Paneer & Cashew Curry.
Paneer dishes are so popular in Indian households and so it is at my home. We eat like a happy child whenever paneer gravy is in the menu. Adding roasted cashews to the creamy, delicious gravy took it a notch higher for our taste buds. Oh! Did i mention yet that this doesn’t have any cream or butter in it. The curry combines pretty well with flatbreads of choice like phulkas, chapatis or make it indulgent with naan or kulcha.
How to make it –
In a pan, heat up 3 tbsp cold pressed ground nut oil. Add and sauté for a minute – 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1 star anise, 1 inch cinnamon. Once it turns fragrant, carefully remove the whole spices from the oil.
Now add 1 cup roughly chopped onion cubes, 8-10 garlic cloves, 2-3 slit green chillies and 1 inch ginger. Sauté until they get a bit charred. Add 1/4 cup whole cashews, 1/4 cup grated coconut and sauté for 4-5 mins. Then add 1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes. Let everything cook on medium flame until the tomatoes are mushy. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
Meanwhile in another pan, heat a tsp ghee or oil and roast 1/3 cup whole cashews. It turns brown real quick so keep a watch and stir/shake the pan often. Switch off the flame and keep it aside. Cut 250 gms paneer into cubes and keep aside that too.
Transfer the onion tomato mix to a grinder jar and add 1/4 cup water. Grind it into a smooth paste. Heat 1 tbsp groundnut oil or ghee and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Add the ground paste and 1/4 cup grated carrots (gives a beautiful texture) and cook until it releases oil. Mix in the dry spices – salt to taste, 1.5 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala. Tip in 1 tsp honey too and mix everything well. Let it cook for another minute.
Add 2 cups hot water and mix well. Put in the paneer and cashews, cover and cook it for 10-12 mins or until the oil floats on top. Add 1.5 tsps crushed kasuri methi and 3 tbsps chopped coriander leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with more coriander leaves and a swirl of thick coconut milk.
Enjoy!!!
If you like this paneer & cashew curry recipe, please leave me a comment below or connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle. I would love to hear from you.
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Paneer & Cashew Curry
Ingredients
- 250 Gms Paneer / cottage cheese
- 3+1 Tbsps Cold pressed groundnut oil or any cooking oil
- 3-4 Pcs Cloves
- 2 Pcs Green cardamom
- 1 Pc Black cardamom
- 1 Pc Star anise
- 1 Inch Cinnamon
- 1 Cup Onion - roughly chopped cubes
- 8-10 Cloves Garlic
- 2-3 Pcs Green chillies
- 1 Inch Ginger
- 1/4+1/3 Cup Cashews
- 1/4 Cup Carrots - grated
- 1/4 Cup Coconut - grated
- 1 Cup Tomatoes - roughly chopped
- 1/4+2 Cups Water
- 1 Tsp Oil or ghee
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 Tsps Red chilli powder
- 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 Tsps Coriander powder
- 1/2 Tsp Roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 Tsp Garam masala
- 1 Tsp Honey or sugar
- 1.5 Tsps Kasuri methi
- 3 Tbsps Coriander leaves - chopped
- Thick coconut milk and coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- In a pan, heat up 3 tbsp cold pressed ground nut oil. Add and sauté for a minute - 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 1 star anise, 1 inch cinnamon. Once it turns fragrant, carefully remove the whole spices from the oil.
- Now add 1 cup roughly chopped onion cubes, 8-10 garlic cloves, 2-3 slit green chillies and 1 inch ginger. Sauté until they get a bit charred. Add 1/4 cup whole cashews, 1/4 cup grated coconut and sauté for 4-5 mins. Add 1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes. Let everything cook on medium flame until the tomatoes are mushy. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
- Meanwhile in another pan, heat a tsp ghee or oil and roast 1/3 cup whole cashews. It turns brown real quick so keep a watch and stir/shake the pan often. Switch off the flame and keep it aside. Cut 250 gms paneer into cubes and keep aside that too.
- Transfer the onion tomato mix to a grinder jar and add 1/4 cup water. Grind it into a smooth paste. Heat 1 tbsp groundnut oil or ghee and add 1 tsp cumin seeds. Add the ground paste and 1/4 cup grated carrots (gives a beautiful texture) and cook until it releases oil. Mix in the dry spices - salt to taste, 1.5 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala. Tip in 1 tsp honey too and mix everything well. Let it cook for another minute.
- Add 2 cups hot water and mix well. Put in the paneer and cashews, cover and cook it for 10-12 mins or until the oil floats on top. Add 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi and 3 tbsps chopped coriander leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with more coriander leaves and a swirl of thick coconut milk.Enjoy!!!
Everyone enjoyed the taste
Thank you 🙂