benazir's blog

Paneer Tika Masala

This recipe I can say is not a beginner recipe because there are lots to complex steps to make it because everything I do in my recipes are completely from scratch. Why do I bother by making things from scratch? I tell you why I do this because it means you really are cooking and when you use a shortcut you are involving someone else in to your kitchen. You are inviting someone else to do all the work and you take all of the credit.

To me this is down and outright decitful because you are lying to yourself as well as your family, friends and other guests. Opa Jacobe and my mother where old German cooks. They taught me and instilled in me if you can’t do it right don’t do it at all. I am going to take you on a step by step oddysey on how to make this dish so please pay attention. Opa Jacobe used to use the phrase like so when he showed me something. When I heard Mario Batalli say this in his shows I thought all of the time of Opa Jacobe who was my dada meaning paternal grandpa in Urdu. Opa is a German word for grandpa and that is on both sides lol.

Actually you need to make Paneer (Cheese) one day in advance. It has to be a solid mass so you can work with it without a problem. Just follow these instructions from this link. Then when it is ready you have to make Tandoori Masala and Garam Masala in advance and set aside. Don’t do anything yet. Please wait for my instruction. Do not jump the gun ok. Like my mom would tell me to hold the phone and Appa who was my mother in law would say to me sabbar karna which means in Urdu be patient. My mom telling me to hold the phone was her way of telling me to wait but with cooking I am very patient. You have no choice but to be when you are cooking and I am one of the most impatient people on earth unless I am cooking.

Now you can choose which masala mix you want to make first you choose between garam masla or tandoori masala you do not use both in this recipe. Empty the mortar and pestle of the contents in to a small bowl and set this aside and use the mortar and pestle to grind 1 pinch each of coriander seeds and cumin seeds and this stays there until you can use this later for the curry part then set this aside for now.

Now you have to make a puree by using this beaker that comes with the immersion blender because you will need to do this too as part of the prep before you do the assembly. Add 1/4 cup of water for ease of processing, 1 tomato, 1 onion or shallot, 1 small piece of ginger, 1 green chili, 2 cloves of garlic. Make this a puree and set this aside.

In a bowl add 1/4 cup of besan, 4 tbs of rice flour mix and add 1/4 cup of water or enough to make a smooth lump free batter and this is unseasoned for now. Break off pieces of paneer and place it in to the besan mixture batter.

In a wok or cast iron skillet on high heat add 1 oz of either peanut, corn, canola or vegetable oil and let get hot. Place the now basan mixture coated paneer (cheese) in to the hot oil and let brown and remove and drain from the oil by using a skimmer. It is best to flip and turn over by using a metal spatula. Fry 3 at a time until they are none remaining. Ok if there is a tiny bit of besan mixture remaining it can be used as part of the curry that is apart of this. Set the now fried paneer pieces to the side away from the heat.

Now take 1/4 cup of plain Desi yogurt and 3 tbs of water and 1 pinch of cornstarch mix in to a slurry and set saide. The slurry needs to be lump free and smooth. Reduce heat to low and add the contents from the mortar and pestle being the coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Now you can add either the garam masala or tandoori masala you made along with 1 pinch each of turmeric, pink salt, red chili powder, kasoori methi, cilantro, 1 capful of either lemon or lime juice. The tomato puree mixture and let cook for 5 minues or until the rawness goes away.

Add the tiny bit of besan batter if there is any left and stir right away. add the yogurt slurry, 1/4 cup of half and half and stir. Keep your eye on this because it will scorch if you are not careful. Cook until it is hot and then remove from heat right away and after turning your stove off add the paneer tika to this mixture and let sit for 10 minutes away from any more heat. Enjoy this as a side dish with your favorite rice dishes or upma.

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