Paneer Chandni

Paneer Chandni - A royal paneer delicacy.  This has been adopted from a five star hotel recipe of mild spicy Paneer dish.  This is a tribute to my favorite Director Mr. Yash Chopra who passed away recently. This recipe is very royal as the main ingredients used are very royal and rich. Hence, this recipe also resembles to Yashji's movies. 

Servings : 4-5 people

Ingredients :

For Paneer Chandni :
3 tbspns Ghee
3-4 Cloves (Laung)
2 crushed Cardamom
2 finely chopped Onions
Cashew-Mava Paste
Salt to taste
1 tspn Pepper Powder
500 gms soft Paneer 
200 gms Fresh cream

For Cashew-Mava Paste :
1 cup Cashew nuts
2 tspns Ginger Paste
6-7 chopped Green chillies 
1 & 1/2 cup Mava (Khoya or reduced milk)
1 tspn Cardamom powder
1/2 cup milk
Salt to taste

For Garnishing :
Almond flakes
Saffron strands
Silver leaves (Chandi Varq)

Pre-preparation :

Cut the paneer into cubes of approx 1 inch each and set aside. Soak the Saffron strands in milk for garnishing. 

Method :

To make Cashew-Mava Paste :

Mix Cashew nuts, Ginger paste, Green chillies, Mava, Cardmom Powder and salt in a bowl. Transfer it into a blender. Add milk to facilitate the process of blending. Blend it to a paste of smooth consistency. Transfer it into a bowl and set aside.

To make Paneer Chandni :

Heat ghee in a pan. Add coves and crushed Cardamoms. Once it crackles, add the chopped onions. Saute it till the onions are translucent. Then add the Cashew-Mava paste and cook. Ensure that the paste is stirred continuously. Saute the paste for 3-4 minutes. Then add the salt and pepper powder to the paste.  Check the seasoning and add the pieces of paneer. See that the paste is coated to the pieces of paneer evenly. Lastly, stir in fresh cream and mix well. 

Transfer it into a serving bowl. Garnish it by sprinkling Amond flakes, soaked Saffron and Silver Leaves (Varq). Serve hot with roti or naan.

Notes : 

You may add milk to adjust the consistency.

Making powder of cashews separately while making the paste will facilitate smooth grinding. 

Stepwise Pictures:

 

Sending this entry to Let’s Party- “Fest Celebration- Diwali” Event , Bon Vivant #10 - Festive Feast, DIWALI FOOD FEST Event - Vitual Feast, Amy's event - Cook like a Celebrity Chef, Akila's event - Dish Name Starts With P

This recipe has won the Best recipe award  Let’s Party- “Fest Celebration- Diwali”