CASHEW PANEER

As i said in my earlier blog, i was looking for something different & new to cook for my guests. So i made this side dish to be eaten with the palak peas pulav. Paneer is very easy to make at home & has lot of carbohydrates & proteins. We can also buy paneer from the shops.

Preparation Time: 15 mts Cooking Time: 20 mts Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes - 1 cup

Big onions - 2 nos

Tomatoes - 2 nos

Garlic pods - 4 nos

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder (dhania) - 1 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder (jeera) - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 small piece

Cloves - 2 nos

Cardamom - 1 no

Refined oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Broken cashew nuts - 2 tbsp

Method:

Grind all the ingredients from big onions to cumin powder into a smooth paste. Grind the cashew nuts separately in to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan & Saute the paneer cubes for some time. Drain the oil & remove it from the pan. In the same pan add the cinnamon, cloves & cardamom. Then pour the ground masala paste & saute till the oil comes out. Add the salt & the paneer cubes. Add 2 cups of water & allow it to boil. Then add the cashew paste. Let it boil for 2 mts. Garnish with coriander leaves. Cashew paneer is ready.

Variations:

Paneer, along with carbohydrates & proteins has fat also. So for those who do not want to use it, the best alternate is soya paneer.

Tips:

1. While frying the paneer cubes, make sure it is not over fried. This will make the paneer hard. Remove it when it starts changing colour.
2. Always select fresh paneer while buying it from the shops. This will help maintain the taste of the paneer.

Try it & enjoy.