paneer khurchan recipe, how to make punjabi paneer khurchan recipe

paneer khurchan recipe

 

PREP TIME

5 mins

COOK TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

 

paneer khurchan recipe - easy & quick north indian semi dry curry made with paneer in a onion-tomato-capsicum base.

 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 250 gms paneer/cottage cheese
• 90 to 100 gms onions, about 2 medium onions, or ½ heaped cup sliced onions
• 150 gms tomato, 1 large tomato or ⅔ cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 large green capsicum/bell pepper or 100 gms capsicum or ½ cup chopped capsicum
• 1 inch ginger/adrak, julienne
• 1 or 2 green chilies/hari mirch, slit
• a generous pinch of asafoetida/hing
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder or add as required
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder or add as required
• ½ tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder/jeera
• ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
• 1 tbsp low fat cream (optional)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• salt as required

INSTRUCTIONS

1. slice 250 grams of paneer into batons or strips about an inch.
2. chop all the veggies. slice the onions thinly. chop the tomatoes and cut the capsicum in small cubes. slit the green chilies & julienne the 1 inch ginger. reserve a few ginger julienne for garnish.
3. heat 1.5 tbsp oil in medium to large iron tawa. don't use non stick pan. you can also use thick bottomed iron or steel kadai.
4. add the sliced onions and saute them till they turn translucent.
5. then add the capsicum cubes and chopped tomatoes.
6. keep on sauteing and stirring them for about about 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame.
7. the tomatoes need to get softened and the capsicum just about cooked.
8. then add the spice powders - ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ¼ tsp garam masala powder, a generous pinch of asafoetida and salt.
9. stir the spice powders very well with the sauteed onion tomato capsicum mixture.
10. add the slit green chilies and ginger julienne. stir.
11. then add the paneer strips.
12. stir very well and increase the flame to high. paneer will leave moisture once you mix them with the rest of the masala base.
13. with a spatula, align and place each paneer strip touching the tawa, so that they are cooked evenly as well as get bit golden from the base.
14. cook for a minute and then scrape the paneer strips from the base. reduce the flame if everything starts to get brown quickly
15. turn over and let the other side get browned a bit.
16. again scrape and stir. keep on scraping if you see the paneer or onion-tomato bits on the tawa. a note is not to cook too much as then the paneer would harden. the scraping as well as flipping has to be done quickly.
17. lastly add 1 tbsp low fat cream and ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed. the cream is optional and if you don't have just skip it.
18. switch off the flame and stir very well again.
19. add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and mix them with the paneer khurchan. you can also garnish paneer khurchan with coriander leaves instead of mixing them.
20. serve paneer khurchan hot sprinkled with some lime juice and the reserved ginger julienne, along with some chapatis, tandoori rotis or naan.