PANEER SABJ BAHAR

Course: Sauce based veg – Mains

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Serve: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 300 gm paneer, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 red pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1 carrot, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• Few pieces of broccoli, cut into small pieces

Masala/tadka:

• 2/3 tbsp of ghee or any oil as per your choice
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp of blck mustard seeds
• 1 large onion, 4 cloves of garlic and 1½ inch ginger, chopped in a food processor or cut into tiny pieces
• 1 tbsp of dry fenugreek leaves (methi)
• ¾  tsp turmeric powder
• 1  tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp rock salt. More can be added after tasting,
•  2 tsp tomato puree
• ½  a can of chopped tomatoes, app 250 g or 3 medium size tomatoes chopped in food processor
• 1 red chili, chopped or cut into small pieces (optional)
• ½ an inch of unwaxed lemon rind, nicely grated
• 1 tsp of garam masala (optional)
• Few stigs of fresh coriander cut into small pieces, coarsely

Method:

1. Take a large heavy bottom pan and keep on medium heat and add ghee or oil of your choice.  When the ghee gets a little hot, add cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as it starts bubbling, add the mixture of onion, ginger and garlic and cook these for 5 to 6  minutes stirring often. Once the color changes to light pink, add turmeric, salt, coriander powder and fenugreek leaves. Then add chopped tomato, tomato puree, lemon rind and chili and mix these nicely. At this point reduce the heat to low and cover the pan so that the tomatoes are combined properly and it turns into a smooth paste. This takes 7 to 8  minutes. This paste should be stirred occasionally so that it does not get burned.
2. Add pepper, carrot and broccoli and mix these properly and let it simmer for 8 to 10  minutes until the vegetables become a little tender. Add peas and mix again and cover the pan and leave it for another 2-3  minutes.
3. Add the paneer pieces and let it simmer for 5 minutes until it seems that paneer pieces and vegetables are nicely combined,  stirring continuously.
4. Finally switch off the heat and sprinkle garam masala and cover it so that flavor is retained.
5. Sprinkle fresh coriander before serving.

Notes:

• Serve with plain rice,  jeera rice or chapatis.
• Oil can be used to make the recipe vegan.