Paneer Lababdar With Purti Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil

Paneer Lababdar is an easy-to-prepare, restaurant-style curry of paneer (cottage cheese cubes) in a creamy, mildly tangy and faintly sweet gravy. This vegetarian Paneer Lababdar recipe is also naturally gluten-free.  

Ingredients:

  For Soaking & Cooking:

• - 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes (ripe and red)
• - 10 to 12 cashews
• - 1 inch ginger – chopped
• - 2 to 3 garlic (medium-sized) – chopped
• - ½ cup water
• - 1 green cardamom & 2 cloves
• - 2 tablespoons purti kachi ghani oil
• - 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
• - ½ cup finely chopped onions – 100 grams
• - ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• - ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
• - ½ teaspoon red chili powder or kashmiri red chili powder or cayenne pepper
• - 1 or 1.25 cups water or add as required
• - 1 or 2 green chilies or serrano peppers – slit & salt as required
• - ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
• - 200 grams Paneer
• - 2 tablespoon grated paneer
• - ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
• - 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – crushed
• - ¼ cup low-fat cream or 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• - 1 tablespoon Butter added later

  Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4 servings  

Preparing Tomato-Cashew Paste :

Step 1: Take chopped tomatoes, cashews, chopped ginger and garlic, green cardamom, cloves and water in a small pan. Use tomatoes which are not too tangy or sour. Step 2: Switch on the flame and simmer this mixture on a low flame. Step 3: Cook until the tomatoes are softened. If the water dries up and the tomatoes are not softened, then add about 2 to 3 tablespoons water and continue to cook. Step 4: Allow this mixture to become warm or cool completely and add to a grinder or blender jar. Step 5: Grind to a smooth paste without any cahsews or tomato chunks or pieces. You may add some water if required while grinding. Keep this ground tomato-cashew-spices paste aside.  

Sautéing Onions And Tomato-Cashew Paste:

Step 1: Heat purti kachi ghani oil in pan or kadai or wok. Add the tej patta and sauté for a couple of seconds. Add finely chopped onions. Step 2: Then continue to saute as well as stir and cook till the onions become light golden or golden. Step 3: Then add the tomato-cashew-spices paste. The mixture will splutter if there is water in it, so be careful. Stir very well. Step 4: Add cumin powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Stir and saute this masala. You will see the masala clumping and gathering around itself. Step 5: Saute till you see fat leaving the sides of the masala paste.  

Making Paneer Lababdar :

Step 1: Then add water. Mix very well & Add the slit green chilies. Step 2: Stir and allow the gravy to come to a simmer. Then season with salt and sugar. Step 3: Add paneer cubes and grated paneer. Step 4: Then sprinkle kasuri methi which has been crushed with the garam masala powder. Stir very well again. Step 5: Lastly add the low-fat cream or heavy whipping cream. Switch off the heat & combine very well. You can also add 1 tablespoon butter at this step. This is optional. Step 6: Garnish paneer lababdar with chopped coriander leaves and ginger julienne. Serve with chapati, tandoori roti or naan. It also goes well with cumin rice or veg pulao.