Paneer, tomato and pea curry
A speedy weeknight curry is always a winner, especially one that doesn’t require lots of fresh ingredients. This vegetarian offering combines tinned tomatoes and frozen peas with plenty of spices and sticks of paneer cheese.
Ingreadient
- 225g paneer
- ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder (from online/South Asian shops – or a mixture of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, cut into wedges
- 20g fresh ginger, thickly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves
- Handful fresh coriander, leaves picked and stems roughly chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 400g tin good-quality plum tomatoes
- 250g frozen peas
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp natural yogurt
- Steamed rice and/or chapatis to serve
Instruction
- Cut the paneer into 1cm thick fingers and put in a bowl with the chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala and a good pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Heat half the ghee/oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the paneer for about 6 minutes, turning now and then, until golden on all sides.
- Meanwhile, put the onion, ginger, garlic and coriander stems in a small food processor and whizz to a paste (or finely chop). Transfer the paneer to a plate, then add the remaining ghee to the pan. Add the cumin seeds then, once sizzling, add the onion paste with a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and light golden.
- Pour the tomatoes into the pan, then add a splash of water to the tin and rinse out into the pan. Bring to a simmer and bubble gently for about 10 minutes until thickened slightly. Return the paneer to the pan and add the peas, ground coriander and remaining garam masala. Cook for another 5 minutes, then stir in the yogurt and season. Serve with steamed rice and/or chapatis, with the coriander leaves scattered over.
