Spiced Paneer fry | Paneer chukka

This dish will take just 10 minutes cutting board to dining table (doesn’t include plating and styling obviously) start to end and you’ll have an excellent side dish ready for rice or chappathi. It’s impressive enough to serve guests and will be a quick and tasty addition (just like this easy Paneer Burji) to any dinner table. I served this along with rice, Arachivitta Sambar and Pepper Chicken for Sunday lunch a couple of weekends back. Since we’re a combo-family now (vegetarian & non-vegetarian), we now make a vegetarian counter-part to the non-vegetarian dishes. Earlier we were a full-fledged non-vegetarian family. Not anymore. 

The secret to soft paneer is using fresh paneer. If your paneer is a day old and smells just a wee bit tangy, soak it in hot water. This usually works for me. The paneer turns soft and fresher. Once soaked, frying them adds more flavour and also makes them firmer and they don’t crumble up that easily. 

I just noticed that this is my 111th post. Should I do a small hop like that cute umpire what was his name? 

                                    

Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Serves: 3

Ingredients

Paneer/Cottage cheese – 200 gm
Onion – 1 sliced
Tomato – 1 medium pureed
Ginger-Garlic paste – 1 tsp (1/2 inch ginger + 5 garlic cloves)
Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Water – 1 cup

Method

1.      Heat 1 cup water till it comes to a boil. Switch off and drop Paneer into it. Let soak for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile slice the onions, puree the tomatoes and grind ginger garlic to a paste.

2.      Remove paneer from hot water and gently squeeze out the excess water. Cut into cubes. Set aside.

3.      Add 3 tbsp oil to a pan and when hot, add the paneer cubes and fry till they turn pale golden. Remove the fried paneer pieces to a plate.

4.      To the same pan add the sliced onions and sauté till they turn translucent. Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the pureed tomato, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Cook on low till the masala is cooked through and no longer pungent smelling or till oil separates. Now add the paneer pieces and mix gently. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil all over and let cook on low for 2-3 minutes. Switch off. Serve hot with rice or chappathi.