Aloo Paneer recipe is a delicious curry made with the universal favorite potatoes and soft paneer. Pair the curry with your choice of Indian bread or a simple rice dish for a super hearty meal.
Firstly chop the onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic cloves and green chilies.
Then add all the chopped ingredients (onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies) in a mixer or blender jar.
Also add 15 cashews. If you want you can soak cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes and then add.
Blend or grind to a smooth paste without adding any water.
Making aloo paneer
Heat oil in a pan. Add 1 tej patta.
Then add the ground onion-tomato-cashewnut paste. Be careful as the mixture splutters. So keep heat to low when adding this paste. Mix very well.
Keep a lid on the pan allowing some steam to pass as this paste splutters a lot. Do check at intervals if the masala paste has stopped spluttering or not, and give a stir.
When the mixture stops spluttering, remove the lid.
Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and Kashmiri red chili powder.
Mix very well and sauté till you see oil releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
Now add chopped potatoes. Do chop the potatoes in smaller size so that they cook faster.
Add salt as per taste. mix very well.
Add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water. For a medium consistency gravy or a slightly thinner version, add more water.
Cover the pan with its lid and cook the potatoes on a medium-low to medium heat. Do check while the potatoes are cooking and if required add water. Alternatively, you can also use a pressure cooker to save time. Add less water if cooking potatoes in pressure cooker.
Once done, check the potatoes by sliding a fork or knife through a few pieces. The knife should slide in easily.
Once potatoes are cooked and gravy is done, you will see some oil specks floating on top of the gravy.
Add paneer that have been chopped in cubes.
Add dried fenugreek leaves, crushed and garam masala powder.
Mix very well and turn off the heat.
Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.
Serve Aloo Paneer with chapati, phulka, paratha or naan.
Notes
Sauté the masala paste very well till you see oil releasing from the sides.
Instead of cashewnuts, you can use almonds. Soak almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. Later peel them and then add while grinding.
If using Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch, add up to 1 teaspoon. This makes the gravy slightly spicy and gives a nice orangish color.
If using any other red chili powder, then add ½ teaspoon of it.
If serving this curry with chapatis or naan, you can add the amount of water mentioned in the recipe as this gives a slightly thicker gravy.
If the gravy tastes sour, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or 2 to 3 tablespoons cream.