Paneer Butter Makhani

I love watching TLC channel. It has some really great shows about food, cooking and recipes. There is one programme I never miss and that is "Cheese Slices".

It really amazes me how we are able to produce hundreds of varieties of cheese from just three main milk sources: goat, lamb and cow. Buffalo milk is not used that commonly apart from making the mozzarella.

Have you been to the gourmet cheese stores. They let you sample the different varieties. Frankly speaking some of the cheeses are simply yuck! Maybe I do not have the palette to appreciate mouldy, smelly stuff. And if you ask me then my favorite kind of cheese is the cottage cheese. That is right!! Nothing to beat apna desi paneer. We can cook it in so many different ways. Every region of our country has a variation of the paneer dish. 

This dish is a rich and creamy presentation. I have used both tomato puree and ready made puree. I have found that adding ready made tomato puree to any dish increases its taste. Maybe that is because we do not always get god quality tomatoes at the grocer's. Whatever be the case the combination of these two makes the dish so great!!

Ingredients

200 gm paneer, cubed

4 tomatoes, blanched and pureed

2 tbsp readymade tomato puree

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tbsp kasuri methi

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin powder

 1 tbsp coriander powder

 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder

3 tbsp cashews, soaked and made into a paste

Salt to taste

A pinch of sugar

1 cup milk

Blanch the tomatoes in hot water, peel and make a puree.

Heat some oil. Add the ginger paste, sauté, and add the tomato puree. Cook on medium heat till all the liquid evaporates. Now add the readymade tomato puree, tomato ketchup, kasuri methi, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder, sugar and salt. Fry well.

Add the cashew paste and fry. Now add a cup of water and simmer. Add the paneer pieces and slowly add the milk. Do not put the milk in one go. Rather drizzle a lit and mix well after each addition. Simmer for some time and add a dollop of ghee.