Creamy Malai Paneer
Thank God I have this super fast and easy recipe on hand for the last minute meal prep for unexpected guests. A good friend was visiting NYC and wanted to swing by to say hi. Of course, I could have ordered in, but I know when people come to visit me, they look forward to taste testing one of my latest experiments or feast on my signature dishes. This is why I always keep a stash of paneer in my freezer.
Paneer is a type of Indian cheese which is easily made at home but can be can be purchased in a store as well. If you would like to make homemade paneer, you can find the recipe here. This particular recipe is super easy to make and always delicious.
If the paneer was previously frozen, soak it for about 15 minutes in warm water. This makes it nice and soft. This trick works so well that one of my friends even commented that my paneer was "always soft like marshmallow." In fact, most other recipes call for lightly frying the paneer before adding the sauce. I find that step unnecessary and it takes the softness away from a paneer.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!
ps - I've also included a short video to give you a quick demo on the recipe.
Serves - 4
Ingredients:
2 tbs oil (I use canola or grape seed)
1 tsp finely grated ginger or ginger paste
1 tsp finely minced garlic or garlic paste
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs dried fenugreek leaves
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
1 cup heavy cream
12 oz Paneer cut into little cubes (around 1/2 inch)
Directions
- Add 2 tbs of oil to a medium heated pan or wok (medium high heat).
- Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute.
- Mix in the coriander, cumin, salt, sugar, fenugreek and chili powder.
- Pour in the tomato puree and heavy cream and cook until sauce comes to a boil.
- Place the paneer cubes in a serving bowl and pour the hot sauce over the paneer. Gently mix so that all the sauce is evenly incorporated.
- Serve with rice or roti.
