Baked Shahi Paneer

Weekends are something that I look forward to with a child like enthusiasm…. I’m quite everybody does too…. When life becomes so  boring and dull during the week days because of the routine I plan to make it more interesting by trying out new dishes over the weekend during which I have more time and the family can also enjoy a meal at leisure instead of having to hurry up all the time looking at the clock.

When I came across this recipe from my favorite cook book, I was skeptical of trying it out as I already have my own favorite way of making Shahi Paneer. But curiosity won over and I tried it out last week end and bowled over. Children loved it and it is definitely a keeper….   Enjoyed this finger licking subzi with naans watching DDLJ….   with Shah Rukh and Kajol for company….    Finally fished it out from the pile of CDs that my children had dumped as unwanted. I was heart broken when I found it missing and was looking for it every where. So thankful that I did not throw away the pile..

Baked Shahi Paneer

Serves – 4 to 6

(Print this Recipe)

You’ll need:

• Paneer – 300 gms (I used Homemade Paneer)
• Onions – 2
• Tomato – 4 or 5
• Curd / yogurt – 1 cup
• Red chilli powder – 2 to 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
• Shah jeera – 1/2 tsp
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Butter – 3 tbsp

To be ground to a paste:

• Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Garlic – 6 pods
• Onion – 1
• Cashew nuts – 10 to 12

Preparation:

Cube the paneer. Heat a pan with 3-4 tsp of butter and shallow fry the paneer cubes and place them in warm water. Chop the onions finely. Blanch and puree the tomatoes. Grind the ingredients given under its heading to a fine paste using little water. Grease a baking dish with butter and keep it ready.

Method:

Heat oil and remaining butter in a pan. Temper with shah jeera. Add the chopped onions and sauté till they turn to a light brown.

Add the ground paste and sauté over low flame till it turns color and all the fat gets absorbed. Now add tomato puree, sugar and salt and let it come to a bubbling boil. You can see the absorbed fat being released and floating on top.

Now add the curd / yogurt and let it come to a boil again. Switch off the stove.

In the prepared baking dish arrange the shallow fried paneer cubes and pour the gravy all over the cubes. Preheat the oven @ 180 Deg C and bake for 10 min.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with onion and lemon wedges with any Naans or Rotis.

What is the difference? This question was bugging ever since I read this recipe and I came to know the result after the baking got over. The texture of the gravy differed. It was more grainy instead of smooth which would have been if cooked over the stove. Also the paneer cubes were more succulent and crisp yet soft and chewy. On the whole I liked this version a lot.

Notes:

• If you don’t happen to have an oven, arrange the paneer cubes over a greased tawa and pour the gravy all over them. Cover the tawa with a lid and cook over low flame for 10-15 min.
• Before baking sprinkle a little bit of garam masala powder for that extra punch.

This is off to my events Let’s Cook: Mughlai Cuisine, Winter Carnival, Vardhini’s Bake Fest, Pari’s “Only Curries” hosted by Kamalika and to Siri’s Healing Foods ~ Vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes hosted by Sridevi.