The first time I went to a supermarket in India, heading for the cheese/butter section, I noticed two things: the enormous selection of yogurt and the mysterious product of Paneer. Paneer? What was that? Judged by the amount and selection - an essential ingredient here in India?
I was right - Paneer, the most common type of cheese used in South-Asian cuisine. Often translated to cottage cheese, but for me quite different from the cc's I have tasted before, but more like pressed cc. It is a bit similar to the cheeses manouri (in Greece), and anari (Cyprus).
In India they use paneer in main dishes, in snacks and in desserts... pretty much everywhere in other words. Very often it will go instead of meat in vegetarian dishes. So there are paneer pakora, paneer tikka masala, paneer butter masala and even McDonalds have introduced their very own McSpicy Paneer! For a new-to-paneer-cook like me, I have experimented a bit, but a dish we keep coming back to is Paneer with vegetables- healthy & easy to make, and you can use it as main dish or side dish- your choice:-) Hope you like it!
2 onions
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cm fresh ginger, grated
1/2 yellow capsicum
1/2 red capsicum
2 carrots
10 green beans
4 spring onions
2 chopped tomatoes
salt, pepper, garam masala
200 gr paneer
You do:
- Grate the capsicum, onions and carrots and chop the beans to small pieces.
- Have oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and garlic. Add the spices.
- Add the vegetables (minus tomatoes) and let simmer (low temperature) until the vegetables are soft (10-15 min). If needed, add a little bit of water, so it doesn't dry out.
- Chop the paneer in cubes and add with the tomatoes. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!
PS: We like to eat it with some bread - naan, chapatis or paratha. (all yoummie Indian bread:-)
I was right - Paneer, the most common type of cheese used in South-Asian cuisine. Often translated to cottage cheese, but for me quite different from the cc's I have tasted before, but more like pressed cc. It is a bit similar to the cheeses manouri (in Greece), and anari (Cyprus).
In India they use paneer in main dishes, in snacks and in desserts... pretty much everywhere in other words. Very often it will go instead of meat in vegetarian dishes. So there are paneer pakora, paneer tikka masala, paneer butter masala and even McDonalds have introduced their very own McSpicy Paneer! For a new-to-paneer-cook like me, I have experimented a bit, but a dish we keep coming back to is Paneer with vegetables- healthy & easy to make, and you can use it as main dish or side dish- your choice:-) Hope you like it!
Paneer - for beginners:-)
You need:2 onions
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cm fresh ginger, grated
1/2 yellow capsicum
1/2 red capsicum
2 carrots
10 green beans
4 spring onions
2 chopped tomatoes
salt, pepper, garam masala
200 gr paneer
You do:
- Grate the capsicum, onions and carrots and chop the beans to small pieces.
- Have oil in a frying pan and saute the onions and garlic. Add the spices.
- Add the vegetables (minus tomatoes) and let simmer (low temperature) until the vegetables are soft (10-15 min). If needed, add a little bit of water, so it doesn't dry out.
- Chop the paneer in cubes and add with the tomatoes. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!
PS: We like to eat it with some bread - naan, chapatis or paratha. (all yoummie Indian bread:-)
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| Paneer - for - beginners- & paratha bread. Bon apetit! |
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