Akbari Paneer

Paneer, or Cottage Cheese, can be enjoyed in various forms, and I can totally relish eating just raw fresh paneer, but the avenues that it provides to cooking are just amazing! Add these cubes to any veggie curry and it transforms into something rich and delicious. So here's another rich and creamy variation that involved shredded paneer, and its my husband's absolute favourite. It's called Akbari Paneer. I first tasted it in a desi restaurant in california, and have been a fan ever since. It has now become a regular paneer delight in our house as it's simple to make and tastes great with any naan, bread or jeera rice!

Ingredients

Paneer - half a slab, shredded
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Capsicum half green and half red - finely chopped
Cashews - half cup
Milk - half cup
Tomato Puree - half cup
Fresh cream (Malai) or Whipping Cream - 3 large tbsp
Tandoori Chicken Masala-2 tsp
Dry coriander flakes- 2 tsp
Spices - cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp, bay leaves - 2, ground cinnamon-half tsp, turmeric and red chilli powder-to taste, salt and lemon juice-to taste, sugar-1 tsp

Method
Shred the paneer and keep it in the fridge.

Heat oil in a saucepan, add the cumin seeds, cinnamon and bay leaves, dry coriander flakes, onions and capsicum and saute for some time till cooked. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree, and saute again.

Take the cashews in a grinder, add some milk to it and grind it into a smooth paste. Leave some cashew pieces behind for garnishing.

Now add the cashew paste to the pan and fry everything together for 7-8 mins. Add a little water, then add the remaining spices and let it cook covered till all flavours get mixed well. Finally add some fresh cream or whipping cream and mix well to achieve desired consistency, which is thick and creamy.

When ready to serve, add the grated paneer to the gravy, mix well, and garnish with fresh coriander, slivered cashews and some more cream! Serve hot with Rice or Bread!