Cookbook Series: Paneer in Quick White Gravy

One of those odd nights when I had to cook dinner for myself - which literally translates into 'I can cook anything I want without worrying about how it will turn out'. But I wasn't in the mood for any elaborate culinary experiments. So I pulled out one of my cookbooks; hoping to find something interesting yet easy. And this is what I ended up with. The recipe says - "A mildly flavoured vegetable made with very soft paneer"; and the dish lives up to that expectation. Very easy and extremely mild (we are barely using any spices in this dish!), it was so easy to make and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tasted with rotis.

Slight modifications though - avoided fresh cream and added a slit green chilly as I am a 'spice' gal! Also no ghee for me. Always try and stick to vegetable oil which is more healthy. Of course paneer (cottage cheese) is the star of this dish so it is crucial that they are very soft - either use fresh or if you are using the frozen ones make sure they are thawed well (the recipe says "soak in warm water for at least 2 hours"). May not be the kind of dish you would serve up for a party (tastes good but looks quite bleak) but definitely something you can try out when you are not in the mood to cook. It is that simple :)

Paneer in Quick White Gravy: Recipe

(Source: Rotis & Subzis by Tarla Dalal)

Ingredients:

• Fresh (or soft) paneer - 250 gm
• Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
• Milk - 2 to 4 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - a pinch
• Onion - 1 medium roughly diced
• Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped coriander - for garnish

Method:

1. Grind the onion, garlic, ginger and cashews into a fine paste. 
2. Cut paneer into small cubes.
3. Heat oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to sizzle, add the ground paste. (Wipe clean your blender jar with little water and add this also; will give you the right consistency). Fry well till the raw smell and taste of onion disappears. 
4. Add the garam masala and salt.
5. Add the paneer cubes and milk. Cook for few minutes. Stir very gently till each paneer piece is nicely coated with the gravy. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rotis.