Malai Muttar Paneer / Creamy cottage cheese curry

Malai Muttar Paneer is a delicious dish from the Punjabi cuisine. Malai  means cream, muttar refers to green peas and paneer is Indian cottage cheese. This paneer dish is very rich and creamy and there are high chances that you get addicted to it. This is not a very complex recipe and is relatively easy to cook, but does not compromise on its quality and taste. When I learnt about this recipe I was just amazed how such simple recipe could taste so great.

Ingredients

Paneer- 200 gms

Peas- 1 cup

tomatoes( chopped)- 2 (medium size)

ginger- 1 inch (grated)

cabbage (chopped)- 1/4 cup

whole cashews- 10

broken cacshews- 5

blanched almonds- 5 (chopped)

raisins- 6-7

fresh cream/ whipping cream- 1 cup

milk- 1/2 cup

coriander powder- 1 tsp

cuminpowder- 1/2 tsp

red chilli powder- 1 tsp

garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)- 1 tbsp

cardamon powder- 1/4 tsp

hing/ asafotida- 1 pinch

butter- 2 tbsp

cilantro (coriander) leaves to garnish

Preparation:

Grate the paneer. Soak the whole cashews for half an hour. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pan. Add the chopped cabbage witha pinch of hing until golden brown and then add the chopped tomatoes and ginger and fry them until they become tender. Allow it to cool and grind them along with the soaked cashews into a fine paste. Now heat 1 tbsp of butter and add the broken cashews, blanched almonds, Kasoori methi and cardamom powder and fry them until golden brown. add the raisins, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and fry them for a minute in medium heat and then add the ground paste. Add required water so that the paste doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and also to get a perfect gravy consistancy. Add green peas, grated paneer and salt and allow them to cook for 5 minutes. Then add milk and cream and cook for 5- 10 minutes. Remove from heat and granish with cilantro leaves.

Note: Malai paneer can be served as a main course with roti, naan, pulav for lunch and dinner. It is also party favourite.