Paneer Burji Gravy

We had another packet of paneer after I made momos the other day. So, that called for another paneer dish. And, this time I made paneer burji gravy for dinner. This is a simple, creamy dish that can be had with rotis, and it takes only 20 minutes to make it. Here's the recipe that'll serve four people.

What you need: 1 tsp jeera, some chopped ginger, 4 medium sized tomatoes, 2 onions, 1 cup water, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, cashews, one cup thick curd, one packet of paneer, fresh coriander leaves

How to make:

1. Take a thick bottomed vessel and add some cooking oil. Let it heat up a little, then put the jeera and let it splutter. 

2. Add chopped ginger and onions, and saute for 2-3 minutes till the onions turn pinkish/transparent.

3. Cut up the tomatoes in big pieces and add them to the pan. Cook till the tomatoes start losing water and become squishy. It'll take around 3-4 minutes. Turn off the gas.

4. Take the mixer. Add the fried tomatoes, onions and ginger into it. Add 5-6 cashews to this. You can add red chillis as per taste if you want, I didn't. Grind into a smooth paste.

6. Put the paste back into the same thick bottomed vessel. Add a cup of water, and cook in low flame till the raw smell of the paste goes away for 4-5 minutes.

7. Add a pinch of turmeric, 1/2 tbsp garam masala, 1/2 tbsp coriander powder, and cumin powder as per taste. Also, add salt as required. Let the gravy cook for 5-6 minutes.

8. Grate the paneer, and add the grated paneer to the gravy and gently mix the paneer and gravy. Do not break the paneer further by being too hard or too fast while mixing. Add a little more water after checking the consistency, only if needed. Let the mixture cook for 2-3 minutes.

9. Add a cup of fresh, thick curd to the gravy, and give it a good mix. Let it cook for a minute.

10. Check salt, and add as per taste. 

11. Add finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. Switch off the gas.

The dish is done. It is creamy, not very spicy, and has a fresh taste. It is extremely simple to make. One lesson that I have constantly learnt with such dishes is that if you want to increase the quantity, always increase the number of tomatoes and onions proportionately. Do not add water in hope of increasing the quantity as it always messes up the consistency.  So, increasing the amount of tomato-onion paste is what you should be focusing on while trying to increase quantity. 

I have always like paneer burji dishes, whether dry or with gravy, because you feel like there is no dearth of paneer! The best part is you can add more to it if you want- like chillies/chilli powder to make it spicier, or garlic if you like it. You can also add crushed methi to make this dish more rich in it's texture and flavour. Whatever you add or leave out, this dish comes out nice in all versions!

So, do give it a try!