Paneer Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

Paneer - 200 gms

For the Marinade:

Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tspn
chat masala powder - 1/2 tspn
Coriander powder - 1/4 tspn
Jeera Powder - 1/4 tspn
Lal Mirchi powder - 1/2 to 1 tspn
salt to taste
Thick curds - 1 tbspn
Red or Orange Food Color - optional.

For the Gravy:

Ginger -Garlic Paste - 1 tspn
Onions - 2 medium,
Tomato - 3 medium
Cashewnuts - 8 whole nuts
Butter - 2 tspns
oil - 2 tspns
Whole Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Jeera Powder - 1 tspn
Dhaniya Powder - 1 tspn
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1 to 2 tspn.
Garam Masala powder - 3/4 to 1 tspn.
Kasoori Methi - 1 tspn
salt to taste.
Fresh Coriander Leaves for Garnishing.

Method:

Marinade:

Combine all the ingredients & make a thick paste.
Dice the paneer to larger cubes & coat the paneer evenly.
Set it aside for 45 mins in the refrigerator.
Heat a flat Tava, grease it with oil & place the Marinated Paneer cubes on it & shallow fry till crisp & turn it & cook the same way on the other side also.
(First, it might appear to stick on the Tava, but will later crisp evenly;
Alternatively, u cud grill it in the oven)

Note: Instead of all the above dry masala powder, u cud try 'MDH Tava Fry Masala powder';
If ur using this Masala powder, Mix 2 tspns of the Tava fry Masala powder, with Ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli powder & curds.(This Masala already contains salt, & so adjust accordingly).

Gravy:

Blanch the tomatoes , Peel & keep it aside.
Blend the onions to paste, with the cashew nuts.
Blend the blanched tomatoes seperately.
In a kadai, Heat butter in medium flame & add Jeera to it. Once the Jeera turns golden, add the Onion- Cashew paste & ginger-garlic paste & cook well till the raw smell goes. Then, add all the dry powder(except Kasoori Methi) & cook for 2 mins.
Add tomato puree & cook till the gravy thickens for abt 7 mins to 10 mins in medium flame.
Add the Kasoori methi
Prick the cooked paneer gently once,with a fork in the centre.
Now, slowly add the cooked paneer cubes & cook for abt 3 mins.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Seve hot.

Posted by Neha

Labels: appetizers, gravy, paneer