Paneer Peshawari

Paneer Peshawrai is a delightful paneer (Indian cottage) dish cooked in Peshawari style. Peshawar (a frontier state in Pakistan) is the home to most of the exotic, rich, creamy and spicy Peshawari food. Paneer Peshawri is one of the popular dishes in North Indian Restaurants, cooked in rich cashew-onion gravy and finished with milk and aromatic kasuri methi. The distinct flavor of freshly crushed coriander seeds and dry red chilies is the highlight of this dish.

To make this dish you will need :-

Ingredients

• Chopped onions –2 medium size
• CashewNuts –1 tbsp
• Roasted Poppy Seeds–1 tsp
• Melon Seeds –1 tbsp(optional)
• Peanuts –1 tbsp
• Cloves –2 nos
• Green Chilies –2 nos
• Cinnamon Stick–1 nos
• Dry Red Chilies–3 nos
• Coriander Seeds–1 tbsp
• Paneer Cubes–1 cup
• Capsicum(Green Bell Pepper)diced– 1 cup
• Tomato diced–1 nos
• Kasuri Methi/dry fenugreek leaves–½tbsp
• Milk/Cream–1/4thcup
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil–2 tbsp
• Cilantro(corianderleaves)–for garnishing

Steps:

1. Put the chopped onions, melon seeds, peanuts, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, green chillies, clove and cinnamon in a sauce pan and boil for 5 mins.  
   
    
2. Let it cool and then drain and grind to a smooth paste .
   
3. In a skillet dry roast the coriander seeds and dry red chillies and pound them to a coarse powder.
   
   
4. Heat oil in a pan and add the cashew-onion paste. Stir continuously otherwise it may start sticking to the bottom of the pan. Make sure that the flame/heat is not too high. Once oil starts separating from cashew paste  add the capsicum and tomato.
   
5. Cook it for 2-3 minutes then add salt, coriander-red chilly powder and mix well.
   
6. Now add the paneer and mix well.
   
7. Crush some kasori methi in between your palms and sprinkle them  in the gravy. 
   
8. Add some water if the gravy is too thick. Now add milk( you can also add cream instead to make the dish richer).
   
9. Simmer for for 10 mins or till the gravy is as thick as you want.
10. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves

Serve hot either with naan, chapatti, roti, jeera rice or ghee rice. This dish also tastes excellent with pulaos. 

Stay flavorful !