Peppers and Mushroom and Paneer Sabji

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoon of oil
2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 onions
4 cloves of garlic
1” of ginger
Pinch of asafoetida
3-4 big cardamoms
2 bay leaves
1 pod of red chili dried
4 table spoon of coriander powder
2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of mango powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala
2 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 pack of (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 pack of (8 oz) Paneer** cut in to 1" cubes
1 teaspoon of sugar
Salt to taste
1 cup of crushed tomatoes from can
¼ cup of heavy whipping cream

Method:

• Chop onions, ginger and garlic cloves in food processor to finely chopped pieces (almost a paste)
• Heat oil in a sauce pan
• Add cumin seeds when they crackle, add asafoetida followed by cardamom, chili pod and bay leaves.
• Add onion, ginger and garlic paste to this.
• Sauté these ingredients on medium heat until golden brown
• Add peppers, mushroom and cook for 3-5 min, stirring occasionally
• Add sugar to this and then add all the dry spices and salt, cook for additional 3-5 min.
• Add Paneer and gently toss/mix the ingredients
• Add crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of water cook for 3-5 min
• Add whipping cream mix well cook for 2 more min and serve warm with Pita bread/Roti/Naan/Flat bread or over rice.


** Paneer: Paneer (Hindi: पनीर panīr, from Persian پنير panir) is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese or curd cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid.

Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent, thus making it completely lacto-vegetarian and providing a source of protein for vegetarian Hindus.

To prepare paneer at home, food acid (usually lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid or yogurt) is added to hot milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are drained in muslin or cheesecloth and the excess water is pressed out. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2–3 hours to give it a good texture and appearance.

From this point, the preparation of paneer diverges based on its use and regional variation.

In most cuisines, the curds are wrapped in cloth and placed under a heavy weight, such as a stone slab, for 2–3 hours, and then cut into cubes for use in curries. Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes), results in a softer, fluffier cheese which is used in sweet dishes like Rasgulla/Rasmalai etc.

Photograph by Surekha