PANEER LABABDAR

When someone at home asks what’s cooking and you say paneer… even before I complete the dish name it’s a yes. Age doesn’t matter! Right from my grandson to my husband, paneer is one item everyone enjoys in whatever form it is prepared. My chithi (my mother’s sister) recently visited us and her dishes are all time favorites in our Chellam’s family (my maternal grandmother was called Chellamma). So here’s one of the dish she prepared –Paneer Lababdar.

Ingredients:-

Paneer 500 gms

Onion 3 big

Tomato 4 big

Green chillies 3

Cashew nuts 2 tbsp

Ginger ½ inch

Garlic 5 pods

Cinnamon 2 small pcs

Cloves 4 nos

Garam masala 1 ½ tsp

Kasuri methi 1 ½ tsp

Honey 1 tbsp

Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp

Curd ½ cup

Fresh cream ½ cup

Chili powder ½ tsp

Salt 1 ½ tsp

Butter 4 tsp

Oil 4tbsp

A pinch of saffron.

Method

Cut the onion and tomatoes into big pieces. Take a deep pan add 2 glass of water. Now add the onion, tomatoes, cashew nuts, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Lower the flame and cook till the tomatoes are softened. Allow the mixture to cool and blend it in a mixer into a fine paste.

Heat a pan ,add 1 tsp of butter and 2 tsp of oil. When the butter melts ,lower the flame and add the saffron and then the paneer cubes. Sprinkle ½ tsp kasuri methi,½ tsp of garam masala and ½ tsp of red chili pwd. When the base is cooked flip over and fry the other side. Fry them till they are golden in all sides.

Now take a deep pan add the remaining butter and oil, when the butter melts add the grounded paste, the remaining garam masala, red chili powder, salt ,give it a stir and allow the mixture to cook on a low flame till you see the oil floating . Now add the honey, tomato ketchup, cream and curd and cook for further 5 minutes. Now slowly add the cooked paneer and cook for further 2-3 minutes. Put of the flame and the add the remaining kasuri methi. Paneer Lababdar is ready.

You could add 1 tbsp butter, cream or just garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chili before serving. Enjoy hot paneer lababdar with roti, chapatti or just jeera rice.