Making of the tomato & cashew paste
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
10 to 12 cashewsnuts
½ inch ginger – chopped
2 to 3 garlic – chopped
½ cup water
1 green cardamom
- 2 cloves
Ingredients for Paneer Lababdar
200 gms paneer (cottage cheese)
2 tbsp grated paneer
100 gms onion Or ½ cup finely chopped onions
1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
1 or 2 green chilies – slit
½ tsp cumin powder
½ t coriander powder (ground coriander)
½ teaspoon red chili powder or deghi mirch or kashmiri red chili powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
¼ cup low fat cream – 25% to 35% fat1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) – crushed
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon butter to be added later (optional)
¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
1 or 1.25 cups water
- salt as required
for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
- ½ inch ginger – julienne
Preparing paste for Paneer Lababdar
- take 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes, 10 to 12 cashews, 1/2 inch chopped ginger, 2 to 3 garlic (chopped), 1 green cardamom, 2 cloves and 1/2 cup water in a small pan. use tomatoes which are not too tangy or sour.
- switch on the flame and simmer this mixture on a low flame.
- cook till the tomatoes are softened. if the water dries up and the tomatoes are not softened, then add about 2 to 3 tbsp water and continue to cook.
- allow this mixture to become warm or cool completely and add to a grinder or blender jar.
- grind to a smooth paste without any cahsews or tomato chunks or pieces. you may add some water if required while grinding. keep this ground tomato-cashew-spices paste aside.
Making paneer lababdar
- heat 2 tbsp butter in pan or kadai/wok. add 1 tej patta and saute for a couple of seconds.
- add 1/2 cup finely chopped onions. stir well.
- then continue to saute as well as stir and cook till the onions become light golden or golden.
- then add the tomato-cashew-spices paste. the mixture will splutter if there is water in it, so be careful. stir very well.
- add 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp red chili powder.
- stir and saute this masala. you will see the masala clumping and gathering around itself.
- saute till you see fat leaving the sides of the masala paste.
- then add 1 cup water. stir very well.
- add 1 or 2 slit green chilies.
- stir and allow the gravy to come to a simmer. then season with salt and sugar.
- add 200 grams paneer which have been cubed. also add 2 tbsp grated paneer.
- stir and simmer the gravy for about a minute.
- then sprinkle 1 tsp kasuri methi which has been crushed along with 1/4 tsp garam masala. stir very well again and simmer for a minute
- add the low fat cream. switch off the flame & stir very well. you can also add 1 tbsp butter to make it more delicious or rich.
- Served hot garnish paneer lababdar with chopped coriander leaves and ginger julienne.
- Serve/goes well with chapatis, tandoori rotis, naan, or cumin rice,veg pulao.
