Ingredients
- Oil – 1 tablespoon
- Butter – 2 tablespoons
- Paneer cubes – 250 grams
- Ginger garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
- Bay leaves – 1
- Khus khus – 1 teaspoon
- Cinnamon stick – 1-inch piece
- Cloves – 3
- Kashmiri red chillies – 3
- Cardamoms – 2
- Peppercorns – ½ teaspoon
- Chopped cashew nuts – 2 tablespoons
- Chopped onions – 1
- Chopped tomatoes – 6
- Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
- Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric – ½ teaspoon
- Ketchup – 1½ tablespoons
- Fried kasuri methi – 1½ teaspoon (roasted and crushed)
- Fresh cream – 2 tablespoons
- Salt – 1½ teaspoons
Method
1. Wrap the whole spices (cloves, bay leaf, cardamom, and pepper) in a muslin cloth to make a bouquet garni.
2. In a large pan or kadhai, heat a tablespoon each of butter and oil.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and Kashmiri red chillies.
4. Sauté for a minute.
5. Add onions and cook for 2–3 minutes.
6. Next, add cashews and poppy seeds.
7. When the onions turn translucent, add tomatoes and a teaspoon of salt.
8. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
9. Add the spice bouquet garni and ½ cup water.
10. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
11. Keep the mixture aside to cool.
12. Remove the bouquet garni and blend the mixture to a smooth paste. Add another cup of water while blending.
13. In the same pan or kadhai, heat the remaining butter and add the blended tomato-onion paste.
14. Add chilli powder, garam masala powder, ketchup, turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt.
15. Also add ½ cup water.
16. Bring the mixture to a boil.
17. Simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
18. If you want to smoke the gravy, heat a piece of coal using tongs till it is red hot. Place the coal in a steel bowl and place this bowl in the pan such that it doesn’t submerge. Pour a teaspoon of oil on top. When it starts smoking, cover the gravy for 2 minutes.
19. In another pan, dry roast and grind the kasuri methi.
20. Add the kasuri methi powder and a tablespoon of curry to the gravy.
21. Add paneer cubes.
22. Mix and simmer for 2 more minutes.
23. Top with cream or butter.
24. Serve hot.
