What a coincidence..I was taking a break from typing this post and Aipi’s Paneer recipe atUS Masala caught my attention; I’m so impressed that she actually makes Paneer from scratch! This recipe is a sure way to complement her homemade paneer, as it is tasty yet so easy to prepare.
I must admit I did not know much about paneer, let alone had the morsel of it until a few years ago when I tried it in a local Pakistani restaurant for anIftari. There was no turning back. The cheesy love for paneer (pun intended!) keeps on growing! I emulated the restaurant’s recipe as much as I could possibly remember of the taste as well as presentation, and this is the closest that comes to it, though I think serving the paneer on a hot plate will certainly bring the sizzle to a different level.
If you want to know more about paneer and how to do it from scratch, take heed from the expert at US Masala. I am amazed that those cutie cubes are actually quite easy to make, that too with so little ingredients, I might even give it a go one of these days.
Without further ado, let’s sizzle the hot plate with this delicious dish.
Sizzling Paneer
2 cups paneer cubes
1 medium sized green bell pepper-cut into strips
2 medium sized onions-sliced finely
3-4 shallots
3 garlic cloves-crushed
1 inch ginger-grated finely
3 green chillies-sliced
1 tomato-cut into chunks
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp coriander powder
few twigs of curry leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lemon-for the juice
a pinch of salt
3 tbsp extra-vrgin olive oil
Method
1. Fry the paneer cubes in the olive oil until they turn golden brown. Set aside. Fry the pepper until slightly crispy and set aside as well. Fry the sliced onions until translucent and set aside.
2. Using the same oil, fry the shallots, curry leaves, green chillies and fennel seeds until fragrant. Add in the ginger, garlic, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and black pepper. Once the spices are well blended, add in the fried paneer, green pepper and onions. Mix for few minutes until the paneer are well coated with the spices. This step only takes few minutes.
3. Season with salt and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Serve on a hot plate for the sizzling effect.
