Paneer Khurchan

INGREDIENTS

• ▢ 250 grams Paneer (cottage cheese)

• ▢ 90 to 100 grams onions or about 2 medium onions or ½ cup heaped sliced onions

• ▢ 150 grams tomato or 1 large tomato or 2/3 cup chopped tomatoes

• ▢ 1 large green capsicum (bell pepper) or 100 grams capsicum or ½ cup chopped capsicum

• ▢ 1 inch ginger – julienne

• ▢ 1 or 2 green chilies – slit

• ▢ 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala or add as required

• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)

• ▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder or cayenne pepper, add as required

• ▢ ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)

• ▢ ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder (ground cumin)

• ▢ ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – crushed

• ▢ 1 tablespoon low fat cream (optional)

• ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish

• ▢ 1.5 to 2 tablespoon oil

• ▢ salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS

preparation

• Slice 250 grams of paneer into batons or strips about 1.5 to 2 inches.

• Chop all the veggies. Slice the onions thinly. Chop the tomatoes and cut the capsicum in small cubes. 

• Slit the green chilies & julienne the 1 inch ginger. Reserve a few ginger julienne for garnish.

making paneer khurchan

• Heat oil in medium to large iron tawa. Don't use non stick pan. You can also use thick bottomed iron or steel kadai.

• Add the sliced onions and saute them till they turn translucent on medium-low heat stirring often.

• Then add the capsicum cubes and chopped tomatoes.

• Keep on sauteing and stirring them for about about 7 to 8 minutes on a low heat.

• The tomatoes need to get softened and the capsicum just about cooked.

• Then add the spice powders – turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, a generous pinch of asafoetida and salt as required.

• Stir the spice powders very well with the sauteed onion tomato capsicum mixture.

• Add the slit green chilies and ginger julienne. Stir and mix.

• Then add the paneer strips.

• Stir and mix very well. Increase the heat to high. Note that the paneer will leave moisture once you mix them with the rest of the masala base.

• With a spatula, align and place each paneer strip touching the tawa, so that they are cooked evenly as well as get bit golden from the base.

• Cook for a minute and then scrape the paneer strips from the base. Reduce the heat if everything starts to get brown quickly

• Turn over and let the other side get browned a bit.

• Again scrape and stir. Keep on scraping if you see the paneer or onion-tomato bits getting stuck on the tawa. A note is not to cook too much as then the paneer would harden and become chewy. The scraping as well as flipping has to be done quickly.

• Switch off the heat. Lastly add 1 tablespoon low fat cream or light cream and crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). The cream is optional and if you don't have just skip it.

• Stir and mix very well again.

• Add chopped coriander leaves and mix them. You can also garnish with coriander leaves instead of mixing them.

• Serve paneer khurchan hot or warm sprinkled with some lime juice and the reserved ginger julienne, along with some chapatis, tandoori rotis or naan or plain paratha.

NOTES

• The amount of spices can be altered to suit your taste buds.

• I suggest to make the dish with fresh paneer. I always recommend making your own paneer.

• Use any neutral flavored oil. For a richer dish you can add butter or ghee instead of oil.

• For a spicy paneer khurchan increase the amount of green chilies.

• It is best to serve this dish hot or warm. On reheating the paneer will get cooked further and won’t taste good as they will become chewy and rubbery.

• Use a big-size skillet or tawa to accommodate the ingredients easily while sauteing. Also the paneer strips should be placed in a single layer while cooking the dish.