PANEER REZALA

For a hardcore non vegetarian fan like me, vegetarian food is a complete No!! I always skip the part of the vegetarian menu whenever I go to any restaurant. But yes, as there are exceptions, I love to have paneer and mushrooms. Maybe they are not as good as chicken, but it can match up a bit at least. Personal thoughts, you know! While returning from college, I picked up a packet of mushrooms and some paneer. What I did with those mushrooms will be in the next blog post. So now, let me tell you what I did with the paneer. I had chili paneer recently at an invitation, so I decided not to go with Chinese and make something Indian. I found a handful of cashew nuts in the kitchen and Viola, I got an idea what to make. I love Chicken rezala, the richness of the gravy and the amazing aroma of the spices. So, I decided to make paneer rezala today. I have had paneer rezala many days before, when Maa used to make it. But now, I did not have it recently. So, I thought of cooking it in the traditional way of cooking chicken rezala.
Paneer Rezala


Recipe:

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

What you need?

  • 250 g Paneer(cottage cheese), Cut into cubes
  • 2 onions, boiled and pureed
  • 1 Tbsp cashew-nut paste
  • 2 tsp poppy seed paste
  • 1 Tbsp cream
  • 1 Tbsp yogurt 
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4-5 black peppercorns
  • 1 green chili, chopped
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
  • 3 Tbsp ghee
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp Kewra water
  • 1 pinch garam masala powder. 

How to make it?

  • Heat ghee in a kadhai or a wok, and add the spices( cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaf) in it. Saute it till you get the beautiful aroma of it.
  • Add the green chilies along with the boiled onion paste in it. Saute it for a few minutes on low heat. After that, add the ginger paste and the garlic paste and then continue to saute it.
  • Mix the cashew nut paste along with the poppy seed paste and then pour it in the kadhai. 
  • Add the yogurt to it till the water in the yogurt is absorbed.
  • Add the cream in it and stir it well till a nice gravy is formed. After that, add a pinch of garam masala powder in it.
  • Add the salt and sugar to it according to your taste. 
  • Gently put the paneer in and stir it. You must take care that the paneer must not break as it is very delicate. 
  • Sprinkle kewra water in it and then turn off the heat.

P.S:

  • I generally put the paneer in hot water with a little bit of salt before I add it to the gravy. My father is not a big paneer fan as he says the salt does not enter the paneer. So I try this step in order to please him and change his thoughts.
  • Adding kewra water is optional. I use it because of the amazing fragrance the dish emits. 

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