Paneer Chutney
If a recipe isn’t simple I am not cooking, how about you? This is one of those very simple yet comforting dishes for those meat-free days, Paneer Chutney.
Paneer Chutney
It’s basically paneer cooked in a tomato sauce, we call it a chutney. Today I felt like some Dal and rice so I made some paneer chutney to go with.
There’s is nothing more comforting that a bowl of rice with your favourites curries, on a cold winter’s day. I could eat Dal and rice all on it’s own but I know my fussy family would want that little something extra.
You have to eat some pickles with it too. This is plain and simple food that I grew up eating.
The food we ate was so much healthier too because there was no rich sauces like we make today. Everything was very basic but oh so yum!
If you’re not as lazy as I am you can make your own paneer for this dish. I didn’t make my own because I really didn’t have the time.
This dish also takes just a few minutes to cook with a few simple pantry ingredients. I know that’s my standard line but I promise it is that way with most of my dishes.
Ingredients required for this dish
For this recipe you will need paneer of course and for the chutney you will need tomatoes, Roma or as we call it jam tomatoes works best. Ensure that your tomatoes are juicy ripe.
You will also need a large onion. I think a tomato chutney does require a little bit of extra onion. Some vegetable or cooking olive oil, curry leaf, green chillies, ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and salt
We definitely need some fresh coriander to add that final touch to our dish.
How to cook this dish
Heat up the oil, fry the onion with the curry leaf and green chilli until the onion is translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste.
Remember to always fry off the raw smell from the ginger garlic paste. You may need a few seconds or a minute for this.
Add your spices. I love cooking mine in the oil for a minute just so it infuses beautifully.
Then add your blended or chopped tomatoes. If you prefer a more chunky chutney use chopped tomatoes and a more smooth one I recommend you remove the skin and blend them.
For this dish I do not fry my paneer. I prefer adding it straight into the chutney because when you fry the paneer it “seals it”. At least it’s how I see it.
If the paneer isn’t fried the flavours of the chutney soaks into the paneer. Maybe I am a little crazy but I think it does.
More recipes to try:
Paneer Chutney
Ingredients
- 200 gram paneer
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large onion finely sliced
- 1 spring onion finely chopped, see note 1
- 1 sprig curry leaf
- 3-4 green chillies
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 6 small roma tomatoes blanched and blended
- coriander
Instructions
- Soak the tomatoes in freshly boiled water for 30 seconds. Remove the skin and blend. Set aside
- Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onion, spring onion, curry leaf and green chilies. Saute until the onion is translucent
- Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or until the raw smell disappears
- Add the spices and fry for a minute
- Add the tomatoes and season with salt. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked. The oil will surface to the top once the tomatoes are cooked.
- If tomatoes are too acidic add a pinch of sugar or more until you reach the desired taste. Add the paneer and simmer for about a minute. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander
Notes
- You can chop your tomatoes for a more chunky sauce or blend it for a smooth sauce. Once the tomatoes are blended it makes about 2 cups of liquid
- You can adjust the chillies and chilli powder according to your taste, add more or less
- I prefer not to fry the paneer for this dish, however you can fry it should you wish
- This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated when ready to serve
- I prefer to use fresh tomatoes, however if you really can't get some feel free to use the canned ones. Although fresh tomatoes makes all the difference
