For a very long time, I did not know that paneer is cottage cheese. Until of course, in fifth standard, I saw a recipe by Tarla Dalal on TV and she clarified that cottage cheese is paneer. Tarla Dalal followed by Sanjeev Kapoor are the people I resort to when I want a super yum paneer dish. Followed of course, by Mum, who makes paneer into an  extremely homey thing. When I smell her cooking, I know I am home and I can just sit back, relax and everything’s going to be taken care of .

Name: Dahiwala Paneer
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal
Serves: 3
You need:
200 gms of paneer, cubed
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup of curd, whipped smooth
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Rock salt, powdered
Oil
Coriander leave for garnish
Spices:
1 tsp fennel / saunf seeds
1/2 tsp mustard / rai seeds
1/2 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
1 tsp kalonji / nigella seeds
1/4 tsp methi seeds / fenugreek
1/2 tsp asafoetida / hing
1 tsp khus-khus seeds (optional)
– Take all the spices I have mentioned and add them to a small bowl – keep aside.
– Heat oil in a kadhai. Add all the spices and let them sputter. Add the onion and fry about nicely for 2-3 minutes.
– Add the turmeric and red chilli powder at this point and mix about well.
– Toss in the paneer and coat it well with the masalas. Add the rock salt. Add a small dash of water and allow it to cook covered for 5-6 minutes.
– Add the curd, stir it in gently (don’t attack your paneer). Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
– Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.
– Put a bit into your mouth and faint in joy. Recover so you can eat the rest of your share.
Reema Prasanna is a Search Engine Marketing expert, Xoogler, baking expert and blogger. More about her herehttp://about.me/reema.prasanna

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