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Plan your main course with this tasty Tawa Paneer recipe

Add a few ‘garma garam’ rotis and some jaggery to the plate too…

A simple one-pan recipe for days when the heart is divided between ordering in and pulling out the apron.

Ingredients:

• Medium diced paneer: 200 gm
• Medium diced bell peppers: 8-10 pieces per bell pepper
• Medium diced onions: 2 large
• Medium diced tomatoes: 2 large
• Slit green chilli: 4-5
• Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
• Ginger paste: 2 tablespoons
• Garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
• Green chilli paste: 1 teaspoon
• Bay leaf: 1 large
• Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
• Finely chopped onion: 1 large
• Finely chopped garlic: 1 teaspoon
• Finely chopped ginger: 1 teaspoon
• Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
• Special masala: 3 tablespoons
• Ghee
• Mustard oil
• Salt
• Sugar

Special masala recipe: 1 teaspoon each of coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, 2 cloves, 3 cardamoms, ½ cinnamon stick, 2 whole dried red chillies dry roasted for about 4-5 minutes and then turned into a fine mix. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to it.

Recipe:

• Take a nonstick frying pan and add ghee and mustard oil (1:3 ratio). Heat well, add bay leaf and cumin seeds and saute well
• Now add ginger, garlic and green chilli pastes and saute for 2-3 minutes on low heat
• Add chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes and then add ginger and garlic to cook for another 1-2 minutes
• Add turmeric and kashmiri red chilli powder and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Splash some water in needed
• Now add the diced onions and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat before adding the bell peppers
• Add tomatoes, give one good stir and keep sauteing the ingredients for 3-4 minutes
• Add the paneer cubes, cook for 3-4 minutes, add salt, sugar, special masala, lemon juice and give a light-handed mix
• Splash some water, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes, check seasoning, sprinkle some ghee and tawa paneer is ready

— Pooja Mitra