Paneer Makhanwala.....

Of all the letters in A-Z, “P” happens to be my one of the favorite letter. The reason–is that it is such a versatile letter that I thought of many, many dishes starting with P which are loved and liked by me and my hubby both! Pani-puri, pav-bhaji, Pizza, Pasta, Paneer, Papad, Pakoda, Paratha, Pulao, Pohe, Palak, Puran-poli, Peas, Paan and the list goes on...

Among all... Paneer is just unavoidable! We both love this paneer Makhanwala so very much that we can eat this almost every day, but last saturday, our cravings were at a peak-time high as there was light rain outside. Everyone knows I just love Paneer Recipes, and that time I decided to make our all time favourite... eternal one Paneer Makhanwala, that velvetty-smooth gravy that has all the goodness of indian spices combined with cubes of cottage cheese and garnished with cream and coriander! 

So also there are variety of Health benefits of Paneer as follows:

1.Paneer is a good source of calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth, and also prevents osteoporosis. Cheese provides 25% of the calcium in the food supply.

2.Paneer in moderation, is associated with lower body weight as well as reduced risk of developing insulin resistance syndrome.

3.Paneer is a good source of protein and it reduces cancer risk.

4.Paneer can prevent stomach disorders and even help with your bones as you get older, especially in women.

5.It also helps in lower, back and joint pain.

So you can enjoy it anytime...

First we will start with ...How to make paneer?

Paneer is quite easy to make at home. Bring 2 litres of fresh whole milk to the boil. Add 2 table spoons of vinegar or lemon juice or curd and stir well. Put aside. After the milk has curdled, wrap it in a clean muslin cloth or cotton cloth, rinse with fresh water and drain well. Form a ball and place it under a heavy saucepan for approx. 20 minutes. 200 g of your paneer is ready.

Now do I have your attention??! Paneer Makhanwala is similar to other paneer gravies, except that as the name implies, it is more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using onions, tomatoes and cashew paste rather than just cream. You cannot go wrong with this, try it for yourself and see!

Believe me, paneer is such a versatile ingredient in Indian cooking, you could make an entire meal using just this, right from appetizers to main course to dessert!

Again Paneer Makhanwala is popular punjabi gravy based dish made from butter and fresh cream..so taking an oppurtunity to affiliate this to Spotlight:"Curries/Gravies" hosted by Chandrani. and event by indrani...

Great efforts and good idea..Loved it!

I have made bit changes to this recipe...traditionally onions and peas are not used but I have used along with dahi and cashews...Taste this recipe...Iam sure all paneer lovers will go mad!

I would be the happiest person in this world if they will paneer as the next secret ingredient for Iron Chef!:) Till then, try this mouth-watering recipe (adapted from harpal singh's youtube) at home and enjoy its taste as it lingers on your tongue and your senses!

PANEER MAKHANWALA

First we will have a look at ingredients for onion-cashew paste:

1 tsp oil
1 tsp butter
2 medium onions finely chopped
8 cashewnuts
water if required
1 tbsp of curd

Then ingredients for Gravy:
1 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp of butter
250 gms of cubed paneer
2 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup cooked or boiled peas
1/2 tsp of green chilly paste
1 cup of tomato puree
1/2 cup of above prepared onion-cashew paste
1 tsp of red chilly powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of garam masala( homemade or of kepra)
salt as per your taste
1 tsp of kasoori methi
1 tbsp of honey
1 cup fresh heavy whipped cream.

For Garnishing:
Chopped coriander leaves
Fresh cream
Crumbled paneer

Procedure:
To make onion-cashew paste:
1.Heat Oil +butter in pan.
2.Add chopped onions and fry it till golden brown.
3.Now add cashews and saute for 2 mins.
4.Allow the mixture to cool and then add curd to it.
5.Now blend it in mixer or grinder and make its smooth paste.
6.Add water if required and Keep it aside.It is used later on in gravy.

To make asli Gravy...yummy and magical paneer makhanwala!
1.Again heat oil+butter in pan.
2.Add ginger garlic paste+green chilly paste and saute it for few mins.
3.Now add tomato puree.Cook till oil starts releasing from gravy.
4.Now add above made onion-cashew paste and cook for 2-3 mins.
5.Then add red chilly powder,turmeric,garam masala,salt and honey.
6.Crush kasoori methi a bit by using belan or simply pressing by your palms and mix it well in the gravy.
7.Now its time to add fresh cream and simmer it on medium flame for 2 mins.
8.Now add paneer cubes followed by boiled green peas.
9.Cover and cook till paneer is soaked nicely in gravy and becomes soft on low flame for 8-10 mins.
10.Transfer it to serving dish.
11.Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves,crumbled paneer and drizzle fresh cream on it.
12.Serve hot with indian breads like roti,naan,plain paratha or kulcha...and enjoy!

Note:
1.To make paneer soft before adding allow it to soak in warm water for few mins.
2.If using homemade paneer no worries....It is soft one only...
3.You can increase or decrease the spice level as per your likes and dislikes...but using these all ingredients in mentioned quantities only, your gravy is going to be nice...Trust me you will surely desire to make it "n" number of times..
4.You can also make use of sour cream or milk powder that you will get in market...

Hope you will surely try this mouthwatering recipe....Enjoy it to full extent as we did on rainy day!