Paneer in Tomato Sauce
August 25, 2009 posted by Linda Avery
by Bal Arneson
from Everyday Indian
(Whitecap Books, 2009)
Serves 4
When I was growing up, paneer in tomato sauce was made only in fancy restaurants in cities. It included whipped cream and ghee to give it a rich, creamy flavour. In this paneer recipe, I use low-fat yogurt and a combination of herbs and spices that make it very rich and flavourful without any cream.
Paneer, sometimes called panir, is an Indian soft cow’s milk cheese similar to tofu. You can find it in Indian markets as well as online.—Bal Arneson
convert Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
3/4 cup water
2 cups cubed pan-fried paneer
Want it? Click it.
Method
1. Place the oil, onion, garlic, and ginger in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir regularly.
2. Add the tomato paste and cumin seeds, and cook for 1 minute. Add the fenugreek, garam masala, paprika, sugar, turmeric, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the tomatoes, yogurt, and water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the paneer, turn the heat off, cover with a lid, and let it sit for a few minutes. Serve with rice and/or rotis.
Note: To give this dish a spicy kick, add 2 finely chopped green chilies with the tomatoes.
Recipe © 2009 Bal Arneson. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
LC
on 
LC to your 
[Cindi Kruth] There’s a lot of spices here to measure out, but they all contribute to the complex, authentic taste of this simple dish. Paneer is so bland by itself it really needs all these flavors. The recipe didn’t say how to pan fry the paneer, so I just sautéed the cubes in a little oil for about 3 or 4 minutes, turning them a couple of times until they were golden all over. That in itself lent a nice caramelized taste. The rest, was quick and easy. Using the same pan, I sautéed the paneer in, I sautéed the onion until translucent before adding the garlic and ginger because I find those aromatics tend to scorch if cooked too long or on too high heat. Other than that, I followed the recipe. The tomato sauce had a wonderful aroma while it was cooking. I gave it a stir once or twice, before adding the paneer.
This dish was no doubt not as rich and luxurious as it would have been with cream and ghee, but the sauce was thick and creamy from the yogurt. Tangy from the acidity of the tomatoes with a touch of heat from the ginger and garam masala, this is a terrific vegetarian addition to my list of Indian recipes. For the meat eaters, this sauce would be great with chicken, too.
How does one make paneer from scratch?
Thanks for your question. Paneer is very simple to make. Here are some super-easy instructions: Set a pot of whole milk on the stove over medium-high heat. When the milk comes to a boil, curdle it with some lemon juice or vinegar. To do this, add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the milk pot, then turn off the heat. Now, using a spoon, mix the liquid well. You’ll see the fat begin to separate from the liquid. Strain this over a cheese cloth. What you have left, the white part, should now be placed in a cloth and tightly bound. Place some heavy objects on top of the bound cheese. This will help remove excess moisture and will help give a firm texture to your paneer. Let me know if you need a more formal recipe, and i am happy to email you one.
Thanks, Monica. (Everyone, Monica Bhide is our Indian cuisine expert.)