Hariyali Paneer

Are you tired of having red/brown gravies of North-Indian cuisine? I’m!!! Whenever I visit any Indian restaurant here, I find the same gravy in almost every dish being served! They change only main elements of the dish i.e. Kofta, Paneer, Mix Veggie etc. Bored of the same old tomato-onion based gravy… Enough is enough. Bring a twist to your paneer dish this time.

Wanted to utilize a handful of mint leaves and fresh coriander leaves to make something super yum! You know how they beautifully they lend a lovely flavor n texture to any dish. I generally make some appetizer or flat breads using them… But this time, I marinated my paneer cubes in a green paste along with a gravy using these 2 herbs only! Such a wonderful flavor…

Go-green n try out this vibrant looking dish with ‘Hariyali Paneer’:

INGREDIENTS:

For Marination:

200 gm Paneer, cut into cubes
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Mint Powder
Salt, to taste

For Gravy:

1/2 cup Boiled Green Peas
1/2 cup Chopped Onion
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/2 cup Mint Leaves
1 cup Coriander Leaves
1 cup Thick Yogurt
7-8 Cashew nuts
1 tsp Melon Seeds (magajtari)
1 tsp Besan
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
Salt, to taste

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

1. Mix all the ingredients of marinade in a container and add paneer cubes in it.
2. Cover with a lid or cling wrap and keep in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
3. Dry-roast besan in a non-stick pan for a min.
4. Take mint leaves, coriander leaves, yogurt, cashews, melon seeds and roasted besan in a mixture jar.
5. Grind them all together to make a fine paste. Add a little of water if required.
6. Heat oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds.
7. Once it stops crackling, add ginger-garlic paste with chopped onions.
8. Saute it until translucent and add prepared green gravy with all spices in it. Mix well and cook it for 5-6 mins.
9. Add marinated paneer cubes and mix gently. Make sure paneer cubes remain intact.
10. Cook for 2-3 mins more and transfer to a serving bowl.
11. Serve hot with paratha/naan!

SJ’s NOTE:

• You can also pan-grill these paneer cubes first before adding them to gravy.