Paneer Kalimirch is one of the lesser-known but equally tasty gravy based dish made with paneer or Indian cottage cheese. Kalimirch or black pepper is the highlight of this dish.
Take ¼ cup fresh curd in a bowl and whisk it till smooth. Keep aside. Use full fat fresh curd or yogurt made from whole milk. Curd made from toned milk or skimmed milk can curdle in the gravy.
Making onion paste
Heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in a a heavy pan or kadai. Add the cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and mace strands.
Sauté for a few seconds till the spices crackle.
Then add the chopped onions.
Mix and begin to sauté the onion on a low to medium heat till they become light golden.
When the onions become light golden, then add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies. Also add cashews.
Mix and stirring often sauté till the onions turn golden.
Let this onion mixture become warm or cool down.
Then add the onion mixture in a grinder jar or a small blender.
Add ⅓ to ½ cup water and grind to a smooth and fine paste. Keep the onion paste aside.
Making paneer kali mirch
Now in the same pan in which the onions were sautéed, heat 2 tablespoon oil or ghee. Add 1 tej patta and ½ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds).
Sauté for a few seconds till the caraway seeds crackle and become fragrant.
Now add the onion paste.
Mix very well and on a low heat sauté the onion paste for 4 to 5 minutes.
In the jar in which the onion paste was ground, add ½ cup water. Swirl and rotate the jar so that the onion paste sticking to the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water. This onion paste mixed water we will add later in the paneer kalimirch gravy. So keep it ready.
Sauté onion paste till you see the oil or ghee separating from the sides of the paste.
Then add the crushed black pepper.
Mix very well and sauté for 1 minute.
Next add the following spice powders - red chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder.
Mix very well and sauté again for a minute.
Switch off the heat. Keep the pan on the kitchen countertop and then add the beaten or whisked curd (yogurt).
As soon as you add curd then quickly stir and mix it very well with the onion paste.
Add ½ cup water from the grinder jar. Mix again very well.
Now light the stove-top. Keep the heat to a low and then keep the pan on it.
Bring the kali mirch gravy to a simmer.
Then add salt as per taste. Mix again.
Continue to simmer the gravy for a few minutes till you see a few oil or ghee specks on the top. If the kali mirch gravy becomes thick, then you can add some water.
Then add paneer cubes.
Mix well and switch off the heat. At this step you can add 2 tablespoons cream if you want.
Lastly add 1 teaspoon kewra water. Mix again.
Serve Paneer Kali Mirch with roti, chapati, phulka, naan or jeera rice. While serving garnish paneer kalimirch with some crushed black pepper, mint leaves or coriander leaves.
Notes
Remember to use fresh full fat curd or yogurt made with whole milk. Toned milk or skimmed milk yogurt can curdle in the gravy while cooking.
Swap cumin seeds, with caraway seeds (shahi jeera).
In case if the gravy looks too thick, add some water to get it to your desired consistency.
I have not added cream in this dish, but you can add it if you like.
Use rose water instead of kewra water.
The recipe cannot be scaled as is. If you plan to scale it, then you will have to gauge and add the ingredients eyeballing them or using the Indian method of andaaz.