Malai Paneer...Punjabi Dairy!!

Malai Paneer…brings back such fond memories…while growing up all those tantrums to avoid veggies almost always led to something or the other being made with either doodh or malai or both and the Punjabi genes in me were kept loved, happy, smiling…and fat! J

P. S. The chillies in the picture are just to add some colour; this is not a spicy/hot dish (unless you want it to be!)

P.P.S The Paneer index is now up.

Malai Paneer

Ingredients:

• Paneer,/ Indian Cottage Cheese, 250 gms
• Milk, ½ cup
• Onion, cubed, 1 medium
• Green Bell pepper, cubed,  ½  large
• Cumin seeds, ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
• Kasoori Methi/Dried Fenugreek leaves, ½ tsp
• Crushed Black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Malai or  Clotted cream or Devonshire Cream or Double cream, ¼ - ½ cup  (written down in order of preference, use whichever is available to you)
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Chillies , finely sliced,1-2 (optional)

Instructions:

Warm the milk slightly in a small pan and switch off the heat. 

Cut the paneer into small cubes and let it soak in the warm milk for about 15 minutes

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add cumin seeds. When the seeds start cracking add the fresh chillies, onions and green bell peppers

Sauté till onions start going soft. Add turmeric, kasoori methi, salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 seconds to cook the spices.

Add the cubed paneer and toss around a couple of times so that the spices coat the paneer well.

Lower the heat and add the milk in which paneer was kept soaking.

Let it all cook together till the milk is reduced to almost less than half.

If using Malai or Clotted cream or Devonshire cream – lightly whip with a fork before using.

Add malai and stir to mix well on low heat for only a couple of minutes just to warm it up. 

Switch off the heat and done!

Goes best on its own with plain paranthas but is also good served as a side dish with any Indian meal.