Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer butter masala is one of the easiest curries you can make in less than 30 minutes. You can serve it alongside naan, roti or jeera rice. Even though I haven't used any cream in this recipe, it tastes just like the ones we get at restaurants. The creaminess is got by grinding cashews. You can also use soaked almonds with the skin removed. 

I am tagging this recipe for the "Homemade restaurant-style food" theme suggested by the "Shh cooking secretly" group on Facebook. This month's theme was suggested by Aruna who blogs at VasusVegKitchen. Do check her restaurant-style curd rice recipe. 

I am paired with Jayashree Trao for this month and she gave me ginger and tomatoes as my secret ingredients. I gave her cumin and onion and she made a delicious lip-smacking Dal Makhani. Jayashree blogs at EverGreen Dishes where you can find a huge collection of recipes. I would love to try her Quinoa dosa recipe.  

Ingredients:

1. Paneer - 250 gms
2. Tomato - 2 medium
3. Onion - 1 medium
4. Ginger - 1/2 teaspoon crushed
5. Garlic - 1 teaspoon crushed
6. Cashews/Almonds - 10-12 nos. 
7. Kasuri methi - 1 tablespoon
8. Garam masala - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Kashmiri chili powder - 1 teaspoon
10. Turmeric powder -1/4 teaspoon
11. Butter - 1 tablespoon
12. Oil - 1 teaspoon
13. Salt  - to taste
14. Sugar - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. 
2. Saute chopped onion till they turn translucent.
3. Add the crushed ginger and garlic and saute till the raw smell disappears.
4.  Add the chopped tomatoes and cashews/almonds and cover and cook the tomatoes to turn mushy.
5. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and garam masala. 
6. Turn off the stove and wait for the mixture to cool completely.
7. Blend the mixture to get a fine paste.
8. Put the ground paste back into the pan and turn on the stove on medium flame. 
9. Add in cubed paneer and salt to taste.
10. Add sugar and butter. Simmer the curry for a few minutes. 
11. Turn off the stove, add in crushed kasuri methi leaves and serve hot.

Chutney powder for Idli/Dosa

Chutney powder or chutney podi makes a great accompaniment for dosa and idli. The powder is usually served by mixing it with sesame oil/ghee/coconut oil. It can also be spread on one side of dosa while you make set dosa or masala dosa.  The amount of chili can be adjusted as per your spice preference. In this recipe, I have just used Byadagi chili, but you can replace it with 50% Byadagi chili and 50% Guntur chili. I have added around 2 teaspoons of jaggery in this because my family likes it on a bit sweeter side, but it is completely optional. 

Ingredients:

1. Urad dal - 1/2 cup
2. Byadagi chili whole - 1/2 cup
3. Curry leaves - 4-5 sprig
4. Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
5. Chana dal - 2 teaspoon
6. Jaggery - 2 teaspoon
7. Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Salt - 1 teaspoon or to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast urad dal, chana dal, Kashmiri chili, curry leaves, and sesame seeds separately on low- medium flame. Set aside to cool them to room temperature.
2. Grind the dry roasted ingredients along with the rest of the ingredients.

Chutney powder is ready to serve. It can be stored in a glass container at room temperature. 

Ingredients used for chutney podi

Chutney podi on masala dosa

Linking this recipe for the "Shhh cooking secretly" event on Facebook. This month's theme is "Stick to seeds" which was chosen by Archana. At the beginning of the month, a theme is chosen by one of the participants and all the participants are grouped in pairs. The participants will exchange 2 secret ingredients with their partners who are supposed to prepare a dish that matches the theme of that month.

Archana blogs at The Mad Scientists Kitchen and there are many interesting reads in her blog. The one which I bookmarked is about the Pegan Diet. My partner for this month is Renu who has a collection of interesting, unique and healthy recipes. Do check out her Quinoa crispies if you are looking for healthy snacking options. For the "Stick to seeds" theme, she gave me asafoetida and jaggery as my secret ingredients and I gave her sunflower seeds. Renu made Sunflower seeds butter which are healthy alternatives to store-bought spreads.