Achari Paneer

Today it is the Bengali new year, which we call “Naboborsho”, and while I saw everyone celebrating it with their friends and family, I started feeling kind of low from the morning, as apart from talking via skype and voip there is now way I can see them or get in touch with them. The Bengali New Year starts with the month of “Boisakh” and it’s a big day for all the businessmen in Bengal as they start their new accounting year with it as well.

I hope I will feel better with time, and till then do enjoy my recipe of Achari Paneer.

Achari Paneer

Serves 4

Ingredients:

250gm of firm paneer / Indian cottage cheese – cut into medium cubes

4 ripe tomatoes – finely chopped

1 inch ginger – finely grated

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp coriander powder

A pinch of garam masala powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds

½  cup heavy cream

Salt

A few chopped coriander leaves

2-3 tbsp oil

Method:

Dry roast the cumin seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds on a tawa for 1 minute on low to medium flame. Transfer the spices to a grinder and grind until you have a fine powder. Keep the spice in an airtight container.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped tomatoes to it.

Sprinkle some salt over them and cook the tomatoes until the oil separates.

Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and 1 and ½ tsp of the ground achari masala.

Mix and cook the spices for a minute and then add ½ cup of water to them.

Stir and cook the curry until the curry becomes thick.

Add the cream and the cubed paneer pieces.

Give a good stir to coat the paneer pieces with the curry.

Cover and cook for 2 minutes on medium flame.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Switch off the flame and sprinkle ½ tsp of the achari masala and a pinch of garam masala powder.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chapatti / naan.