Origin: India

Ingredients:

1. Paneer – 200 grams
2. Green Peas – 100 grams
3. Onion – 2 small
4. Tomato – 2 small
5. Ginger – 5 grams
6. Garlic – 3 cloves
7. Green Chillies – 2 medium
8. Cashew Nuts – 8 whole
9. Coriander – 1 tablespoon
10. Black Pepper – 6 whole
11. Oil – 2 tablespoon
12. Butter – 5 grams
13. Cumin Seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
14. Turmeric Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
15. Kashmiri Chilli Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
16. Garam Masala Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
17. Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
18. Sugar – 1/4 teaspoon

Recipe:

1. In a saucepan, bring water to a gentle boil and blanch the tomatoes for five minutes.
2. Peel and cut the onion into small dices, and finely chop the garlic, ginger and green chillies.
3. Cut the block of paneer into inch-sized cubes and give them a light sauté, if preferred.
4. Soak the peas in normal water in a bowl and set it aside.
5. Add oil of choice in a frying pan and let it smoke gently at medium heat.
6. Add the diced onion and the chopped garlic, ginger and chillies and sauté them to remove the raw edge.
7. Peel and add the blanched tomatoes and sauté for another minute at medium-low heat.
8. Add the sautéed vegetables, chopped cashew nuts and coriander to a blender and blend them to a paste.
9. Sieve the paste with a strainer or cloth to get a smoother mix to work with.
10. Add oil to the frying pan and roast the cumin seeds for a minute.
11. Add in the blended mix and sauté till the oil starts to separate.
12. Add the soaked peas along with turmeric, chilli and garam masala powder, sugar and salt.
13. As the paste turns semi-dry, add the cubes of paneer and fold it in the mix.
14. Add a cup of water to the pan, cover it and let the peas and paneer cook for around three minutes.
15. Remove the cover and cook in the open pan till the desired thickness is achieved.
16. Turn off the heat and fold in some butter to give a luscious finish to the dish.
17. Transfer the contents into a bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves
18. Serve hot with jeera rice, or even warm roti or paratha.

Extras:

1. Do not add too much water to the paste as it increases cooking time.
2. Add or skip sugar in the dish depending on the sourness of the tomatoes.
3. Frozen peas work equally well, if thawed out properly.
4. Cashew nuts can be replaced by almonds or fox nuts.