Paneer Do pyaaza

This is a classic semi dry paneer dish. In this onions are used double the amount and in 2 diffrent ways. It is supposed to be a dish created by mughals. It has a intense flavor, nice colour and a little spicy taste. It is a good side dish for chapati or naan.

Ingredients

Paneer - 300 gms cut into big squares

Onion - 2 medium sized -chopped vertically.

Tomato - 3 to 4 medium sized finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp

Curd - half cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Fennel powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Spice mix - green and black cardamom, star anise, clove, cinnamon are dry roasted and powdered using mortar n pestle

Tej patta - 1

Jeera - 1 tsp

Ghee - 2 tsp

Salt for taste

Kasuri methi - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves - finely chopped

For tempering

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Red chilli - 2

Green chilli - 2 slit lengthwise

Onion - 1 cubed and seperated to layers

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp crushed

Capsicum -1 cut into cubes (optional)

Method

In a pan take some oil and shallow fry the paneer cubes on both sides to deep golden brown in medium flame. Keep luke warm water with salt added ready. Once the paneer is fried add them into this luke warm water n keep it for 10 min. This stiffens the paneer avoiding it from breaking n also allows it to absorb the flavors.

Take a kadai with ghee. Add the tej patta, jeera n the spice mix. (You can add the spices directly, but i dont like to bite on them. I feel it spoils the taste. So i roast them in oil n make them into a powder.) Add the vertically sliced onions and saute them till golden brown. (1 trick i have learnt. You can add few drops of water occassionally so that the onion doesnt get burned). Add a pinch of hing n 3 tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Add a tsp of turmeric powder and cook for a minute. Add the chooped tomatoes and cook in medium flame. Add salt for taste. The tomatoes have to become mushy n the mix has to leave oil. You can stir occassionally. Take the curd in a bowl and add fennel powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Whisk it well. Lower the flame and add this to the kadai. Stir it for about 2 to 3 min and bring it to a boil. Add water if needed and adjust the consistency of gravy. Boil it for another 2 minutes. Now add the paneer. Stir it gently and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Take another pan for tempering with 1 tsp of ghee. Heat it. Add 2 tsp of jeera and crushed coriander seeds. Stir them. Add the slit green chilli and red chilli and saute again. Add the garam masala powder. Add the cubed capsicum and Also add the layered and oetallwd onions. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add this tempering to the cooked paneer. Add finely choped coriander seeds and kasuri methi and serve hot woth roti or any other Indian bread.

Tip - dry roast the kasuri methi and crysh it. It keaves the flavor more