No Onion No Garlic Paneer Butter Masala..!!!

Cooking meals on Fridays seems to be a tough task for me as it is considered to be complete vegetarian day at my home. The other two members of my tiny family can’t even imagine a single day without some non-veg stuff. To us, the Bengali people vegetarian day means absence of onion and garlic even as we consider them as non-veg item. So it turns out to be really a great deal for me to cook some veg dish which will be tasty so that my husband and the little one don’t have to negotiate with the taste.

For cooking any veg dish,paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is the best choice. So, today I am going to share my version of “Paneer Butter Masala” recipe which I prepare mostly without onion and garlic. The whole recipe entails of very few simple steps but the taste is no less than the paneer cooked with onion and garlic.

So , here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Fresh Paneer: 250 gm
• Tomato: 2 (chopped) (large and juicy, make a smooth paste of the chopped tomato with little water)
• Ginger Paste :11/2 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder :1 tsp.
• Cumin Powder :1 tsp.
• Coriander Powder:1 tsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp.
• Asafoetida (hing) : a pinch
• Cumin Seeds (Whole) : 1 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder : 1tsp.
• Garam Masala Powder : 1/4 tsp.
• Cashews : a handful (Soaked in warm milk)
• Milk:1 Cup
• Fresh Cream : 2 tbsp
• Butter :2 tbsp.
• White Oil :1 tbsp.
• Water: 1/2 Cup (if required)

Process:

• Cut the fresh paneer in your desired shapes and soak these in warm water with pinch of salt for sometime.
• Make a smooth paste of the milk soaked cashews and keep it aside. 
• Make a smooth paste of the chopped tomato.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel and temper with whole cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds starts to crackle add the butter. Then add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, asafoetida, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,salt, sugar and mix thoroughly.
• Pour the cashew paste into the vessel and cook until the oil start releasing from the sides of the vessel.
• Once oil starts releasing from the sides of the vessel pour the milk into it and let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Now add the paneer and the fresh cream and mix well. At this time if required you may add little water. Cover the vessel and cook for 5-6 minutes. Don't over cook it unless the paneer will be hard.
• Uncover the vessel and sprinkle the garam masala powder and cover the vessel again for 1 minute only so that the aroma could be absorbed by the curry.
• Turn off the flame. Paneer butter masala is ready to serve. Serve it with roti, paratha or polao.

                           

                                                                         Enjoy Your Food!!