Recipe: Handi Paneer

Who doesn’t fancy restaurant style cooking at home? Every food enthusiast does.

Today we cook ‘restaurant’ styled ‘Handi Paneer’. The dish is called ‘Handi Paneer’ as the dish is prepared in a handi. Handi is traditionally used for slow-cooking and is either made up of clay or metal. To enhance the flavours of slow-cooking, clay handi is sealed with a clay lid and dough and metal handi is sealed with a glass lid. Food cooked in a handi gives out a unique taste, flavour and aroma.

Ingredients (Serves 5 - 6)

Cottage cheese/paneer - 750 gms

Onions (medium-sized) - 8 (finely chopped)

Tomatoes (medium-sized) - 8 (finely chopped)

Ghee - 4 tbsp

Oil - ½ cup

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt (as per taste) - 2 - 3 tsp

Kasuri methi - 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Bay leaf - 4

Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Black cardamom - 2

Water - 1 cup

Butter - for garnishing

*Handi masala

*Handi masala 

Dried red chillies - 4

Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp

Saunf - 1 tsp

Jeera - 3 tsp

Black peppercorns - 1.5 tsp

Cloves - 8

Instructions 

1. To make the handi masala, heat pan and on a low flame roast the spices until it leaves an aroma. After the mixture cools down, grind it well.
2. Heat oil in a handi. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom and saute it.
3. Next add onions and let it cook till it's either light brown or 80% done.
4. Add ghee, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and cook until the onions are golden brown.
5. Now add tomatoes and salt and let it cook for about 10 - 12 mins on a low flame.
6. Once the oil starts to separate, add handi masala and roast everything for a few minutes.
7. Add water, paneer and mix everything well. Leave it on for 5 - 10 mins so the paneer soaks up the flavour.
8. Add kasuri methi just a couple of minutes before removing the dish from heat.
9. Finish the dish with a big tablespoon of butter and coriander.

Try this delicious dish and bring that extra oomph to your vegetarian meals. Print or bookmark this recipe right away.