neutral oil
  • 1teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ginger paste
  • 1teaspoon freshly grated garlic or garlic paste
  • 1small white onion, finely chopped
  • 1teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder
  • 1teaspoon garam masala
  • 1(14-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, or 6 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 2tablespoons cashew butter
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 green chiles, chopped (optional)
  • 1tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
  • Rice or roti, for serving

Preparation

  1. 1If using store-bought paneer, soak the cheese in hot tap water for 10 minutes; drain.
  2. In a medium pot, heat ghee on high until it melts, 30 to 90 seconds. Stir in ginger and garlic and cook until the smell of raw garlic dissipates, about 30 seconds. Add onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add chile powder and half of the garam masala and cook until deliciously fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and cashew butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down, 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Adjust heat to medium and add the butter. Cook until butter has melted into the mixture, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and add water if a thinner sauce is desired. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Stir in the paneer cubes. Simmer for 5 minutes on low, until the flavors have melded. Top with the rest of the garam masala and the green chiles and cilantro, if using. Serve with rice or roti.