The highlight of your weekend could be Shumaila Chauhan's Paneer Pasanda.
These stuffed paneer triangles, floating in a creamy gravy, can be paired with steamed rice, vegetable pulav, rotis, parathas, naans, puris.
So go ahead and add a little paneer dhamaka to your Sunday lunch.
Shumaila's food is the kind of dishes you really want on your party menu -- different but delish. Have you tried the Chandigarh-raised foodie's recipes for Dahi Kebabs, Kheema Stuffed Pav or Stuffed Mushrooms?
Paneer Pasanda
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- 250 gm paneer or cottage cheese + extra 3 tbsp grated paneer
- 1 tbsp chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves
- 1 green chilly, chopped
- 2 tsp chopped pudina or mint leaves
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
- Salt to taste, around ½ tsp
- 1 tsp ras or liquid of a mixed pickle
For the slurry
- ½ cup corn flour
- 4 tbsp water
For the onion paste
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3-4 tbsp water
- Pinch salt
For the gravy
- ½-inch piece ginger, chopped
- 3-4 garlic pods, chopped
- 3 green chillies, slit in half lengthwise
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 2 green elaichi or cardamoms
- 3 lavang or cloves
- 1-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon
- 2 small tomatoes, pureed
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp dhania or coriander powder
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi or fenugreek leaves
- ½ tsp sugar
- Oil for deep frying the paneer
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1½ cup water
- Salt to taste, around 1 tsp
- Cream, to garnish
- Chopped fresh green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves
Method
For the onion paste
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai or frying pan over low heat.
Add the sliced onions.
Add a pinch of salt.
Stir and saute the onions over low heat.
Cook till light golden.
Take off heat and let the onions cool.
Grind the onions to a smooth paste with 3-4 tbsp of water.
Keep aside.
For the stuffing
- In a bowl, add the 3 tbsp grated paneer, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilly, chopped mint.
Add the raisins, chopped walnuts, salt, and the mixed pickle ras.
Mix well and keep this filling aside.
For the paneer sandwiches
- Cut the remaining paneer into cubes and slice each cube into 2 halves diagonally.
If the halves are thick, further slice it into two halves.
Place 1-2 tsp of stuffing on one of the paneer triangles, and cover with another triangular slice.
Press gently to seal, be careful to not press too hard.
Repeat the process for all the slices of paneer so you have several sandwiches.
Keep aside.
For the corn flour slurry
- In a bowl, mix the corn flour with the water.
Keep aside.
Frying the paneer sandwiches
- In a large kadhai or saucepan, heat the oil till medium hot.
Dip the paneer sandwiches in the corn flour slurry and then slip fry for 2 minutes, till light brown on each side.
Drain onto a paper towel or tissue-lined plate and keep aside.
For the curry
- In a saucepan, add the ginger, garlic, pureed tomatoes, walnuts, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves.
Add ½ cup water and cook over low to medium heat.
Simmer till the tomatoes soften.
Take offf heat and cool.
Transfer into a blender and blend to a paste.
- In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee over medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add the slit green chillies and mix.
Add in the tomato paste mixture and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes till the oil separates.
Add in the fried onion paste.
Stir well and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the turmeric powder, dhania powder and the red chilly powder.
Add 1 cup water and salt.
Simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes or till the oil has separated.
Sprinkle in the garam masala.
Add in the sugar and the kasuri methi.
Add the deep fried stuffed paneer sandwiches and carefully coat with the gravy carefully.
Garnish with fresh cream and fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with any kind of Indian bread or rice and maybe some chopped onions, sliced salad or a raita on the side.
Shumaila Chauhan is the creator of the food blog Novice Housewife.