Paneer Makhani

One of my friend has a complain that I don't share any Paneer Recipes.. In fact, this is the first paneer recipe in my blog and this recipe today is dedicated to him 😜
 
For a Vegetarian, Paneer is same as Mutton for a non-veggie. The Punjabi style Preperation of paneer always gives a heavenly taste.
 
When I look at the Paneer menu in restaurant, "Paneer Makhani" attracts my attention. Imagine having it with a bowl of hot Basmati rice or 2 pieces of hot naan/kulcha...😋😋 The day feels complete with this. 

Today's recipe from Panda's Kitchen is "Paneer Makhani" which is cooked mostly using butter. It's undoubtedly a royal dish.
 
P.S. ~ if you are preparing this dish on any festival day, skip onion and ginger garlic paste.  It still tastes great.

 Ingredients :

• 250 gm Paneer - cut into cubes 
• 2 Onions - 1 cut into cubes and 1 roughly chopped 
• 1 Capsicum - cut to cubes 
• 3 Tomato - roughly chopped 
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste 
• 10-12 Cashews 
• 4-5 Almonds 
• 2 tbsp Watermelon Seeds (optional) 
• 2 Green Chilly - slitted 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick 
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 
• 4-5 Cloves 
• 2 Cardamom 
• Salt 
• 1 tbsp Red Chilly Powder 
• 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder 
• 1/2 tsp Sugar 
• 2 tbsp Milk Fat (you can use cream also) 
• 2 tsp Kasuri Meethi leaves 
• Around 3 tbsp Butter 
• 2 tbsp Oil 
• 1 cup Water

Recipe Details : 

✓ Let's start with the Makhani Masala Preperation, which is the most prime part of this recipe.

✓ In a pan, heat 2 tbsp butter. Add roughly chopped onion. Fry till it turns light brown in color.

✓ Add tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and cook in medium flame until Tomato becomes mushy. 

✓ Add Cashews, almond and watermelon seeds. Fry in medium flame till they turn light brown in color.

✓ Add half cup water and let it come to boil. Switch off the flame and transfer this mix to a blender jar. Add ginger garlic paste. Let it cool down. Blend the mix to make a fine paste.  

✓ Heat 1 tbsp oil in the kadai. Slightly shallow fry the paneer pieces. Take them out in a plate.

✓ Now add the Onion and Capsicum cubes to kadai. Shallow fry for around 1-2 mins in medium flame and take out to the plate.

✓ On the same Kadai, add the rest of the butter and oil. Add bay leaf, Cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cloves and cardamom. Fry for a minute till they splutter.

✓ Add the blended cashew mix to it. Mix well and cook in medium flame for around 5 minutes.

✓ Add milk fat and sugar. Continuously keep stirring.

✓ Add salt, red chilly powder. Mix again and cook for around 5 mins more until the gravy start leaving oil.

✓ Add around 1 cup of water and let it comes to boil.

✓ Once water starts boiling, lower the flame and add the shallow fried stuffs (paneer, capsicum and onion). Cover and cook for around 5-7 mins so that paneer gets well cooked in the gravy.

✓ Add Garam Masala Powder and Kasuri Meethi. Mix again and switch off the flame.

✓ Garnish with cream again and Serve hot as a main dish with any varieties of rice or roti.