G : JEERA PANEER

This one's a legacy from Ma, the fate of whose dishes depends invariably on her moods. But it seems she was in a good mood when she bequeathed this gem to me, for it turned out amazingly well, the very first time I tried it out. Actually, K's college batchmate Prasenjit and his wife Gopa, who had recently moved from Michigan to New Jersey, were expected for dinner one evening. The menu was simple : chicken biriyani, chilli prawn, chilli paneer and icecream. K went out in the evening to buy a couple of things and enquired whether I needed anything, to which I offered a confident negative. However, the moment I started making preparations for the paneer (everything else had been cooked by then), I was annoyed to discover that we were out of soya sauce. This recipe saved the day, especially since I'm not the type to try out my culinary experiments on my guests. I suggest you don't do it either, unless you're really out to scare away your friends !


QUANTITY :

Serves 4


INGREDIENTS :

Paneer 500 gm.
Capsicum/bell-pepper, 1 whole, thinly sliced
Ginger, 1 tbsp
Cumin (whole, roasted and grinded), 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
Black pepper, adjust to taste
Salt, adjust to taste
Sugar, 1 tbsp
Milk, 1 cup.
Garam Masala, 1 pinch
Oil

METHOD :

Heat oil. Fry paneer cubes till golden. Retain the oil.
Keep the paneer immersed in mildly hot, salted water for about 20 mins.
Re-heat the oil.
Fry capsicum/bell-pepper at low heat till soft.
Add roasted cumin.
Stir till well mixed.
Add ginger and cumin powder.
Stir well at low heat till well mixed.
Add milk slowly, while stirring.
Allow milk to boil for 5 mins or until concentrated.
Add salt, sugar and green chilli.
Cook on low heat till the gravy is thick in consistency.
Add drained, pre-fried paneer.
Cook uncovered for 5-7 mins.
Add garam masala and pepper.
Remove from heat when paneer is soft and well cooked.


The best part about this dish is how fast you can usher it up in...which is nominal !