Paneer Butter Masala.
Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and this is a perfect example of that. Minimum effort, maximum flavour.
If i was a food critic i’d give it a 10/10.
N.B. The dairy elements in this dish can easily be substituted for their plant-based alternatives (paneer for tofu, butter for plant-based butter etc). Regardless, I suggest using a plant-based cream in this recipe to keep it a little lighter. The Coconut Collab version I’ve linked works particularly well, however you can of course use dairy double cream if you prefer.
Serves 4
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
food processor
frying/sauteé pan
rice cooker/saucepan for rice (optional)
Ingredients.
1 tbsp oil
50g butter
400g peeled plum tomatoes
450g paneer cheese
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, also called ‘kasuri methi’
150ml plant-based cream, e.g. Elmlea or The Coconut Collab
1 tsp ground turmeric
Curry Paste:
1 onion, peeled
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
Thumb sized piece of ginger, 35g with skin
1 red chilli, option of seeds in/out
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
To serve:
300g rice
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt, e.g. fage
Method.
Put the rice on to cook, as per packet instructions
Make the curry paste: add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until it forms a paste. You can add a splash of water to help blend it if needed
Fry the paste for minimum 15mins until the onions have turned golden and sweet. Add a splash of oil and turn the heat up high for the first 5 mins, to cook off any water in the paste. Then you can add the butter and turn it down to medium for the remaining 10+mins. Stir intermittently to ensure it doesn’t burn
Meanwhile, chop the paneer into roughly 1cm cubes, and measure out 150ml cream. Set aside
Add the tomatoes to the paste and bring to a simmer, using your wooden spoon to break down the whole tomatoes. Fill the tin halfway with water and add this to the pan too
Add the fenugreek leaves, turmeric, cream, and paneer to the curry, and cook for a further 10-15mins. As with most curries, the flavour develops over time so the longer you can simmer for, the better. However, the curry can be eaten as soon as it’s reduced slightly, and the paneer is hot throughout
Serve the curry over rice, with a tablespoon of yoghurt
