Easy Butter Panner (Indian Cottage Cheese)

A fairly simple and easy recipe which is adaptable. The original recipe called for chicken (1 whole chicken cut into 10 pieces) instead of paneer but you can use tofu or even prawns.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 300 -400  g panir (Indian cottage cheese)
• 1⁄2 tablespoon chili powder
• 2  tablespoons curry powder
• 3⁄4 cup yogurt (unsweetened)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1  tomatoes (chopped fine)
• 1  cinnamon stick (small piece)
• 2  cardamom
• 2  cloves
• 1  star anise
• 2  red onions (chppped fine or ground into paste)
• 1  tablespoon  ginger-garlic paste
• 1⁄4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons butter (melted)
• 1  teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 2  tablespoons  oil

Directions

1. Cut the paneer into small cubes and set aside.
2. Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, tumeric powder, white pepper powder, chopped tomatoes and salt (to taste) together. Feel free to adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your own taste/preference.
3. Add the cubes of paneer (or meat of your choice) to the yogurt mix and leave aside to marinade. (I needed only about 20mins for the paneer.).
4. Mix the chili powder and the meat curry powder together just enough water for the mixture to come together into a ball. Again, feel free to vary the amounts to your taste.
5. Heat the oil till smoking.
6. Fry the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise till fragrant.
7. Hint: You may prefer to split open the cardamom and use just the seeds. Grind and fry the seeds (omitting the skins) if there are family members who are very picky and hate cardamon.
8. Reduce the head to medium flame, then add the onion and fry till golden brown.
9. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till fragrant.
10. Add the chilli-meat curry powder paste and fry till fragrant.
11. Now add the paneer together with the marinade.
12. Add the evapourate milk and salt to taste.
13. Stir well and let it simmer till the paneer is cooked.
14. Remove from heat, drizzle with the melted butter and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.
15. This dish goes well with bread, rotis or even plain white rice.