Paneer Capsicum Masala

2015-01-13

As kids, we entered the kitchen only ever for our meals, but as I grew up, I loved to dabble around in the kitchen a bit. The norm in my family was that the men were never a part of cooking and the kitchen- my Mum’s domain.. we were just meddlers.

As we grew up,  I did encourage my brother to try his hand at things, although my Mum never really approved, and today I am proud to say that he is a fantastic cook.

They say that a teacher / Guru is most pleased when his student does better than him and I couldn’t be prouder to say that I have learnt this fantastic dish from my brother.

Ready from start to finish in less than 20 minutes, this spectacular Paneer dish is delicious and sure to wow your guests.

Try it!

Ingredients

Paneer ( Cottage Cheese)- 225- 250 gms

Capsicum/ Sweet Peppers, any colour- 2-3  thinly sliced

Onions- thinly sliced- 1 cup

Tomatoes, coarsely grated , rough puree- 1/2 cup

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds, Jeera- 1 tsp

Red chilli powder- 2 tsp

Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Milk- 3/4 cup

Cream, optional- 1/4 cup

Method

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  1. Grate the onions or pulse in the blender. Take care not to make too a fine paste, as this will completely spoil the texture of the gravy.
  2. Slice the peppers (capsicum) and cut the paneer into slightly longish pieces.
  3. Grate the tomatoes on the thick side of the grater or pulse in the blender for a roughish texture. Again, we are not looking for a smooth mixture.
  4. In a large wok, heat some oil. When hot, add cumin seeds or jeera. It will splutter in 30 seconds. Do not leave it any longer or else it turns bitter.
  5. Add the onions and fry until pink.
  6. Add the ginger garlic paste straightaway and fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the raw smell goes away.
  7. Add in the grated tomatoes, add some salt and a pinch of sugar. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and leave some oil.
  8. Add in the turmeric, chilli and coriander powder , stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  9. Add in the paneer pieces and saute, letting it soak in all the spice mix.
  10. Add in the capsicum (coloured peppers) and saute. You could always add the capsicum at an earlier stage if you like, right with the tomatoes, but I find that the dish tastes a lot better when capsicum is added at a later stage and is not overcooked.
  11. Add in the milk and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  12. Add the cream and simmer for another 1-2 minutes, to let all the flavours mingle.

PaneerCapsicum

Serve hot with rotis, puris or parathas or rice.

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