Chana Paneer

Another 660 Curries recipe, this mixes fried paneer and spicy chickpeas. Iyer recommends serving it with a starch, and particularly commends the practice of making up some toast and dipping it in the curry.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. (32mL) canola oil
• 1 tsp. (5mL) cumin seeds
• 1 finely chopped red onion
• 1-2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chilis, stems removed
• 1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp. (1mL) coarse salt
• 1 tsp. (5mL) balti masala
• 1/2 tsp. (2.5mL) turmeric
• 1 c. (256mL) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 c. (256mL) water
• 250g paneer, cut into 2cm cubes and pan-fried
• 1/4 c. (64mL) whipping (35%) cream
• finely chopped fresh cilantro for garnishing

Procedure

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they turn reddish-brown and fragrant, ~10 seconds.
2. Add the onion and chilis and stir-fry until the onion is starting to brown, 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato, salt, masala, and turmeric. Lower the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato softens, ~3 minutes.
4. Add the chickpeas and 1 c. (256mL) of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the sauce thickens, ~10 minutes.
5. Stir in the paneer and the cream, and continue simmering, uncovered, until the cheese is warmed through.
6. Top with cilantro and serve.