michelle picker cooks

This wonderful paneer recipe comes from chef Aktar Islam of Michelin starred restaurant Opheem.

To a saucepan add 1 sliced onion, 1 teaspoon each of grated ginger and garlic, 5 large sliced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of toasted cashews, 25g (.9 oz) of unsalted butter, 3 green cardamom pods, 1 black cardamom pod, 3 whole cloves, ½ a teaspoon of black peppercorns, a 2cm (¾”) piece of cassia bark and ⅔ of a cup of water. Cover and heat over medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the cashews are soft. Discard the cassia bark then transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth. Rinse out the saucepan then strain the sauce back into it through a fine sieve to remove any remaining solids. Set aside. In a separate saucepan add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 25g (.9 oz) of unsalted butter and heat until foaming. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 whole split green chilli and a minced 2cm (¾”) piece of fresh ginger and cook for a minute. Next add 1 teaspoon of kashmiri chilli powder, ½ a teaspoon of ground coriander and ¼ of a teaspoon each of ground turmeric and garam masala. Cook for another minute then pour in the sauce. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the oil is separating. Meanwhile cut your paneer into roughly 2.5cm (1″) cubes. I’m certain that homemade paneer is the best option but I used store bought paneer. Add a dash of oil to a wide fry pan and fry the paneer for about 5 minutes until golden all over. Once the oil has separated from the sauce add 75ml (2½ fl oz) of double cream, 1 tablespoon of runny honey and a pinch of salt and taste to see if it needs more salt or honey. Add the fried paneer and simmer for 5 minutes. To serve, garnish with 1 teaspoon of crumbled kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and fresh coriander (cilantro).