Ingredients

• 1/2 lb - Onion
• 1/2 lb - Tomato
• 1-inch piece Ginger
• 10 small cloves - Garlic
• 10 leaves - Mint leaves
• 10 (or to taste) - Green Chillies
• Cilantro
• 1 piece - Cardamom
• 2 pieces - Clove
• 2 Tbsp - Butter /or Oil
• 1l - Whole Milk

How to Make Traditional Paneer Masala

• To make paneer, bring 1 litre whole milk to a boil.
• Add two spoons of lemon juice and a ladle of fermented yogurt. The milk and water gets separated.
• Strain the water (called whey), put the paneer in a muslin cloth and keep a heavy weight on top of it for a few hours.
• After the paneer gets set, steam it in a pressure cooker for 5 mins.
• Remove the paneer and make it into cubes.
• Deep fry the paneer cubes in oil.
• For masala:
• Heat butter in a pan.
• Allow it to melt. Then add the clove and cardamom. Fry for a second.
• Add finely cut garlic, ginger, chillies and onions.
• Fry all these things. When the onions turn golden brown and give a nice aroma, add the tomatoes and fry.
• Fry all the ingredients nicely for 15 mins making sure that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
• After frying well, remove the pan from stove. Add mint leaves just before removing the pan. And cool the masala.
• Grind the masala well in a mixie with water, do not add too much water. Masala should be of medium consistency.
• Heat the pan, and add the ground masala. To this add salt to taste and the fried paneer cubes.
• Cook this in slow fire for 15-20 mins.
• Garnish with cilantros and serve with hot parathas.