Nawabi Paneer Recipe (Restaurant Style Paneer Nawabi Masala)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup roughly chopped onion
• 4 roughly chopped green chillies
• 6 garlic (lehsun) cloves
• 45659 inch ginger (adrak) piece
• 8 blanched and peeled almonds (badam)
• 8 cashew nuts (kaju)
• 1 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 1/2 cups paneer (cottage cheese) cubes
• 1 bay leaf (tejpatta)
• 1 small dalchini (cinnamon) stick
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 2 elaichi (green cardamom)
• 3 clove (laung / lavang)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/4 cup whisked dahi (curd)
• 1 cup milk (whole Buffalo, 6.5% fat)
• a few saffron (kesar) strands
• 2 tbsp warm milk (whole Buffalo, 6.5% fat)
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (kalimirch)
• 1/2 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• salt (namak) to taste
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

Steps

1. To make nawabi paneer, combine the saffron and 2 tbsp warm milk in a small bowl, mix well and keep aside.
2. In a deep pan, combine onions, green chillies, garlic, ginger, almonds, cashews, poppy seeds and 1 cup water.
3. Mix well and boil it for 10 minutes on medium flame. Remove in a deep bowl and allow it to cool.
4. Transfer the mixture into a mixer jar and blend into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
5. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a broad nonstick pan, add the paneer cubes and shallow fry them on medium flame until light golden brown in colour. Keep aside.
6. Heat remaining ghee in a deep pan, add bayleaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black cardamom, cumin seeds and sauté for a few seconds.
7. Add the prepared paste, curd and cook on medium flame for 3 to 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
8. Add milk, saffron-milk mixture, fresh cream, pepper powder and kasuri methi, mix well and cook on medium flame for 2 minutes.
9. Add the shallow fried paneer cubes and salt to taste. Mix well and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
10. Serve nawabi paneer hot.