Paneer & Cashew Curry
Indian cottage cheese and cashew nuts curry made with aromatic spices.
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!!!