This is a curry made with paneer cheese, which is very meaty and a great vegetarian option. You can probably get away with using peanut butter instead of cashew butter, but I do recommend the cashew for the flavor.
When I made this, I served it with bhindi masala curry and lemon rice, both some of my favorites! The bhindi makes a great entree as well, but I like to make a smaller amount and serve it with another type of curry, especially if that curry is light on vegetables.
INGREDIENTS:
- 7 ounces paneer cheese, cubed
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 6 to 8 fresh curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Pinch asafoetida (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 hot red Thai bird chillies, chopped
- 1 large firm tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons natural cashew butter or natural peanut butter
- Water as needed
METHOD:
Step 1
Heat oil in a skillet; add onion, cumin, mustard seed and curry leaves; cook for about a minute or until spices sputter.
Step 2
Add ginger and garlic paste to pan along with turmeric, coriander, asafoetida, salt and pepper, stirring to mix well.
Step 3
Add chopped tomatoes and chopped chillies and a half cup water and cook over low heat, stirring, until tomato breaks down, adding more water as needed.
Step 4
When tomatoes get soft and curry is still slightly saucy, stir in the cashew butter. Add a little water if it is too thick.
Step 5
Then stir in the cream and paneer cubes and simmer over low heat about 5 minutes or just until hot; do not boil.