Pair it with homemade warm rotis or white rice to create a yummy wholesome meal tonight!
Therefore, the term Paneer Kali Mirch stands for Indian Cottage Cheese simmered in a black pepper sauce. It has no substantial flavor of its own. In-fact, paneer has a unique quality of adopting the flavor of whatever it’s cooked with, making it an amazingly versatile and adaptive ingredient to experiment with. With flavors ranging from sweet to savory, you can cook anything with paneer. It’s a cook’s canvas!! Just use your imagination and put together a delicious meal. Paneer is a staple in my household. Having it on the dinner menu once-a-week is a must, brings an instant smile on everybody’s face. Besides being a universal favorite, it’s a great way to incorporate healthy protein into your diet.
Now for some faq’s
Let’s see what makes this curry so awesome. » Paneer – the star ingredient. » Yogurt – A must-have to marinate paneer. So, please choose thick yogurt. » Spices required for marination – Black cardamom, Mace, Cloves, Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Caraway seeds » Onion, ginger, garlic and tomato sauce – a staple in every Indian dish » Green Chilies – to spice things up. » Cashew paste – it lends a creamy and velvety texture to the curry. » Seasonings & Spices – bay leaves, black peppercorns, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, and coriander powder – will increase the flavor quotient of this paneer curry. » Cilantro leaves as a garnish.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, dry roast the spices.
Allow the spices to cool completely. Coarsely grind the spices. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the yogurt until smooth. Add the above-prepared spices to it. Mix to combine.
Add paneer cubes to this marinate and toss to coat. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
When comfortable to touch, transfer onion mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth. If needed, you can add a teaspoon of water to create a thinner paste. Set aside.
In a separate pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoon ghee to the pan. Add whole spices. As they start to crackle.
Pour-in the onion-ginger-garlic paste.
Stir in the spices. Cook for a minute or so.
Add cashew paste and lemon juice. Mix to combine. Cook until the oil separates.
Return the marinated paneer cubes to the cooking curry. Mix gently.
Add garam masala and crushed black pepper.
Pour in 3/4 cup of water and bring the paneer kali mirch curry to a boil. Adjust water consistency to liking. Allow the paneer to simmer in the gravy for a few minutes. This way, it will soak up more flavors and become soft. Serve hot with warm Indian bread and steamed rice. » Allergic to Cashews – swap cashew paste with almond paste. » The black pepper in this paneer dish has a subtle flavor. But feel free to adjust according to taste. » This paneer kali mirch recipe tastes better the very next day and makes a great lunch option. Store the cooled curry in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It reheats well. » This recipe feeds four but can be scaled up or down to feed a large crowd. Perfect for family dinners, social gatherings, and potlucks. » How to soften store-bout paneer? Here is what I do – soak paneer cubes in warm water for 10 minutes. This process will soften up the paneer. » Can you make this Paneer kali mirch in advance? Yes, you can!
Prepare the curry and store it in the fridge for two days ahead of time. Marinate paneer a day in advance. Assemble as listed below.
» Can you freeze Paneer kali mirch? Most certainly! You can freeze this paneer curry for up to 3 months in your freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in a microwave until hot throughout. Do not refreeze the leftovers.
CRAVING FOR MORE, TRY MY OTHER PANEER RECIPES –
Methi Paneer recipe Kadai paneer Paneer ke sooley Paneer tikka masala Paneer croquettes Paneer pasanada Paneer burfi….. the list is endless!
