Set aside your calorie-count chart and enjoy this formal dish made with plum juicy tomatoes. Paneer blends in smoothly and absorbs the strong tomato flavour in this high protein dish.
All the important spices are used which makes this tomato-rich gravy delicious. Also, ginger flavour is mildly adopted into the gravy giving it a unique flavour. Above all, this dish looks great on your formal table spread.
Serves 4
50g unsalted butter
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 black cardamom pod
2 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 shard cinnamon
1/2 onion, finely chopped
20g garlic cloves, made into a paste
15g ginger, peeled and made into a paste
400g plum tomatoes, pureed
50g raw cashew nuts, soaked for 30 minutes
1 tbs. tomato puree
¼ tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. sugar or to taste
300g paneer, cubed
1 rounded tbs. dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled in your fingers
1 tsp. lemon juice or to taste (depends on the tartness of the tomatoes)
salt to taste
1 tsp. garam masala
handful of fresh chopped coriander and stalks
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan and fry the whole spices for 20 seconds. Add the onion and cook until soft, around 4-6 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and a splash of water and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, salt and a good splash of water. Cook, covered, on a high flame for 10-15 minutes
Then take a little of the puree and make a paste of the cashew nuts in a blender. Stir into the gravy along with the tomato puree, sugar, red chilli powder and garam masala and cook for 15 minutes adding splashes of water only when necessary. You want to get a deep flavour and rich colour by cooking the paste out. Then add enough water to give the gravy the consistency of single cream.
Add the paneer and cook for a further 10 minutes to allow the paneer to soften. Stir in the dried fenugreek leaves and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning; the gravy should be a little sweet. Garnish with the coriander.
