Paneer Tikka Masala #SundaySupper

It’s the cheesiest #SundaySupper yet! The theme this week is Cheese, Cakes & Cheesecakes hosted by Angie at Big Bear’s Wife. We are bringing forth cheesy savory and sweet recipes to the table.

The past couple of years I’ve been working on finding recipes for my favorite Indian dishes. The motivation is that good Indian food is nowhere near me (and by “nowhere near me” I mean, down the street from me) and I crave it too often to be ordering from this one decent place that is not so economically priced. So I’ve been hunting down recipes, harassing friends for family recipes, and subjecting my husband to kitchen experiments (note: he is a willing test subject). So far I’ve got my recipes for bengan bharta (roasted eggplant stew), chana masala (chickpea curry), palak paneer (spinach stew with paneer), and now, paneer tikka masala (paneer curry), thanks to Vijay Nathan at NoshOnIt who recently did a guest post on Little Ferraro Kitchen.

In my previous post, I show you how to make homemade paneer – an easy cheesy recipe. If you have easy access to good paneer, then you’re luckier than I am. Either way, you are good to go for this recipe. But if you’re really in a pinch, Vijay suggests substituting extra firm tofu in place of paneer. I’ve tried it both ways and it’s delicious either way, but I definitely prefer the paneer!

By the way, I am still working on a rogan josh (spiced lamb stew) recipe…

Paneer Tikka Masala

Adapted from Vijay Nathan’s recipe

Yields about 4 servings.

8-12 ounces paneer, cubed
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon tandoori masala seasoning powder
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon cooking oil

1/2-inch thick slice of ginger, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
cooking oil
1 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon coriander powder
1 Tablespoon tandoori masala seasoning powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Chopped cilantro and lime

Cooked basmati rice or naan (flat bread) to serve

1 – In a medium-sized bowl, combine the paneer, jalapeno pepper, yogurt, turmeric, tandoori powder, lime juice, and cooking oil. Set aside in the refrigerator and let it marinate for about an hour.

2 – After the paneer has marinated, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add a couple of teaspoons of cooking oil. Add your paneer and let cook on one side for about 3-4 minutes then flip and continue cooking until browned on all sides. Set aside.

3 – In a blender or food processor, purée the ginger, garlic and tomatoes until smooth. Set aside.

4 – In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant.

5 – Add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes.

6 – Add coriander powder, tandoori masala seasoning powder, and turmeric. Cook until dark brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Make sure to coat the onions evenly with the spices.

7 – Add the tomato puree mixture to the skillet, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

8 – Lower heat to medium and cook about 10 minutes. Stirring periodically.

9 – Add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water until you reach the desired consistency for your sauce. Stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

10 – Add the garam masala, cooked paneer, and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

11 – Take the pan off the heat, stir in the heavy cream.

12 – For seasoning, add cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Salt to taste if necessary.

13 – Serve hot with rice or naan.

Here’s what the rest of the Sunday Supper crew is bringing to the table!