Malai Panner (Cottage Cheese in Cashew Cream Yogurt Gravy)

Cottage Cheese (Paneer) is one versatile beauty!! I love it in every form. One of my friend's from a foodie group posted a recipe named Malai Makai Paneer. I loved it and wanted to do it. Today, made up my mind and wanted to line up the ingredients. 

The recipe called for corn and almond paste. Very confidently went to my refrigerator and there to my shock there was no corn nor almond. Then saw beautiful, big cashew nuts that my mother - in - law had got me from her Kerala trip. Bulb went bling!!! substituted almond paste to cashew nut paste and chucked the idea of using corn. There was born Malai Paneer!!!

This is a wonderful accompaniment to Roti, Pulao. The creaminess of the gravy added with Paneer was just too yummylicious. I even tossed a spicy onion coriander salad to go with this snow whitey!!!

What you need:

1. Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 200 grams
2. Cashew Nut Paste - 1 tbsp
3. Onion - 2 medium sized, finely chopped
4. Black Pepper & White Pepper Powder - 3 tsp
5. Green Chilli Paste - 2 tsp
6. Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
7. Bay leaf - 2
8. Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
9. Green Cardamom - 2
10. Fresh Cream - 2 tsp
11. Salt - to taste
12. Sugar - a pinch
13. Oil - 2 tbsp

How to go about it:

1. Soak cashew nuts in boiling water for few minutes and make a fine paste and keep aside. 
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and stir for a few minutes.
3. Add, onions and saute for few minutes, until they become translucent.
4. Add green chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, cashew nut paste, both the pepper powders and fry in high heat for another few minutes. 
5. Now, add yogurt and whisk so that everything comes together and add water (about a cup) to adjust the consistency to a gravy.
6. Add salt, sugar and fresh cream.
7. Finally add paneer and serve.

You can serve this roti or a nice spicy pulao.

Njoy with your loved ones..

Luv..

Champa